Number 7 on my Turning 60 List goes as follows:

“Outliving your friends really sucks. It’s happened too often. Lately it’s been happening more and more. The longer I live the worse it’s going to get. Like I said, it sucks!”

Today offered up more evidence of this.

I first met Gary Chapman working on the set for “Death of Salesman” at Guelph Little Theatre in 2006. He and his wife Lin were in charge of building and decorating the set. When we went on to WODL  Festival that year he was the one who coordinated moving what was essentially a two-story house from our stage to the one in Sarnia. To put it frankly – he impressed the hell out me! One of the most amazing experiences of my life.

That experience was re-enacted in part when Gary and Lyn served as technical directors when Guelph Little Theatre hosted the WODL Festival a couple of years ago. It was such great fun. One of the best March Breaks ever. Gary proved once again why he was so loved and respected by so many.

You noticed the past tense right? Yeah, Gary died this morning. He’d been sick for a while. Cancer–what else?  He and Lyn were scheduled to host the 5th Annual Arthur Awards Gala back in September. He couldn’t make it because of surgery. I guess it was too little, too late.

To describe him as warm, friendly, talented, and dedicated is understatement. He was all you could hope for and more. The theatre community in Guelph and area has lost a tremendous friend and talent. To say he will be missed is to engage in more of the aforementioned redundancy. But, it needs to be said.

It’s gonna take a while to process this, but for now…

Goodbye Gary, gonna miss you pal.

Gary Chapman