Tribute
After elementary school, Bryan attended Brother Andre Catholic High school, went on to Seneca College to get some hands-on skills through co-op placements, and then Ryerson University to complete a Bachelor of Commerce, specializing in Information Technology. He made good friends everywhere; we were all jealous to learn one of his classmates and friends was a recent Ms. Universe winner. Upon graduation, Bryan started his first full-time job at a large law firm, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt. He was enjoying and excelling in his IT Support role before he was diagnosed with cancer. He had also started making short business trips, which included traveling to New York City and Calgary. This year he was looking forward to moving into his new condo downtown near the Eaton Centre.
Easy going, intelligent, funny, a great fighter, and an awesome person. He was a big fan of Wrestling, Star Trek, all types of movies, downloading just about anything, and following NBA basketball. One thing that everyone knows about Bryan is that he always did what he wanted to do and was very candid in his conversations. He was always himself and we loved everything about him. He worked hard, and he played hard; he was always good company. Bryan also enjoyed riding his bike around the city, he was very good at it given how dangerous it can be. He liked playing basketball and volleyball in the summer, and really enjoyed the hot weather and the beaches. Bryan was a friend you'd always want on your team. For example, as many people can confirm, in video game challenges, he'd always be quicker at pressing the right combination of buttons. 'I'll be there in 10 minutes' usually meant a couple hours though, so as long as you could wait, it would all be good. He'd often have video game, movie, and pizza nights when school and work weren't too busy. Bryan was easy to eat with because he would eat anything and at any time of the day. He would always make sure that food wasn't wasted. Bryan loved life.
A great son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, friend, and colleague, we are all lucky to have been close with him. Basketball, one of his favourite sports to watch and play, was an area where he dominated when he had the ball. We could always recite jealously his quotes such as "There are 5 people on the court and I ain't passing to anyone", knowing that he could and would get the job done. Another favourite quote of his was "Don't shoot, you're gonna get rejected", which he more than enough times shouted and carried out, to the disappointment of his basketball opponents.
His journey continues beside us, with us and in us.
We first met Bryan when he joined the Records department at Osler in June 2004. Within a short time, Bryan’s outgoing personality and sense of humour had transformed our initial impression of him as a quiet, reserved individual. It didn’t take us long to form strong friendships and a bond with Bryan. By the late-summer, Bryan had become an integral part of the team, organizing KFC lunches for all and challenging the Manager to a box construction contest! The year that Bryan joined Records was very challenging for various reasons. But Bryan’s compassionate, generous and fun-loving character made everyone look forward to each day in the office.
A year after Bryan started at Osler, he transferred to the IS Service Desk. Within a couple of weeks, Bryan’s laid-back, cool demeanour made it seem like he’d always been a part of the team. With a wide variety of personalities on the desk, Bryan’s humour and ability to adapt to the position, quickly moved him from new colleague to friend.
Bryan’s empathetic and open nature initiated strong ties with people throughout the Firm. His relationships were subtle and humble, yet significant and will never be forgotten.
We love you Bryan, and we'll miss you.
2/27/07 6:19 AM