Obituary of Michael Carr Hastings

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Michael Hastings. A man with a sweet, gentle but strong heart, a friend to many and a man who loved his family and friends deeply. If you asked him what his greatest achievement was he would tell you, “my daughters,” and he let us know this everyday through his words, actions, kindness and love. An intelligent person with a sharp mind and sense of humour right to the end. A fantastically animated and silly storyteller who had a memory like a vault for countless jokes, riddles and the most random trivia fact. He always loved to teach and share his knowledge with the people around him. He was always a fan of taking ‘short cuts’ on road trips that almost never ended up being shorter but certainly more scenic and worth the extra time in the end. He taught us to slow down and enjoy the simple moments in life. A man of many interests, he enjoyed leisurely drives through the countryside searching for new fishing spots, nature in all of its seasons, astronomy, baking, gardening, Yahtzee, baseball, golf, fishing, crosswords and many K9 companions through his life… just to name a few. Traditions were important to him - whether it was festive traditions with family, being the baker for every special family event or making sure he was wearing his poppy by November 1st. Michael was an honoured lifetime member for his volunteer work with the Bracebridge Legion, one of the many networks of wonderful friends that he enjoyed where he could be found playing pool with his best buddies. Always a kind, thoughtful and altruistic man with a likeable and easy going nature which brought him many friends throughout his life. It also helped that he was a social butterfly and loved to have a chat. He never had an unkind word about anyone. He was humble, strong and grounded, with an admirable wisdom and kindness right to the very end. He has left a special place in the hearts of many who knew him. He leaves behind his daughters Hailey and Virginia (Shane), brother Kelly (Ruth), sister Elizabeth, brother John, niece Natalie (Kathryn), nephew Jayme, step-grandchildren Emily and Kate and grand dog Henry and brother John. He is pre-diseased by his father Archie, his mother Edna and brother Robbie. We wish to thank all of the nurses at South Muskoka Memorial Hospital who took care of him during his time in hospital and to the community palliative network who made it possible for us to bring our dad home for his final month of life: Debbie Elliot, Cathy McKeown, all of the nurses at ParaMed and to his Palliative Physician, Dr. Scott Whynot. A special thanks to Dr. Terry Holman - who our dad saw not just as his long time family doctor, but as a friend. “He’s just always been there for me” he would say of Dr. Holman. And to Marilyn, our dad’s care worker at home, who was so much more than that. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for bringing such a spark, joy, friendship and quality of life to our dad during such an important stage of his life. Finally we would like to thank his family and friends for showing him so much love throughout his life, for helping him enjoy every moment whether it was dropping by for a rye and diet Coke during ‘happy hour in the garage’, supporting him when he needed it, adding great companionship to his life, friendships full of fun and a lot of laughs and a sprinkle of shenanigans. In lieu of flowers, the family request that donations be made in Michael’s honour to Andy’s House - Muskoka Hospice. While our dad was fortunate enough to be palliated at home, we were reminded of the critical importance of residential hospice for those for whom this is not an option. Currently Andy’s House has 3 funded beds and 7 potential beds that could open if it had adequate funding. In our dad’s honour, we hope to help make this a reality. A proper memorial service will take place in Bracebridge once covid rules change and large gatherings can happen again once again.