Harry Raymond Everett Aslin

Artist

At 2 years’ old, Papa knew – not that he ‘wanted’ to be an artist one day – but that he was an artist. When 8, his pencil drawing of his grandmother showed a precocious sensitivity to light, line, emotion, texture, and form. In a 2-minute life drawing, he had the ability to suggest with one line the curve of a breast or the weight of a belly. Like Da Vinci, Papa was creative in every way: he invented, innovated, sculpted, painted, woodworked, was fascinated by science, all animals and nature, and was a gourmet cook.

When my sister and I were little, Papa took our hands and asked us what colour the palm was, we said: “Pink.” He said, “Wrong, Doves, No human hand is pink, Look again and tell me what colours you see.” We wonderlanded aloud: “Dark blue, turquoise, purple, red, white, yellow, orange, brown….” Our voices trailed off into all the colours. Papa smiled: “You see, all kinds of colours are there if you really look. Most people average, but the artist needs to see what is really there.”

Husband

Papa went into a restaurant, saw the head cashier there, and that was it; he had found his love. He gave her a $20 for his lunch – she said he gave her a $10 –the only way to be settle the heated debate was for him to return at the end of her shift that night when she balanced the cash. He returned, it was dark, winter, and snowing. He walked her to the bus stop, the bus never came, they walked to the next stop, talked, laughed, pelted each other with snowballs, and they walked together after that all their years; she was his great love.

Father, Grandfather, Great Grandfather

“Once upon a time there were three tiny mice. One wore a blue vest, one wore a red coat, and one wore a pink dress with large hoop earrings that tinkled when she danced.” Papa was a storyteller to many generations. Weakened, after a long health battle, still he recorded stories in hospital for Kiara, his beloved great grand-daughter. He passed bravely and with strong love for his family around him. He made us proud.

Saturday, December 7th: After the closed family service, there will be a small vernissage of Papa’s art from 2:00-3:30 p.m. that is open to those wishing to come and to celebrate the creativity and beauty of his life. Please come dressed up or down as is most comfortable for you, and please, in lieu of black, wear one of the colours that you will find if you look closely at the palm of your hand.

Les funérailles sont organisées par : Résidences funéraires Collins Clarke MacGillvray White Funeral Homes, Montreal, QC.