Memorial service eulogy delivered by Raymond Murray Jr., 29 Dec 2006.
Free at last � Thank God Almighty � We are free at last.
These words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were held very close to my brother William - they were so important to him that he included them in his life works Freedom Whale � a book of poetry.
Today Will, we celebrate your search for freedom � today, we celebrate you finding true freedom.
Each of us here today has had the honour of participating in some portion of your life. As we try to stack the pieces back together and reconstruct them back into the whole that was your life as we remember it, we will get some things wrong. There will be some pieces in the wrong place and we will leave some important ones out. But I'm not worried, because I know you won't hold it against us because that is the kind of guy you are.
In talking to Will's many friends and family � themes emerge about my bro - great guy, intelligent, compassionate, patient and full of energy and humour. A great friend, brother, son, uncle & godfather, and husband. A completely selfless man and a teacher and leader and a student of life.
Will was born in Oakville Ontario on September 22, 1974 to Ray and Ellen Murray. He was the first of three boys followed two years later by his brother Raymond and three years after that by young Michael.
As a child Will was an exceptional boy. He was quiet, well mannered, respectful and hardly ever got into trouble. It's not that Will was necessarily the perfect kid but when you have brothers like �. � well, lets just say that in comparison, he was very well behaved.
His interests were broad ranging. He loved to read and he loved space. So much so that he wanted to be an astronaut. In third grade he was in a split class where the teacher was teaching the fourth graders about space. Will couldn't help himself and kept interrupting to make corrections or add content to the lesson. The teacher became frustrated and suggested to Will that if he knew so much about space, perhaps he should teach the lesson. So of course that's exactly what 8 year old Will did.
Will was smart, scary smart. Some say genius, but never with the modifier "evil". He was an honour student and voracious reader. He read everywhere, under his covers with a flashlight, on the bus to band performances, even while sitting in the stands of a Bluejay's playoff game. Later in life Will would consume 200 books a year. He read quickly. This would sometimes get him in to trouble. Like when Sarah had spent ages picking the perfect card and agonizing over the words and Will would flip it open as though barely glancing at it and say "Thanks, Babe" absorbing it all at once.
Will was a drummer. Not just a casual drummer as some activity in a band class, no it was much deeper than that, something from within his soul. The drumming manifested itself as a member of the Burlington Teen Tour Band. He played both snare and learned the tricks of the talented drummers' from the American drum corps. Tours with the marching band took him all across Canada and the United States, including Pasadena for the Rose Bowl parade, Hawaii for the Hula Bowl, and as far away as Ireland and Japan. Ultimately, he may have left the marching band behind, but the drummer never left Will � Will only needed only a surface and drumsticks to keep the rhythm alive.
And there was something about that red band uniform�
Will played soccer and ran cross-country but his passion was football. In high school, Will went to Assumption High School and it was there that he first put together that regimented mind to become a better football player. Will was part of championship teams and his loud booming voice could always be heard yelling GO BIG BLUE.
Will was meant to play contact sports and it was down right scary to see him play non-contact sports. As his friend Steve told me: "Will was a fearsome squash player. I don't mean to imply that he was a good squash player. I mean to say that I feared bodily injury whenever we stepped on the court."
Family was huge for Will. He shared a close bond with both Michael and I. He was our mentor, teacher, and most importantly, the enforcer. But he was also our great defender � Will was amazingly tolerant of people picking on him � but we all discovered Will's true temper when anyone tried to mess with us.
When we were young our summer times were spent in the infamous Sauble Beach � this is where we found our first love, were we snuck out a night � and even where we had our first drink (Sorry Mom). It was here that we developed a code between us � The place where we made the PACT - stick together, defend one another, and never and I me never tell on each other.
I remember Young Mikey did not appreciate how serious that pact was and one day told on me for swearing � Of course, I wanted to apply a little physical enforcement when Will intervened � He was more creative � the next three days were spent without saying a word to Mikey � none of us has ever told on the other again.
Will was greatly blessed to have the huge influence of his parents, as he formed his own set of rock solid values that would guide him through life. Love and caring and compassion. A sense of honour, duty, commitment and hard work. Will was intimately proud of our mixed culture from Jamaica and Holland and believed Canada was the unique place that allowed this hybrid culture to grow. It was Will's devotion to his parents that may have spawned his superhero nickname "Captain Canada"�.
At the age of 17, to the surprise of mom and dad, Will signed up for the army reserves. He loved the army, the training, the responsibility, the hard work and the sense of duty for his country. He was particularly fond of winter training exercises and camping in the snow. But his favourite thing to do was to plan and execute demolitions. He loved to blow things up.
University was the time of great awakening for Will. As Sarah says, "I don't think Will knew what a cool guy he was until his university years." Perhaps I could add that I don't think he knew how what booze was until the university years�
Will had his eyes opened to a broader world and a universe of like-minded people and opposite minded people and contributed greatly to the Society for Off Campus Students. He learned to let loose and have fun and discover who he was - It was here where he was crowned with the endearing nickname "HEAD".
It was also at MacMaster where he met a young woman named Sarah West. More on that later.
Will left MacMaster and went for training at Depot in Regina in 1996. He was also keen to explore a career in the military, but there was something about that red uniform. His first posting was in Burnaby and more recently he moved to the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team.
Will loved being on the Force and particularly his new job at INSET. I was his brother, but a civilian nonetheless, so Will never made it a habit of sharing with me what he did from day to day. I always assumed that he was pretty much like Jack Bauer on 24. Yes it was pretty much like that he confirmed, with a lot more paperwork.
His colleagues have a more accurate view. From Staff Seargant Brian MacDonald, Will's boss at INSET.
I had the good fortune to work with Will twice in my career. I first met him when he was transferred to Burnaby uniform duties. His street sense and ability to work with all walks of life was immediately evident. He was quick to identify the element of concern to the general public and began to interact with them. He was well liked by all who worked with him. He was one of those rare persons of whom I never heard anyone say anything bad about.
While speaking with our Staffing section I saw Will's name as a person who was available for a transfer to INSET. I immediately told Staffing that I wanted Will. I was very fortunate to have someone of Will's calibre come to my team.
When Will arrived everyone recognized what a great member he was. All of the managers knew that Will was a high performer who had a bright future with the Force. Will was the go to guy for any complicated assignment. Whether it was an internet investigation or an international incident that involved treaties and legal documents Will was there to get the job done.
Will was the bravest man I knew. He never complained. I remember one day Will had dropped by to advise me of his health issues. He described his issues and in the next breath we were talking about investigations.
Will is a great loss to the RCMP. We will always miss him.
I could not possibly discuss Will without talking about Sarah. Everyone could tell that Will was head over heels in love with Sarah. It was evident not only from the pictures at his desk but the way he smiled whenever he spoke about her. It was obviously a two way street. During Will's illness I was fortunate to have the opportunity to visit Will. I saw Sarah at his side every day. I have told my three daughters about the complete devotion Sarah had for Will and held her up as an example of what it means to be in love. May God bless them both.
And his good friend and colleague Scott Isaac who trained with Will and worked with him at Burnaby and INSET had wonderful things to say about Will's fit in the counter- terrorism business and skills and professionalism on the job. The one word Scott uses to describe Will is "inspiring". Here are a few of Scott's comments.
He was an outstanding police officer and was very proud to be a member of the RCMP.
Aside from his talents as a police officer, Will was a hero to me for the simple fact that there was never a day that I have known him that he complained about anything. He never griped about the lousy hand he was dealt with his illness or the obvious pain he was in or the long hours that we endured during investigations. It is for these reasons that I will always think of Will as one of the most inspirational persons I have ever known. I will miss him greatly. I will miss his duck like walk and his coolness. But most of all, I will miss that positive feeling that everyone gained through knowing Will.
Will did liaison work with the schools while in Burnaby. Even the kids he arrested thought he was a great guy � Seriously though, I think they must have thought of him as a pretty cool guy when they gave him the nickname "DRE" � as in Dr. Dre � . Will never abused his power and treated everyone with respect as a fellow human. The Optimist club in Burnaby recognized his work awarding him Law Enforcement Officer of the Year in 2001.
Will was a writer and poet. He has left us with more direct glimpses into his heart. His words are better than yours or mine. He published his own book for friends and family called Freedom Whale. I would now ask Mike Ouelette, Will's lifelong best friend to share with you Will's work and make a few comments on his life.
Eulogy 3 by Mike OueletteAt the time Will compiled Freedom Whale, he dedicated it in part to Sarah who he identified as his fellow caffeine freak. And they were. They were buddies through university. They had legendary coffee sessions until wee hours of the morning at Tim Hortons where they would solve all the problems of the world. And over time "fellow caffeine freak" elevated to "romantic interest" and "lover" and "wife" and "soul mate" and "passionate advocate" and of course always and most importantly "best friend in the world"
I am pretty certain that Will was determined to marry when he was away from her at Depot. One of his journal entries was fairly revealing, it stated: I will marry Sarah West. Any questions?"
I'm at a loss for words to describe the incredible connection and bond between Will and Sarah, the affection they shared and their profound love for one another. Will and Sarah's love for each other was all encompassing and always evolving and hence Will always used the corny line to his lady "I love you more than yesterday"
Now I am not going to allow our memories of Will to end without giving you one of his not so endearing qualities � HE WAS BOSSY � And therefore, I think that it is fitting that he left us all with an instruction manual on how to live FREELY - This was written years ago and I don't know where the wisdom came from in such a young man, but it's relevant and timely brings us closer to Will's heart Here are a few excerpts:
No matter what someone else thinks, do what you think is right most of the time it will turn out to be the correct path to choose.
People will always laugh and talk behind your back for doing things your own way, but ignore the armchair quarterbacks - they aren't even watching the same game. �
When you go to someone for advice, find someone who listens a lot and doesn't offer any ideas, you already know the answer to your problems, you just need to say it out loud to realize this. I've always got the best advice from my dog. Get a pet - one that will be there when you need a fuzzy thing to hug, stuffed toys just aren't the same.
The best friends in your life don't judge you they just enjoy being along with you for your escapades, and vice versa. On the subject of friends, never trust a friend that laughs at all your jokes or thinks everything you do, say and or believe is right. In a bind always stand by you're friends they are worth it.
Find yourself a best enemy, no life is complete without an archrival who's presence you'd miss. If you don't know what a best enemy is you don't have one go out and find you one�
Talking of the past, learn what the past is, it's OVER, the future is the only thing you have control of. Don't try to relive the past - use your experiences to form guidelines and live the future with these. By the way these guidelines aren't written in stone and constantly change and go with it.
There is nothing comparable to falling in love or out of it, broken hearts heal, go on and find love again�
When you're really mad take a deep breath before speaking
it will save you having to dine on your shoe or on crow.
�
Say what you mean, people will often dislike it but they will respect you.
Don't ever start something that isn't worthwhile, and never avoid a challenge, you learn more from bruises than from victory laps.
Listen to music. The kind doesn't matter.
For all you guys, Satchmo knows all the answers to women, how he got this information I don't know but he's shared it with us.
It isn't how much power you have it's how happy you are.
Take U2's advice learn how to talk without speaking, cry without weeping and especially scream without raising your voice. Watch people for silent screams these usually occur when they need the most help.
Assist at least one old lady across the road, it's worth the experience.
Have pride in something other than yourself once in while, just a suggestion, your country is a good choice. Stand tall, don't talk, take off your hat and learn the words to your national anthem, you may not believe in it but someone does.
...
Be afraid of something, it keeps you humble.
Smile, it helps, you and others.
Most of all be you, cause remember THE BEATINGS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL MORALE IMPROVES.
I think as Will faced down his disease, there is another word we should add to the list of qualities that Will had: COURAGE. He very much believed that he was fighting an enemy and his writings about his cancer drew upon a rich palette of words that would make his mother want to wash his mouth out with soap. Will had no fondness for cancer.
Will spent the last ten months in the ICU unit at Burnaby Hospital fighting cancer. He was intubated, had partial paralysis and his stomach did not work. But Will did not want your sympathy, he wanted your faith, your love and most importantly, your smile.
Despite his physical constraints, Will exuded the life long quality he was searching for � true freedom to Will was freedom of his soul. Everyday as various people walked into his room, he exemplified his freedom with a big smile � although he was at battle, his soul was at ease.
Will simply continued to live life fully. You only need to have had your butt kicked in trivia pursuit or dropped in for a grey cup party to realize that even life in an intensive care unit didn't slow Will down all that much.
So when you each remember your individual memories of Will, whether it be:
- 1) Thinking of him zooming down a highway in a police chase; or
- 2) Flashing you one of his big smiles while doing his famous Willem jig
Remember that he found what he was looking for � he gives us that peace tonight � knowing, that he is yelling in his big booming voice
Free at last, Thank God Almighty, I AM FREE AT LAST.