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Eric Pelly
In Memory of
Eric Ayalik Okalitana
Pelly
1995 - 2014
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Hulse, Playfair & McGarry
315 McLeod Street
Ottawa, Ontario
CANADA
K2P 1A2

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Roger's Eulogy

 

 

We are all very sad because we won’t see Eric again and he’s someone we wanted to see again, many times over.  We wanted to see him again because of who he was: a handsome young man with an irrepressible smile and a warm heart who gave back to you the warm feelings you had for him: a young man who was capable of real competence and joy in doing what he did; a young man who had matured remarkably in the past two years.

 I first knew Eric through hockey – I was an Ottawa Centre coach and knew of him from the time he was 9 or 10, but it wasn’t until he played with us in on the Pee Wee A team as a 12 year old that I really got to know him and, through him, most fortunately, his parents, Laurie and David.  In September of that year, we were down to our last cuts (always a painful exercise) and Eric was one of a number “on the bubble”.  After the final scrimmage, we didn’t choose Eric – he had already chosen himself.  On every shift he either had the puck or was in the process of getting it or getting it back – it was an unmistakeable display of determination on his part to play with this group.

He played with us that season and again as a 13/14 Bantam and as a 15/17 Midget.  Eric could stickhandle in a phone booth and skate like the wind – this came naturally to him – but, what was second-most gratifying to watch, he learned how to play the team game.  We can picture him now making the outlet pass from his own zone, then flying down the left wing taking the return pass, skating on a deep arc into the offensive zone looking back for the trailer moving into the slot.  The most gratifying thing to watch was his joy in playing the game – happy after a good shift, happy after a good game, joyous after he or one of his line-mates scored.

In the dressing room he was quiet but didn’t keep to himself – he was popular with the other players – very much a part of the dressing room dynamic which, thanks to the wonderful Ottawa Centre kids who played on our teams, was always positive and fun.

My other interaction with Eric was on the sailboat Reunion  – this summer, sailing in Northwest Newfoundland.  Eric had spent many years sailing with Laurie and David and friends and was completely at home on the boat, with perfect balance walking on deck when the wind was blowing and leaping effortlessly up to or down from the dock.  (To appreciate the athleticism of that, you would have had to see the rest of us trying to do the same thing.) 

Eric was also a skilful navigator.  David told me of the pleasure that Eric had had in June of this year stickhandling the Reunion through small icebergs and the ever-dangerous bergy bits on the way north from Lewisporte up the Northern Arm to St. Anthony.  I wish I had seen that – it was Eric at his best – displaying his skills in a challenging environment, and taking great pleasure in it.

The memories we have of this warm and funny young guy give us pain now because we’re all grieving his loss and we will be grieving for some time.  But we believe there will come a time when our memories of Eric will give us a warm glow, if tinged with some sadness, memories we’ll carry with us until we go.  We won’t forget Eric, that’s for sure.

 

 

Posted by David Pelly
Tuesday January 27, 2015 at 2:00 pm
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