Remembering Boom Boom (Canon Tony Hitsman)

69 posts / 0 new

Fri, 2013-12-20 16:15

lagatta

From the Fierce Tears thread:

Caissa wrote:

It is with profound and great sadness that I report that Canon Tony "Boom Boom" Hitsman died on December 18. My understanding is that he will be buried in his beloved Kegaska. My life was enriched by knowing Tony and it now has a hole in it. RIP, Tony.

Link to his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/tony.hitsman?fref=ts[/quote]

from http://rabble.ca/babble/out-and-about/boom-booms-great-getaway?page=2#new

Caissa, could you please copy the Diocese message and photo of our friend?

He had already willed his house and land to the town for a community centre, so I hope that can work out.

Regions:

Fri, 2013-12-20 16:31

DaveW

I felt I knew him; Facebook not available ..

Fri, 2013-12-20 16:32

Catchfire

Oh no. Oh Boom Boom.

Fri, 2013-12-20 16:45

Webgear

Rest well Boom Boom, I enjoyed the talks about your father. Be in peace.

Fri, 2013-12-20 16:49

Unionist

[url=http://quebec.anglican.org/?p=2413]Remembering the Rev. Canon Tony Hitsman[/url]

Quote:

The Diocese of Quebec mourns the passing of one of its clergy, the Rev. Canon Tony Hitsman. Born Anthony William Hitsman on October 5, 1949 and ordained June 8, 1990, Tony served in the Diocese of Quebec in a variety of capacities. He will be sorely missed.

The funeral will be held at St. Phillips, Kegaska, Saturday December 21st, presided over by the Rt. Rev. Dennis Drainville.

Please keep the friends and family of the Rev. Canon Tony Hitsman in your prayers this Christmas season.

Rest in peace, my friend.

Fri, 2013-12-20 17:10

Timebandit Timebandit's picture

A sweet and kind-hearted man. I miss him already.

Fri, 2013-12-20 17:13

epaulo13

..he shared his last moments. his last thoughts. with babble. extraordinary! goodbye canon tony hitsman..better known as boom boom.

Fri, 2013-12-20 17:17

6079_Smith_W

Very sad to hear that his time was cut short like this. He was a thoughtful fellow.

Fri, 2013-12-20 17:44

Sineed

Oh no! He was the gentlest person on babble, with his recipe and gardening threads. He made me feel welcome when I first came here.

So sad...

Fri, 2013-12-20 17:50

#10

ikosmos

aw crap. Only a saintly man could put up, so easily, with some of the nasty bastards here.

Rev. Boom Boom, huh? Makes sense.

Keep your stick on the ice, old timer. Vaya con Dios.

Fri, 2013-12-20 18:09

#11

Pogo

I am speechless. What a profound loss. I feel like I have been hit by a truck.

Fri, 2013-12-20 18:27

#12

David Young

I always enjoyed his participation in these threads.

He seemed to be interested in good discussion, and not the name-calling that some here have taken to.

R.I.P.

'Cry not because they have gone, but smile because they were here!'

Fri, 2013-12-20 18:41

#13

laine lowe laine lowe's picture

I'm still shocked. What an incredible loss to this and other communities he was active in. RIP Boom Boom.

I can't seem to upload photos but here are two links:

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/112140648@N08/11471497886/]Boom Boom on skidoo[/url]

[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/112140648@N08/11471547363/]Boom Boom outside the Chester Cathedral Rectory, Chester UK[/url]

Fri, 2013-12-20 19:18

#14

kropotkin1951

Rest in Peace Boom Boom. You were a gentleman always. I am sure you will be missed by all that knew you.

Fri, 2013-12-20 20:08

#15

laine lowe laine lowe's picture

This :spy was practically Boom Boom's signature. Perhaps the emoticon should be renamed.

Fri, 2013-12-20 20:39

#16

Catchfire

Agreed, laine. I'm still reeling. I will always associate that emoticon with BB. A profound loss to this board. Peace, comrade.

Fri, 2013-12-20 20:42

#17

oldgoat

Oh no. This is so sad. Boom Boom was a true gentleman.

Fri, 2013-12-20 20:47

#18

Bacchus

I am beyond shocked and saddened. I really wish he could have visited Toronto so I could have met him in person

Fri, 2013-12-20 21:03

#19

Left Turn

Very sad indeed. A kind and gentle man if ever there was one. Such a shame that he died so (relatively) young.

Tony/Boom Boom was one of my favorite members of the babble community. I admired his commitment to genuine discussion, and his open willingness to listen and to learn from other babblers. Over the years I knew him here, I saw his politics gradually evolve as he clearly learned a ton from other members of our community.

Fri, 2013-12-20 21:21

#20

lagatta

We must not forget his unflagging support to Indigenous issues, and to the Innu people whose land he lived and died on. Tomorrow there will be a celebration of the 1st anniversary of Idle No More, at the agora of Uqam (Université du Québec à Montréal). Will be thinking of him and talking about him.

I'm so terribly sorry there was a quarantine and I couldn't go see him in Québec City.

Fri, 2013-12-20 21:42

#21

Unionist

Because I'm just hanging around the house thinking and remembering, my long-suffering partner urged me to just repeat what I said when I first learned the awful news from Caissa. So here it is.

Oh my God no. What a sweet and gentle and beautiful soul. You brought so many smiles to my face and I'm in tears now. Rest in peace, dear friend.

That's all.

Fri, 2013-12-20 22:13

#22

[email protected]

Sadness

Fri, 2013-12-20 22:50

#23

Aristotleded24

Oh wow. I heard he was sick, and never got around to sending a "get-well" message which I wanted to.

Damn. So sorry to hear of this, and especially this close to the Christmas season. May he hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter thou into the joy of the Lord."

Wow. So sad and unfortunate!

Fri, 2013-12-20 23:11

#24

NorthReport

So sad to hear about this.

You are already missed

RIP Boom Boom.

Sat, 2013-12-21 00:27

#25

pookie

Incredibly sad to hear this news. Boom Boom was one of the kindest people I've ever known.

Sat, 2013-12-21 00:30

#26

mark_alfred

I'm sorry to hear that. He was a very decent guy on this board and I'm sure in all his endeavours. Always understanding. Never a harsh or antagonistic word toward another. My condolences to all his friends family and those close to him.

Sat, 2013-12-21 00:46

#27

WillC

Thank you for your wonderful posts, Boom Boom. You made this forum a better place, and you will be missed, by a multitude of us, who rarely post here, but have appreciated your respect for others.

Sat, 2013-12-21 01:04

#28

Ken Burch

Farewell Boom Boom(Canon Tony).

You were always a positive presence here, and something of your spirit will live on in this forum.

Be at peace.

Sat, 2013-12-21 04:48

#29

NDPP

Sorry to hear it. RIP Boom Boom...

Sat, 2013-12-21 04:53

#30

Wilf Day

Unionist wrote:

Because I'm just hanging around the house thinking and remembering, my long-suffering partner urged me to just repeat what I said when I first learned the awful news from Caissa. So here it is.

Oh my God no. What a sweet and gentle and beautiful soul. You brought so many smiles to my face and I'm in tears now. Rest in peace, dear friend.

That's all.

What he said.

Sat, 2013-12-21 07:42

#31

Slumberjack

I'm just reading about his passing now. My heart and eyes have already begun their mourning, before the mind has had a chance to process this terrible news.

Sat, 2013-12-21 09:06

#32

sherpa-finn

The funeral is today in Kegaska. Perhaps a good time for his many on-line friends to remember what made Boom Boom's contributions to our community so special. A sort of "Boom Boom's Greatest Hits"?

Boom Boom: Oh, I remember the days when, if you didn't lock your car while shopping, you'd come back and find it full of zucchini. :shock:

Sat, 2013-12-21 09:34

#33

MegB

Such a wonderful man, I can't believe he's gone. He always seemed to me to be the kind of person who would be with us forever. So sad, a loss for his community and ours, but at least now the Great Spirit has someone to go to for gardening tips. Peace be with you Boom Boom.

Sat, 2013-12-21 09:47

#34

Tommy_Paine

I always looked forward to Boom Boom's posts. How like a garden they were. I found peace, I found sustenance, I found refuge in them.

This is a sad loss.

Sat, 2013-12-21 13:14

#35

josh

Very sad to hear. My deepest sympathies.

Sat, 2013-12-21 13:45

#36

Aristotleded24

Hey Boom Boom, say hi to pencil skirt and Hephaestion when you see them, and tell whem we still miss them dearly.

Sat, 2013-12-21 13:46

#37

Michelle

There were tears in our household yesterday when we heard the news. I'm so sorry. Tony was such a lovely person to all who knew him, even those of us who only knew him online. We have been contemplating a road trip up north on and off for at least a couple of years, and we always figured that if we eventually did it, it would be fun to stop in and visit Tony and meet him in person if possible to get there by road. How sad that we waited too long and won't be able to do that now.

He appeared to be at peace with ending his treatment and going home. His last posts on Facebook said that he was happy to be home. I hope the end came peacefully for him. I'll be thinking about him throughout the holidays.

Sat, 2013-12-21 17:37

#38

Sharon Fraser Sharon Fraser's picture

I too felt that Tony wanted to get home because he knew the end was near. He had a lot of suffering in his life but he also had a great zest for life and enjoyed so much -- not just his gardening and fixing up his home but friends and politics and movies and, especially, music. He loved his music and loved sharing what he was listening to with others.

Fri, 2013-12-27 21:48

#39

Unionist

God I miss him.

Sat, 2013-12-28 00:01

#40

pookie

I loved how he took pleasure in small things, found beauty in unexpected places and never hesitated to ask questions and seek understanding. He was one of the most genuine people I've ever met.

Sat, 2013-12-28 14:05

#41

RosaL

I'm sorry to hear this. I never saw an unkind word from him. Sad.

Wed, 2014-01-08 16:15

#42

Bärlüer

Just saw this — so sad to hear. This place won't be the same without him...

Thu, 2014-09-11 17:45

#43

Ripple

I haven't posted here in about a year, but this thread must be my first stop. I heard the news of Boom Boom's passing some months back; I was saddened to hear it. My condolences to all who knew him. I agree, Barluer, this place is not the same without his civility and humour and his excellent taste in music.

Thu, 2014-09-11 18:26

#44

6079_Smith_W

Good to see you back.

Thu, 2014-09-11 19:08

#45

Unionist

Oh geez, Ripple, it's great to see you here, but now I'm in tears again. Thanks a lot.

Fri, 2014-09-12 10:41

#46

Caissa

I miss Tony. I was just thinking about him earlier this week.

Fri, 2014-09-12 13:25

#47

Mr.Tea

Boom Boom was always among my favourite posters here. Just an incredibly kind and sweet guy. I really miss interacting with him here. It's just not the same without him.

Fri, 2014-09-12 13:25

#48

swallow

This is so sad....

Fri, 2014-09-12 13:36

#49

lagatta

Yes, I miss Tony, and Croghan 27 (Rod). They were both fellows I chatted a lot with privately. Unfortunately I never got to meet Tony, as he was in quarantine practically by the time he had arrived in hospital in QC. I have friends who live very close to where he was hospitalised, and was planning to go up there.

Sat, 2014-09-13 10:13

#50

Unionist

I just have to post this - it's the full photo of Boom Boom whose cropped version I posted above last year. It dates from April 2002. I'd like to remember him this way, enjoying roast beef and Yorkshire pudding and a beer. Rest in peace, old friend!

Sat, 2014-09-13 10:16

#51

lagatta

And that looks so yummy on a chilly day like today! I'm making a "fish pie", sort of like a pâté chinois but with fish instead of red meat - another traditional British dish. I'm an atheist, but confess that I'm enjoying imagining that Tony and Rod are right about that supernatural stuff and that they are enjoying such quality pub fare in a very snug corner of Heaven.

Remembering Boom Boom (Canon Tony Hitsman)

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