Fare thee well my good friend.

Fare thee well my good friend. God speed.
Your work is done here.
Your road has come to an end.
There is no more pain to bear.
No more sorrow to endure.
Fare thee well, my good friend.
Be at peace.

He is gone.

This man of gentle heart and quiet spirit. This man who graced our world for 58 years, four of them with the homeless shelter where I work.

Terry Pettigrew is gone.

He passed away on May 31 at approximately 3:30 a.m. At his bedside was his brother, a man he hadn't seen in 34 years but with whom he recently reconnected. A man with whom the bond of love was never broken, only sometimes distant, strained, stretched. And while he had been absent from his life for so long, Larry, his brother was there in the end when it really counted. He gently held his brother's hand, spoke soothingly to him as he passed over. And so, it came to pass that Terry had his wish. He was not alone in those final hours. He was with family. His journey to the other side softened by his brother's love. The brother who searched for him and when he found him, embraced him in love and compassion, kindness and support.

Terry Pettigrew is gone and I am saddened, yet grateful. For in his passing through my life I am richer for his acquaintance. I am a better person for having known him.

Thank you everyone who has followed the journey of Terry. He read your words of encouragement, of support, of love. And his heart beat more fiercely for your words touched him, deeply. Your words gave him strength, encouragement, hope.

And now, he is gone. Peaceful now. At rest.

May he always be remembered as a kind and caring man, a man of dry wit, of clever repartee. A man for whom life was a constant adventure. And while it was sometimes challenging, it was always filled with his belief the sun would come out tomorrow -- no matter what. Whether behind grey clouds or stormy skies, the sun would be there. He always knew that.

And that is the joy of life he shared. Generously. Graciously. It was a reflection of who he was. Constant. Dependable. Fiercely independent.

And no matter the skies, his humour, his laughter, his smile could always be counted upon.

Now he is gone.

May he rest in peace.

Throughout Terry's journey over the past few months, reporter Sean Myers of the Calgary Herald has written sensitive and moving articles on Terry, his journey through cancer, and his reconnection with his brother which was prompted by one of Sean's stories. This is Sean's article on Terry's passing.

Namaste.