Patrick William Russell

I'm so sad to hear this. I had not seen Patrick for many years, but he was and always will be my childhood friend. We met in elementary school and would be friend through to highschool. I remember him and his way with words fondly, as we would spend afterschools drinking slurpees, playing GI Joe and roleplaying game (D&D was the favorite), and gallivanting around the neighbourhood in our way. I remember Patrick, disappointed at having lost a hand of poker to my mom, famously calling her a beluga whale, which was even more fun that the game. And I remember when I was about 14 and somehow had tickets to my first rock concert but the parents of the girl I had asked would not let her go, Patrick stepped in. And my parents were very glad, as they knew Patrick was streetwise at that age, and I was not. I still remember him exclaiming "Choice" (the word for "awesome" at the time) on seeing some pyrotechnics at the concert. I lost touch with Patrick later, but I remember the last time we talked we were in our early 20s, he was working at Tony Roma's I think, and he asked what courses I was taking at university. On hearing I was taking English lit and philosophy, he said, "oh, so you're taking all the cream puff courses?" Lol. In the picture below we are in Grade 7 or so I think. He was Ferris Bueller to this Cameron, and I will miss him and always remember him. I'm glad to see this celebration here, and my heart and condolences go out to his friends and family.