Friday, June 16, 2023
Theo...I can't believe you are gone. I never had the privilege of having brothers and then I met the Veltman brothers and my life was never the same. From the countless prank phone calls, to the hours spent watching Saturday Night Live and always laughing uncontrollably at Celebrity Jeopardy, to the times you and Mark would walk into our house-take the remote from my Mom-flip the TV to Hockey Night in Canada and then look at my Mom and say "we're watching hockey now"--and she LET you because she couldn't believe you did it! Then...the considerable property damage we caused to the Johnston's big blue van as we would go flying over the Burns St bump at excessive speeds trying to get the van off the ground or at the very least trying to hit it hard enough that Johnny would smack his head on the roof!
I remember driving back and forth to Lambton College together and you stinking up the car as you bathed in buckets of Drakkar Noir trying to impress the college girls. Lizzie and I used to have to roll down our windows even in the middle of winter because the choice was either freezing OR having to be choked by your cologne and freezing was ALWAYS the better choice.
And then I remember seeing you grow and mature in an instant when Brayden was born; becoming a Dad made you complete and you loved him instantly with an unbreakable bond. You found a way to talk about Brayden in every sentence no matter WHAT we were talking about--it always came back to your boy...you loved saying "my son".
Unfortunately life got in the way and we lost touch and I've not had the chance to meet your other kids but looking at the pictures online I see that you found that love and connection as a Dad all over again--how blessed Brayden, Jacob and Leah are to have won the Dad Lottery and had you for their Dad.
I hope that you, your Mom and Grandma & Grandpa Raithby are having an amazing family reunion now that you are home.
You were loved, my friend…you were loved.
