In Memory of Bill Aitken

It’s been two years since we lost Bill Aitken, our father, and husband of Marlene Aitken (nee Kehler). As a child, I thought my father would always be with me. He was a symbol of wisdom, authority, security and constancy. In many ways, that feeling never changed. But time waits for no one and my father’s time ended on September 29, 2010, in his own bedroom, surround by those that deeply loved him. Our sense of loss continues till this day.

Not a day goes by that I don’t think about him and the wonderful, loving father and friend that he was. How I miss our long phone conversations about our shared passion for history, his stories about our colourful ancestry and the wisdom of his counsel. I even miss his right-wing political views and his libertarian values – though I never agreed with them. My father was a complex and interesting character. He had an ocean of knowledge and insight, and a strong opinion on every subject. Unfortunately, he was also a reserved and guarded person so few people truly knew and understood his depths. But I was one of the lucky ones that did.

Although he has been gone for two years, I still see glimpses of my father. In the mirror while shaving, in the faces and mannerisms of his grandsons and in my dreams. I take comfort in knowing that he had a great influence over his grandchildren, both directly and through my sisters and I. That each one of them experienced his selfless love and that they will love their own children and grandchildren in the same way.

Most people would say that my father was an old man when he died (78), but he was never old to me. He was just ‘dad’- the same person that took me on fishing trips, played catch with me in the backyard, coached my hockey teams, watched my children play their sports, and walked with me on the beaches of Victoria. To me he will never grow old and will never really be gone. He’s just a phone call away.

Neil Aitken