Skip to main content

A Tribute To George Neil Day

Neil & I
 This morning I got a phone call from Bonnie in regards to tenant Neil Day he was a neighbor of mine, she had some sad news to tell me....he passed away. :(
Whenever I ran into him in the hallway he'd always have a smile and a friendly greeting.  Last year we went to the Pow Wow at Gage Park I would offer to carry his big heavy trunk filled with his Native dancing costumes he was thankful and was very proud of his possessions. During this time he was battling his demons and injured himself so many times that he was eventually transferred to a care center. Even though for some time he wasn't living here his belongings were still in his unit and he was paying his rent.  Last week was the last time I personally talked to him he wanted to know if I was interested in buying his sound system and his bike plus he was looking forward to moving back to his unit, I said " Neil you're looking good Bro...you've gained some weight, must be all the fry bread they're feeding you"  we laughed.
I gave him my phone number so we could make arrangements. I got a phone call from him a few days before he died we talked for a few minutes then said our goodbyes.  When I got the news today I was in total shock he was a friend and the third person to pass away since I moved here.
I'd like to think he's now at a place doing what he enjoyed the most native dancing in full costume with a circle of friends. :)

RIP Neil

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Poor Working Environment

My unit is located near the KMHC office, along with a friendly wave or hello I see the junior staff going about their business in a cheerful manner with the exception of one employee.   You would think KMHC has a pleasant working environment but that is not the case.   March 2016 is when Urban Native Homes head office was forced to move from their former spacious location to the cramp basement level of KMHC.   There were approx. 8-10 staff members at the time.   Then the Urban Native Homes financial scandal broke out and soon after the current UNH acting director’s illicit past became public knowledge, everyone was worried will they have a job.  Fearful meetings going on in the community room, the rumor mill was in full rotation while I just stood back and observed the panic.   Check your search engine it states this building location is Urban Native Homes head office yet that is not correct.  There is no real head office, the organization has s...

The Passing of Dean King

There's not many original KMHC tenants left that I know, last week I got word tenant Dean King passed away, we were not related and I remember when he moved in the building we got along well, we hung out often and he shared stories about his life and family. Eventually I notice he wasn't the sharpest pencil in the drawer and I started drifting away thus ended our friendship. Dean didn't have the usual addictions most male aboriginals endure he didn't drink or do drugs the problem was his mental state which I believe began after an auto accident years before.  After I moved out of KMHC I'd often see him standing in line at the food bank in Gore Park in downtown Hamilton or hanging out with street friend Galina in Jackson Square food court. He didn't have many friends and other KMHC tenants just tolerated and accepted his strange behavior. He'd walk the streets looking disheveled and lost.  When I received the news Dean died I didn't feel sad I felt surpri...

Sandy Holland

On February 27th 2025 I heard the passing of tenant Elder Sandy Holland. I knew she was in bad health and said to her friend she's ready to go.  I met her years ago when she moved to KMHC she seem a bit daffy yet in a nice way, never spoke mean about others but had strong opinions about UNH staff. We would meet at UNH dinner functions and meetings and always offered me hug. She never got personal sharing her life stories with me which I can respect. RIP