Memories of Uncle Rob

Uncle Rob -
the Serious...





...And the Silly!




To begin, I should state that my Uncle Rob died this evening, October 21, 2009, at the age of 92. Although I will miss him, I cannot wish him back. He had a long full life, and never wanted to be a burden to anyone. He is in God’s hands now – a much better place to be! This, my first official blog, is a tribute to him.


When I was a little girl, I waited impatiently each December 24th, until the Scott vehicle arrived at our house in Hamilton, bearing my Aunt Phyllis, Uncle Rob and Grandma Stephens. Now Christmas had officially arrived and the celebrating and fun could begin! Two Christmases in particular stand out in my mind...

The year that I had just turned 7 - 1969, I had spent several weeks in hospital with a fairly serious throat infection, and although I was released to go home before Christmas, I was in strict isolation there, with my mother being the only person allowed in my room. I will never forget eating my Christmas dinner alone in that little room, missing out on the family conversation. I wasn't lonely or feeling sorry for myself for long though, because Uncle Rob left the family dinner table early, so that he could pull a chair up to the door of my room and chat with me, telling me silly stories and jokes, making me laugh, and making me feel included in the family's celebration.

The second Christmas that I recall quite clearly was the year that "the men" (my dad, Uncle Rob and my brother, David) decided that I was old enough to learn to play Cribbage. I spent far more time playing cards in the rec-room that year, than I did helping my mother, but once again... Uncle Rob went out of his way to make me feel wanted and included.

When I was in my teens, my dad and I went fishing in the Lake Couchiching/Lake Simcoe Narrows a few times. We would, of course, stay with Uncle Rob and Aunt Phyl in their wonderful Atherly house while we were there. I remember one visit when Uncle Rob showed me all the bits of pieces of nature that he used in making the beautiful crafts that he so loved to create. I had always known that he made things, but until he showed me his studio and supplies, I had no idea of the extent of his artistic talent. I proudly wore one of his tamarac seed decorated Maple Leaf pins home from that visit.

I guess Uncle Rob was a fan of the television show 'Second City'. I can remember when I was younger, he would quite often, out of the blue, start saying things like "One ringy dingy, two ringy dingy", speaking in a nasal, pinched twang. At the time, I had no idea what it meant or what he was imitating, but I sure knew that he always made me laugh! Since then, I have learned that the lines were from a sketch that was common on SCTV. Much later in life, I heard him tell my mother (when he had enough to eat) that he was "sufficiently suffunctified". I believe that term also came from SCTV, although I've never heard it there. I do, however, use the phrase myself now, quite regularly! I have thought, and always will think of Uncle Rob, whenever I say it.

I believe that Uncle Rob now... will always be Sufficiently Suffunctified, in ways that we who are left behind can only imagine. And I, for one, will always remember him as the Uncle that made me feel included, that knew how to be silly and fun, who was artistic and talented and loving, and who never forgot how to be childlike.

When I told Claudio - my sweetie, who had never had the opportunity to meet him, that my Uncle Rob had died, at the age of 92 - he said, "Did he enjoy his life?" My response - "You bet he did!" That's how I will remember Uncle Rob - a man who enjoyed life.