Dave Hadden
Well-Known Member
Very sad for me to read Gord's obit in our local papers today. Pretty well anyone who logged or trucked around north VanIsle would have met or known Gord.
I met him about August of '69 when I drove old Ed Johnson's pickup from Gold River to Campbell River to pick up an Allison tranny for one of our trucks. Ed was Master Mechanic and I was a new and green Warehouseman on a rapid learning curve. He'd come to my room in the Staff bunkhouse that Saturday morning and asked if I had any plans. Broke, I had none. He explained there was this tranny that needed to be brought to Gold River so I might as well go get it at what was then called Cullen Detroit Diesel Allison Ltd. (I think) and that the Manager there, one Gordie Gardner would meet me there and load it up.
So I met Gordie that morning and dealt with him many times afterwards over many years.
He was one of those guys that, when you think of them you smile. Immensely likeable he was always great to be around.......and he looked after his customers too.
The company names changed a couple of times here in Campbell River after Penske became majority owner and then when that era ended too, but Gordie was consistent and I'm going to miss him even as seldom as we crossed paths in recent retirement years.
Last time I saw him at the Quinsam Restaurant we hugged and I could feel how frail he was and how much the cancer treatments had kicked the crap out of him, but he was optomistic as always and we parted laughing at some old memory we shared.
I phoned him a couple of times after that and we talked story but I knew he wasn't going to beat it this time.
I've been house-sitting out of town for a couple of weeks now but thought about calling him again last week, but didn't.
And then today I read his obit and couldn't help but tear up a bit once again.
I've lost far too many pals and acquaintances to cancer the past few years, part of staying alive oneself I suppose, but damn I hate cancer!!!
R.I.P Gordie..........you'll always be remembered by we who knew you. :crying
I met him about August of '69 when I drove old Ed Johnson's pickup from Gold River to Campbell River to pick up an Allison tranny for one of our trucks. Ed was Master Mechanic and I was a new and green Warehouseman on a rapid learning curve. He'd come to my room in the Staff bunkhouse that Saturday morning and asked if I had any plans. Broke, I had none. He explained there was this tranny that needed to be brought to Gold River so I might as well go get it at what was then called Cullen Detroit Diesel Allison Ltd. (I think) and that the Manager there, one Gordie Gardner would meet me there and load it up.
So I met Gordie that morning and dealt with him many times afterwards over many years.
He was one of those guys that, when you think of them you smile. Immensely likeable he was always great to be around.......and he looked after his customers too.
The company names changed a couple of times here in Campbell River after Penske became majority owner and then when that era ended too, but Gordie was consistent and I'm going to miss him even as seldom as we crossed paths in recent retirement years.
Last time I saw him at the Quinsam Restaurant we hugged and I could feel how frail he was and how much the cancer treatments had kicked the crap out of him, but he was optomistic as always and we parted laughing at some old memory we shared.
I phoned him a couple of times after that and we talked story but I knew he wasn't going to beat it this time.
I've been house-sitting out of town for a couple of weeks now but thought about calling him again last week, but didn't.
And then today I read his obit and couldn't help but tear up a bit once again.
I've lost far too many pals and acquaintances to cancer the past few years, part of staying alive oneself I suppose, but damn I hate cancer!!!
R.I.P Gordie..........you'll always be remembered by we who knew you. :crying