George Amatus Bouck was born in New York City on August 10, 1996.
George's birth mother, Barbara Lapidus, was already seriously ill, and was a resident at the Catholic Worker House on East First Street in the borough of Manhattan. George's adoptive mother, Barbara Lynn Bouck, had come from Toronto to serve as a volunteer at “The Worker” at the time. Because Barbara Lapidus admired the generous and valiant spirit she saw in the younger Barbara, and aware that she herself might not have long to live, Barbara Lapidus asked Barbara Bouck to adopt the baby. Barbara Bouck said YES.
Three years later, Barbara Bouck returned to Toronto with her adopted son. At first the pair moved in with Barbara's long-time friend Janet Somerville, who gradually became George's “honorary grandmother”. Later, Barbara and George took their own apartment together in Hugh Garner Co-op on Ontario Street. Janet moved there also. George gradually developed a network of good friends whose shared adventures were in themselves an informal and valuable education.
George completed grade school at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School on Isabella Street. His lively, un-submissive spirit – partly explained by a diagnosis of ADD (attention deficit disorder) – did not have much patience with the school system. That held true also for George's high school experience at Monsignor Frazer College, also in downtown Toronto. So George dropped impatiently out of high school.
George's exit from Hugh Garner Co-op was also somewhat stormy, although besides his network of same-age friends, several adult residents there (Jerry Reddy and Bernadette Whalen in particular) had come to love and appreciate him.
George came to value the occasional hospitality of Covenant House and other youth-oriented services. He also valued the advice and helpful connections offered by some outstanding social workers, most recently Tara Evans-Boodram, and of his “mentor”, Jonah Midanik. During this period George's compassion for others grew large; he could be very gentle and intuitive, though he did not lose the fire in his soul which sometimes erupted in contemptuous rage.
Since 2020, George has been living quietly in a rooming-house on a little side-street in the Kensington Market district. Life on his own suited the independent streak in George's temperament, though it starved his need for supportive community and left him vulnerable to the dangers of the street, including street drugs. It was in his room there on Thursday, February 11, 2021 that another resident found George dead.
Prayers, tributes, and expressions of compassion have been flooding in to mother Barbara and also to “honorary grandma” Janet since that day. We are all still stunned.
In Paradisum deducant te angeli, George! You are much loved.
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Donations can be made in George’s memory to Covenant House, StepStones for Youth, or a charity of your choice.
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