Wright, Robert Watson (Bobby, Bob, Rob); January 1, 1961 – July 3, 2012 Following a long weekend filled with so many loving moments, my best friend Rob biked home early from his woodworking shop. Not feeling well, he lay down to sleep and then never awakened. While sleeping, Rob suffered a major heart attack that caused massive and irreparable damage to his bold and beautiful heart. I would like to thank all those who rushed to Rob’s aide that day: the emergency team (you were amazing) and our friends and family, who have held us tight since. Your support will be deeply felt for the rest of our lives. Rob was the true love of Kari Olsen, whom he met and fell in love with in high school and re-met four years ago. Best friend and “executive chef” to Hanna and Phoebe. Caring son to his mother Terry. Brother to Jane (Roger) and Kathy (Garry) and favourite uncle to Melissa (Sam) and Frank. Rob lived a huge and generous life, one filled with much poetry and laughter. His passionate spirit will be forever missed by all those who knew him. Originally from Montreal, making him an avid Habs fan, Rob moved to Elora in his early teens. He loved his new home and spent those first years working on farms and exploring every crack and crevasse of the Elora Gorge and the river that flows through it. At some point, Rob fell in love with biking, commuting to work and school on a daily basis and pedalling the west coast, the Great Lakes and Europe for months at a time. (He loved to tell people that he had not owned or driven a car in decades and was proud of his small footprint on our planet.) After studying philosophy at the University of Guelph, Rob realized academia was not his calling. He wanted to work with his hands, so began a career in woodworking. Twenty-two years ago, Rob travelled out to Bowen Island, BC for a bike ride. And there he stayed. Over the years, Rob honed his skill as a master cabinet maker, his pieces gracing many beautiful homes up and down the west coast. While in BC, Rob refurbished an antique wooden boat, which allowed him to explore the BC coastline. He also explored the written word through a satirical newspaper about island life and through several humorous radio shows and plays. Always playful, Rob loved cats and dogs and children and they gravitated toward him. Three years ago Rob dissolved his life on Bowen to do three things: create a joyous home with his first love Kari, help care for his elderly mother, and open his own woodworking business in his hometown. All of these life dreams he attained. To quote one of his friends recently: “He was a happy, happy man.” A celebration of Rob’s life was held for friends and family in Elora on July 9 and on Bowen Island on July 10. He will be so dearly missed by us all.
“It was but yesterday we met in a dream… If in the twilight of memory we should meet once more, we shall speak again together and you shall sing to me a deeper song. And if our hands should meet in another dream we shall build another tower in the sky.”
