Obituary of Gary Legge

Gary Legge 1941 ~ 2011 Gary a resident of Fort Nelson, British Columbia passed away October 20, 2011 in Fort Nelson, at 56 years of age. Gary is from Newfoundland and still has family there. Your legacy will be your compassion and easy forgiveness of others. Your humility, no one was more humble. Honest to a fault, and honorable. But it's your loyalty that stands out first and foremost. Loyalty to your family and to your friends. It was a constant, and we could count on it. Gary's family is spread across the country, and we were not able to be there in person. We had to trust the care of our beloved Gary to those who were closer. His wife, Dianne, never left his side. She was his protector, she was his rock, and we knew he was safe in her hands. His daughters, Amanda and Jennifer were there whenever they could be, and although he was always fighting his illness, he always fought that much harder when his girls were near him. And you, the collective community of Fort Nelson, you made it clear to all of us, that Gary's support system was far broader than that. You showed how much you cared through your incredible generosity at the benefit held here, and you made us all feel confident that Gary, Dianne, Amanda and Jennifer were well looked after. Any of you who know Gary and Dianne and have seen them together know their marriage was rock solid. This was evident from day 1. The strength of Gary and Dianne's marriage tells us that not only is Dianne a strong woman, she is an incredibly patient woman. To make an extreme understatement, Gary was a stubborn man. Or as my mother would say, a pig-headed man. Once Gary got an idea in his head, there was no changing it. He was going to achieve whatever outcome he wanted to achieve, whether anyone else believed it to be possible or not. The nicer words I could use to describe these traits would be perseverance and tenacity, and it was these very traits that carried him through every challenge he faced, including 3 very hard fought battles with cancer. It wasn't only his stubborn nature that carried him through those difficult times. It was also his love for his family and his determination to stay with them. Gary was THE family man. His parents, siblings and extended family were very important to Gary, but his world revolved around Dianne, Amanda and Jennifer. Maintaining connections with all of his family was what Gary did best. The family consists of 7 siblings, each with very individual personalities. Every large family has challenges keeping the peace when personalities collide, or staying close when your are spread geographically across a very large land mass like Canada. For them, Gary was, the glue that holds them together. When one of them would head home to Newfoundland, they would typically make the trip on their own and that would be that. But whenever Gary planned a trip home, everyone else would start scrambling to see who else could get there too. It didn't always come together, but they would always make the effort. There was something about his presence that made them feel the need to come together. Gary was a loyal man. His loyalty extended not only to his family, but also to his friends. Gary cared about everyone and could not bear to see people unhappy. He was always ready to do anything and everything he could to help other people, even if that meant that he went without. Seeing the relief and the happiness in the faces of others was the only thanks he needed or wanted. Gary was the most caring and generous man ever known. Gary left a legacy. Gary was always willing to help his fellow man. To try to make the world a better place. Gary was a Good Samaritan. Now he is an angel. And we will never forget him or stop loving him. A Celebration of Life Service was held Saturday, October 29, 2011 at the Fort Nelson Seconday School, Fort Nelson, British Columbia Officiated by Don White Expressions of sympathy maybe made in memory of Gary by way of a donation to the: ‘Fort Nelson Hospital Foundation’ 5315 Liard Street, Fort Nelson, British Columbia, V0C 1R0 or ‘The Cross Cancer Institute’ 1156 University Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 1Z2