Laurie Bennett 1944-2026

The first time I met Laurie Bennett in June 1963 wasn’t anything at all like a good way to start a friendship. I’d been hired as a bell-hop by Britannia, a summer hotel on Lake of Bays. Laurie had been a bell-hop there the previous year and so had been made head bell-hop.
He’d already been at the hotel a week so was taking a day off. The hotel had a nine-hole golf course where he was out playing a round. You can imagine his displeasure at having his game interrupted to he could come and meet me.
But we got through that and he was soon showing me new pleasures, namely hitchhiking. He had hitchhiking down to such a science that he could hitchhike the two hours to Meaford to see his high-school sweetheart Pat in about the same time it would take to drive your own car. 
The golden thumb we called it. There was never any trouble. It wouldn’t be the same today, I don’t imagine.
Our friendship grew. I met Ben’s parents that summer. His mother was a classy woman with thoughtful views on many topics. Ben called his father ‘the Judge’ because he was one who could be a bit gruff. 
We’d already decided separately to attend the University of Western Ontario. We both ended up in first-year residence at Medway Hall. In second year we were roommates. Ben was the best man at my wedding. You get the idea.
Over the years we’d regularly meet for lunch. I was a journalist, Ben was a numbers guy and in his Bay Street career worked at Ernst & Young as a partner.
But most of all he was a loving family man; three children with Pat as well as several grandchildren, sisters, and brothers-in-law.
Ben had a favourite singer, Frank Ifield, an Australian. It was Ben’s forte to suddenly, for no apparent reason, break into song, usually one of Ifield’s. I’m going to follow Ben’s pattern and suddenly break into song. Pretend you can hear me, with full-throated praise and loving recollection:
“I remember you
You’re the one who
Made my dreams come true … a minute ago
I remember, too
A distant bell
And stars that fell
Like the rain out of the blue-ooh-ooh-ooh-hoo-hoo!
When my life is through
And the angels ask me to recall
The thrill of it all
Then I will tell them I remember
Tell them I remember
Tell them I remember you!” 
One final story. Ben and I had this crazy greetings routine. When we met, we’d each take turns saying, in high-pitched voices, “Hi Boy!” 
But today I’ll conclude with a new version. “Bi Boy!”