Big Buzzie

Some men look best dressed in business suits. You know the type? They look like a fish out of water in a pair of shorts and a golf shirt. They were born to wear a good tailored suit and tie. My father-in-law fits the bill. Tall, lanky and handsome, when he walked into a room in a navy blue suit all eyes were on him. He had a presence that illuminated any social function, and as he made his way around a crowd his down home Maritime-ness always pulled everyone in to whatever story he was rapturing on about. George, or "Buzzie" as he is known to his family and close friends is a social butterfly...........he loves a good story, a good joke, and always loved to be up on a dance floor. Good thing he spent a good deal of his working life as a politician. That too was a perfect fit.

When I first joined this family, it was at a time when George had recently stepped down from holding office in this neck of the woods for 21 years............a darn good run. He was returning to his legal practice after a busy political life where he held many portfolios, including the first Environment Minister in Ontario. Though he had returned to a more private life, he was still very actively involved in the community. He kept in contact with his political friends and actively supported his party by continuing to attend meetings, and to canvas.

Buzzie thrived as a politician, representing his constituency at the provincial level and overseeing various Departments along the way. Though I didn't know him personally at the time, I certainly knew of him, growing up in his riding. As Minister of the Environment, his major emphasis was to try to clean up the Hamilton harbour in Lake Ontario, which at the time was so full of chemicals and pollution from the large steel companies nestled on the periphery of the shores, across the bay in Hamilton. All swimming had been banned for many years. Eating fish caught from the lake was avoided. Like Lake Erie, it was heading towards becoming a "dead" lake, where plants and water life was becoming extinct. George oversaw the instigation of the measures to try to turn things around in the mid-1970's. To prove the point that the harbour was swimmable and not dangerous, Buzzie donned an old fashioned one piece striped bathing suit jumped into the sludgey waters of Lake Ontario.

It was a great publicity stunt during a campaign, which also included the candidates from the other two parties............one driving a car/boat and another who tried to "walk on water" on a pair of stilts. And, it must have worked. He was elected again to represent his riding.

Buzzie has always been game to take part in anything social. Whether it was a beach supper in Nova Scotia with a crew of all ages, or a political shin-dig he was game. He actively played tennis, never missed watching a Ti-Cats football game, read the newspapers voraciously, watched the evening news daily, never missed a Law and Order episode. If a party was in the offing, he was there. But, what he loved to do more than anything was talk politics. There was nothing more invigorating for him than to have his family around the dining room table discussing the intricacies, policies, and events of Canadian political history. Often loud and heated, always entertaining. The more the wine flowed, the more gregarious the conversation became and the more he thrived. Verbal and intellectual jousting with his son, my husband, was a sport for him.

One my more memorable moments with him was the evening he took me to Toronto out for dinner and to see Les Miserables. It was one of the only times when it was just he and I. Over the years, we have had many heated discussions on the politics of the day, he always showed an interest in "my take" on things........... but this evening was a quieter moment. As we ate dinner, I asked him several questions about his 21 years as an elected official. I was an audience of one as he described some of the highlights and reflected on the more difficult times. I have always been grateful for the evening alone with him.

The other night, I made dinner for my family and my in-laws. Together for the first time in a year (because we live far away from them) we shared a meal together that was much more subdued than the ones from our past. It was during dinner that I realized Buzzie's capacity to debate and joust had disappeared. He finds long winded stories too confusing. Sometimes even simple words are lost in the ozones.

Buzzie is now in his 80's. He's been battling Alzheimers now for several years. The other night, we had dinner with him and my mother in law who is also quite frail. Gone is the anger and lashing out that often accompanies this horrendous disease. Gone is the overwhelming frustration he suffered from as he fought to retain control of his thoughts and actions. Still able to have brief conversations before his train of thought becomes confused, he tried to tell me a few stories of his glory days. When attempts were made to kibbitz with him though, to get him going like we normally do, he couldn't take the bait. Alzheimers has stolen his sense of humour.

Sadly, gone is the strong imposing man dressed in his dashing suit and tie who could work a room like no one else. He doesn't know how to smile and laugh anymore. He's losing awareness.

What an unforgivable disease.