I met Oliver while in residence at the infamous South House of Victoria College, University of Toronto as an undergraduate in the 80's... he came into South as frosh in '85, my third year. As a somewhat elfin looking, jumpy guy he quickly gained the affectionate nickname "Twitch" (nicknames were mandatory at South House) which stuck like glue to him all the time I knew him. He soon proved to be a resilient and highly likeable character with a great appreciation for House tradition and "culture". It was really my graduating year '86-'87 that I got to know him better, and probably spent more time with him then than with my own family. My memory is lined with recollections of him as a most companionable presence day in and out; kindhearted, sensitive, genuine and funny. Late night runs for fast food, "a cappella" beat box impressions of "Walk This Way" a la Run DMC/Aerosmith out in the street, hours of recording a fake radio talk show we called "Guppy's Forum" (yes, my own burdensome nickname revealed...)....he would usually just "appear" in the doorway like a shadow at some point in the evenings and be up for anything. After I left in '87 in those pre-internet days we corresponded for a while by letter but I gradually lost track of him and his whereabouts. I ran into him once on the street in the 90's after returning to TO following two years in Vancouver, and after that tried to track him a few times without much success - he was a bit "off the grid". Looking back on my own 49 years he really stands out as one of the "good" ones, and I wish I had tried harder to keep in touch with him while I still could. Peace, brother - I feel blessed to have called you my friend.
