Dear Bud,
You were my first friend and one of the most intelligent, charismatic, and flawed people any of us ever had the honour of knowing. You brought an insane amount of joy to all those who surrounded you in your 79 years. You taught me many life lessons in my early years, for better or worse, from how to dig a ditch to how to treat the people who made me who I am. You were the one who taught me how to fish when I was learning to become a guide at 14 years of age; an effort I appreciate even though you told me to drag the bottom and jig the downrigger until something happened, regardless of how much gear was lost. When you guided at the lodge for those many years, the guests would line up for the opportunity to fish with you, not caring if they ever caught a fish.
When I was 5 years old I announced to my parents that I wanted to “grow up to be just like Bud”, sending them into a brief spiral, but they still let us hang out for some reason. Even though your vices were in a surplus you never let them define you, you simply let them act as a catalyst for your insane stories of earlier days as a coal miner, submariner, fisherman, and fugitive. You were the most interesting man I will ever meet, which is why nobody ever wanted you to stop talking ~ a rare quality in a person. The fact you made it this far is a miracle of human biology. You beat the odds and you spat in the face of death many times of late. Your face is in my heart, and your name tattooed on my skin. I miss you Bud.
Love, Cam Reid
Carl “Bud” Edwards passed away, in Campbell River hospital, on October 19, 2015. Many thanks to Mary Ellen, Stan, and Dr. Walker for their never-ending support and patience.