In the final hours of August 29th, on his own terms and with a peaceful spirit, Laurie Block passed away. Despite his struggle over the past 6 years, Laurie maintained his intelligence, sensitivity and sense of humour to the end, winning the hearts of all those in the care home in the same way he had endeared himself to friends and family throughout his life.
Laurie leaves a marvelous legacy, a gift to us all. An award-winning writer & storyteller, Laurie’s work appeared onstage, in Canadian anthologies & magazines & in 3 volumes of poetry, including a bilingual collection, & Time Out of Mind (2006), for which he received the inaugural Lansdowne Prize for Poetry.
Laurie’s family would like to express our sincere gratitude to the staff of the Simkin Centre Personal Care Home. Their thoughtfulness and compassion for both Laurie and the rest of us were strongly evident throughout his stay and during his passing.
At Laurie’s request, a Celebration of Life will be held mid-October. Notice of location and date will be announced closer to the event on the Prairie Fire website (www.prairiefire.ca) and its Facebook page.
Expressions of condolence and short stories about Laurie may be sent to the funeral Centre’s website (www.neilbardalinc.com).
Donations in memory of Laurie may be made to a charity of your choice.
