Husband. Brother. Uncle. Animal Lover. Born Aug. 25, 1950, in Toronto; died Dec. 30, 2016 in Milton, Ont., of pancreatic cancer; aged 67
Gary Burdon's love of animals and the outdoors was contagious. He bought a "camp" (we were never to call it a cottage) on the French River so that he could enjoy nature with his wife, Linda, his large dog Max and his extended family.
Linda and Gary never had children. They treated the large group of nieces and nephews, and their partners, with the same love and affection as if they were their own children. To Linda's siblings, Gary was not a brother-in-law. He was their brother.
Gary was always the one the family went to for help, whether it was a relationship issue, family matter, financial assistance or advice. He was always available, he always helped you and he was never judgmental.
Gary and Max were inseparable. One summer, Max swam out too far and might have drowned had Linda not shouted out to Gary that Max was in distress. The gesture was returned many years later when, out for a predawn walk along the Beltline Trail in Toronto, Gary was confronted by an aggressive stranger. Max made it very clear that no harm would come to Gary.
Gary was born in Toronto and his family moved to Burlington when he was young. In his preteen years he worked as an errand boy at the local airport. This fuelled a fascination with planes and flight that remained with him always. In his 30s he fulfilled a lifelong dream and obtained his pilot's licence.
He was also a motorcycle lover and Harley Davidson enthusiast, which led to a little too much adventure before he focused on completing his education in computer sciences and starting his career.
In Gary's true character, he used his first paycheque to obtain a loan to assist his parents. Not long after graduation, Gary's career took him to Montreal where he met Linda, the love of his life. They married in 1980 (one of their first apartments was filled with several half-finished motorcycle frames), then moved to Kitchener to start their lives together.
He said it was his job to make Linda laugh at least once a day, and Gary's sense of humour was legendary. There are dozens of stories, told so often that they have been assigned titles. Simply by saying "Thanks Anyway!" or "Laminator" will evoke grins and fits of laughter in the family even before the stories are started.
A photo album sits on Gary and Linda's fireplace mantel; it's a collection of photographs put together by a friend after Max died. In it, Gary wrote, "Play as much as you can," "If nobody's playing, start something," and "Participate, don't spectate."
The words – written to celebrate his beloved dog – also describe Gary beautifully.
Trent Cosgrove is Gary's brother-in-law.
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