Mercer, Randal Lester (August 13th 1951-February 27th, 2012)
On February 27th, our dear dad passed away in our arms, while his beautiful music filled the room. It was a soft passing, one of the softest and loving moments of a charmed life. Randy wore his heart on his sleeve, and he wrote the blueprint for his own life--all of our lives are enriched in immeasurable ways by his influence, his model, and his presence. The experience of grief is solely in missing this guy; those that loved him, in other words those that knew him, can find consolation in the truth that there was an absence of suffering: only peace and the kindness of the hospice, and the graceful ascent into some-other-place.
Rand was that rare mix of prince and jester, a heart so large that you could warm yourself in his presence, but never so full of himself or so in love with his prodigious talents that he wouldn’t light a smoke, curse the conservatives, hop on a tube, give his sons a hug, give his daughters a hug, or give any of the dozens of surrogate sons and daughters that gathered around him in life a smile, a hug, a joke, a word of wisdom, a reflection, or thought, or song, or invitation to admire the handsomeness of his dogs Jake, Bernie, and all of the other odd and large dogs that he loved dearly over the years.
The thing about Randy that we can never forget is that he came from the farm in Saskatchewan. The foundation of his being comes from the love of his Saskatchewan family, from the infinite care and love that his parents Gertie and Lester showed him throughout his life, and from the love given and received between his siblings Wenda, Joan, Rod, and all of their incredible families. Randy carried that deep love within him wherever he went.
Rand and Cheryl created a culture of love that has been passed down to their sons (Carey, Aaron, and Kane), mirrored and transmitted in the deep love that each of the three sons share with their three loved and cherished daughters (Melanie, Lisa, and Tania). Of the multitude of gifts that Rand gave to his sons, the freedom to love and the freedom to be free, are amongst the greatest gifts ever given: thank you, Randy, you were the richest man we ever knew, surrounded in love, surrounded in music, wrapped up in the arms of the love of your life. We know you’ll be wiggling and giggling in the old church pew in the sky, waiting to write some more songs with your best friend Cheryl, waiting to give Kane a hug, waiting to show Carey a chord, waiting to share a joke with Aaron (your best buddy), telling your daughters that you love them, watching the two that you loved best (Ivan and Sophie!) race around the room, laughing that same free and musical child’s laugh that came out of your mouth for all the rich and fertile years of your awesome life.
Fare thee well, Fare thee well, we love you more than words can tell. Listen to the river sing sweet songs to rock my soul.
There will be a gathering at the Orange Hall in Victoria on Sunday, March 4th at 1:30 pm, and a wake to follow.