Hundreds gather to remember Earl McRae
Posted Oct 23, 2011 03:10:21 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
OTTAWA, Ont. — Journalists, politicians, family and friends — more than 200 people came together to say one final goodbye to Earl McRae, the award-winning Ottawa Sun columnist who died suddenly of a heart attack while he was at work Saturday, Oct. 15.
One week later he was remembered in an unusual service with nine eulogies, singing and more laughter than tears.
Flanking the doors inside the St. Augustine Parish church was a well-known photograph of McRae wearing red suspenders and a bow tie and many of his colleagues from the Sun were wearing matching red bow ties at the service.
In lieu of a guest book friends signed their names in reporters’ notebooks before entering the church to share many, many laughs and a few tears.
Family, friends, long-time colleagues all spoke of a man who never quite grew up, saying that was part of what made him so special.
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson, the Globe and Mail’s Roy MacGregor and McRae’s long-time friend Moe Attalah, owner of the Newport bar, delivered eulogies. As did 4 of McRae’s children and one of his sisters.
