The Reception

When the service ended, we moved into Luxton Hall to be together a little longer.

Family and friends had come from across Ontario — some driving in from Hamilton and Sudbury through a summer storm — because being here, for Hugh, was worth the journey. The weather outside only made the warmth of the room easier to feel.

More than anything, it was an afternoon of people finding Hugh again in one another's memories.

The slideshow, played on a loop

The photographs below capture a little of that afternoon.

Over refreshments and snacks, people drifted from table to table, trading stories, laughter, and the occasional quiet moment. Photographs of Hugh filled the hall and a slideshow played through the afternoon, each one gathering a small crowd. Mementoes from his life were set out to be picked up and passed around — small, ordinary things that carried so much of who he was.

From the Afternoon