The Prince of Ottawa

Another wonderful man has passed. Mike Copeland was literally the Prince of Ottawa. Charismatic, handsome, charming, he was a genuine dandy in the old sense of the word. When we were teens, no party was complete without Copey. He was a great dancer, a hilarious comedian and a notorious ladies' man -- but most of all he was a loyal and true friend.

When my brother tragically died many years ago, the first person to drive up to my house in the big, blue cadillac to console me in person was Mike. I will never forget that. Not having seen him for a few years, I remember being surprised for a split second, but not for long. Of course Mike would be there. He always was. It was for that kind of loyalty that he is the godfather of both my children.

As a young man, he had Ottawa for the taking. He always had the best-looking woman on his arm, but she was never a bimbo...well not usually. Although I can think of a few exceptions as he got older, his women were classy. I never dated him, but I liked him much better as a friend because I got to keep him longer -- my entire life. Never married, he broke countless hearts, as one woman after another tried to tame him.

As we all drifted into marriages and children, Mike remained forever a kid -- one of the boys, so to speak. He played football on Saturday mornings until well into his fifties -- an excuse to hit the bars all afternoon. And that's what finally did him in: booze. So many of us tried to help him, but in the end he drifted into a sad existence in the seedier parts of town. At one point, I had to put him on "call screen" to avoid his crazy ramblings.

Sadly, we were not in Ottawa for the graveside service. But our son, Scott, represented the family. Apparently, it was well-attended -- with an appropriate pub roasting afterward. Tales were told and stories spun, but in the end we all loved Mike for the true gentleman he was. Good night darling Mike. You were so loved.