The passing of a hero…

Most of us talk the talk, he walked the walk.

Today is the funeral of Winnipeg’s Harry Lehotsky. It will be crowded with a vast array of lives… from top politicians and dignitaries to the homeless. A preacher and community activist that put up mock advertisments for crack houses in his neighbourhood to draw very unwanted attention to their locations… and lived with the resulting death threats.

Michael Bennet of Winnipeg gives a better synopsis than I could:

Winnipeg mourns the passing of Reverend Harry Lehotsky who died recently from pancreatic cancer. Although small in stature, Lehotsky was a fierce activist for Winnipeg’s inner city poor; he fought passionately for the rights of the down trodden, the helpless, the hungry, and the invisible of our city’s infamous West-End. He built homes from derelict booze cans and crack houses. He established the cheerful and inviting Ellice Avenue Cafe and Theatre right smack in the heart of the meanest of our streets. He walked those same streets night after night and confronted drug dealers, gangs, and johns. He advocated tirelessly for the creation of playgrounds and safe social venues for children and teens. He fought for green spaces amongst the boarding houses and rundown apartments. He removed graffiti and cleared the gutters of needles and condoms. In short, Reverend Lehotsky walked the talk as well as the beat; he gave hope to the hopeless, love to the unloved, and food to the hungry. He also pissed off many a politician, some of whom quickly learned to sit up straight and listen when Harry spoke!

When asked about his diagnosis by CBC’s, Terry MacLeod in May, 2006 Harry replied “Oh, man, you think, ‘Why me?’ and then the next thing you think is, ‘Why not me? What makes me different from anybody else?’ There’s mothers and fathers, daughters and sons that die of cancer and so many other things. I mean, we’re all finite. So I think about that if God chooses to do a miracle, that’d be awesome and I’d be very pleased and thankful. If not, what I’ve been living for my whole life is just the ability to meet Him one day and for Him to say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’”
Rest well Harry, good and faithful servant. You will be missed.

Rest in peace and party with passion, Harry.

nooc