The Soo loses one of our "everybody recognizes" locals

[Karen-Annie]

From Sootooday:
http://www.sootoday.com/content/news...ryNumber=52805

BobToe just saw him out and about on Fri., looking like his usual self. He was so interesting to talk to and learn from. I hope that somewhere there is something that preserves his stories and knowledge...if not, we have lost something valuable.

Godspeed, Sonny. You will be missed.

[Soonet-china]

Geesh, i must apoligize, i dont know the local celebrity !

[official soonet pu$$ycat]

I can't believe he was 87.

[Jack Butler]

He was a cool dude.
I would sit at the counter in Mary's Lunch and talk with him about anything or everything.
I think most people would be surprised if they had or took that opportunity.
God speed Sonny, you are truly a local legend.

[kitca]

awwe, that would have been someone for that video documentary, someone with such history. im glad to hear that he was out and about till the end! i havent seen him around in awhile.

[Jack Butler]

awwe, that would have been someone for that video documentary, someone with such history. im glad to hear that he was out and about till the end! i havent seen him around in awhile.

Wow...now that would have been great.
Son of a gun...that would have been so fitting, too bad!

[everywoman]

Awww....although I used to feel sorry for him because I didn't know his story and I thought maybe he was homeless.

[tippikitty]

"everybody recognizes" locals

Nope, never heard of him.

[nightingale]

I can't believe he was 87.

that's what I thinking too.

[Xzavia]

Wondered where he got to, haven't seen him around in quite some time.

Rest in Peace Sonny.

[HDV]

Thats the older man who use to walk his bike everywhere and all around town. RIP Sonny.

[Dragonfly]

Hm, I had no idea he was that old. he was quite the guy to talk to.

[Karen-Annie]

I volunteer at the library coffee shop on Mon. afternoons. He'd routinely come in and order a toasted bagel and a coffee and while I was waiting for our slow-toasting toaster do it's thing, we would chit chat. I especially enjoyed his visits in the late fall and winter because we would talk weather....isn't that quintessentially Canadian thing to do? He had an encyclopedic knowledge of the subject plus all the aboriginal knowledge of nature. Talking about winters on Lake Superior and it's coastline...he had great stories to tell.

I remember back a couple of years there were a couple of threads on here from concerned Soonetters who hadn't seen him for a while. He had to give up his bike and get one of those wheeled walkers with a seat to sit on if one gets tired and I think it might have Great Northern Retirement Home where he was living. Whatever it was that made those changes necessary in his life, once he got more up to snuff, he was back walking-I don't know if he ever took a bus downtown from there because I'd see him coming along upper Bruce St. heading for Great Northern Road. He definitely belied what 87 yrs. old and health issues should look and act like.

i wonder how many people missed out on some great conversation because the book cover didn't exactly match the book's contents.

[Koss]

I've never spoke with the Man but he was a part of the Soo for me. Having lived downtown years ago, and now working here, he was a staple of the neighborhood. RIP

[Karen-Annie]

FYI, my daughter is Native Canadian. Raising her we always made sure that she knew about her heritage and as she grew up encouraged her to learn all she could and take some native study courses. Went to pow wows with her. Gave her my blessing to go out to Saskatchewan to meet her birth family. And I happen to love to talk to and learn about First Nations people.

[gouligann]

Edit by Netdawg:

The issue has been dealt with.


Good!

[HDV]

Edit by Netdawg:

The issue has been dealt with.

huh? :P

[MaO3]

Thanks Netdawg for not deleting the whole thread. I'm sure that the statement was taken the wrong way, and the harping about it would not have gone away, but the thread didn't need to.

I never had the opportunity to speak to Sonny either, but certainly wondered about him. RIP

[Jack Butler]

Here's something from the Sault Star...http://www.saultstar.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3193634

[Andre]

I am saddened to hear of his passing. As mention earlier, he was an fixture in the downtown community.
Unfortunately I'd never had the opportunity to have a conversation with the man.
Having lived downtown for almost 25 years, I'd certainly seen him many many times, but every time I've seen him I was driving and he hadn't been anywhere I could just stop and talk to him.
The one time I did talk to him(he was riding his bike past my place on Church St. while I was packing to leave for a few days) he was sitting on the flower box on the split between Pim and Church St and I stopped to ask him if he was OK because this was the first time I had ever seen him not moving. He got a laugh out of that when I explained my reason for stopping and he told me he had to rest every so often.

Rest in Peace
Sonny
We didn't know each other, but I going to miss you and others and I will probably talk about you long into the future.