...welcome to Philip's Fan Club!

MATTHEW (WHITIE) WINDSOR

We moved to Hamilton in 1984 - Philip was 5. We had purchased a 3 bedroom back-split on a very quiet, peaceful, 10 house cul-de-sac (also called a court). We lived there for 20 years, raised (reared?) 3 kids, retired, pulled up stakes in 2004...and headed east!

We left behind great neighbours, good friends...and 'Whitie'!

Whitie was by far Philip's best friend (aka Matthew Windsor). They met in the early '90s when the Windsor family moved next door...Pat and Tracy, and their 2 sons, Shawn and Matthew. Philip was 14 - Matthew was 3. For the next 11 years they were inseparable. It was at some point during those early years that Philip, because Matthew was blond and fair-skinned, started to call him Whitie (unlike Philip's brother Johnny who was blond and thick-skinned...him he nicknamed 'bozzo'!). Whitie and Bozzo...well chosen...well appointed monikers!

Through the years the boys spent a lot of time together...swimming (and screaming!)...playing road hockey (and screaming!)...enjoying soccer-baseball (and screaming!). In other words, they basically turned that quiet, peaceful court we'd moved into in'84 into a noisy, boisterous...'out of control...out of this world...out of Africa'...zoo! But it was all good. They were healthy, physical activities that bonded friendships and broadened horizons (and broke a few windows!).

In the early years Philip was Whitie's protector. In later years it was Whitie who watched over and protected Philip. When they would go up to the school yard to play basketball and the local 'bullies' tried to give Philip a hard time...Matthew would have none of it. He made sure nobody messed with his buddy! (Philip was 24...5'10"...175 lbs...'lean and mean'...and a wrestle maniac! Whitie?...not so, at all! Who's protecting who here?...go figure!).

When Matthew graduated from grade 8, his best friend was at his side. Of course, Philip, now 24, had 'gradulated' years ago...this was routine stuff for him!

Hamilton was a unique city...very environmentally sensitive...took reducing, reusing and recycling seriously. Why, as you can see here, if we had a problem with the neighbours, or the kids, we simply put them out on the curb on garbage day! (it gave a whole new meaning to 'waste management!).

Philip loved Whitie's parents! He was forever telling Tracy how much he loved her..."but only as a friend, mom...'cause she's married, ya know!". When we left Hamilton in '04, the neighbours held a going-away party...it was great...but it was sure tough! The hugs...the tears...the well-wishes...wonderful memories! But none as touching and memorable as the sentiments expressed by Tracy, Whitie's mom, who wrote in a card the usual stuff...how much they would miss us...blah, blah,blah...but wrapped it up with..."most of all - thanks for bringing Philip into our lives - he's part of our family - we love him to bits!".

Now Pat...there was no one like him...he was one of a kind! He spent more time with with Philip than you can imagine. Street hockey, baseball, pool parties, birthday parties, cook-outs, dump runs, court carnivals...and Philip's favourite...word- search contests. He and Pat would sit for hours on the Windsor's front porch...circling those words...filling those pages...drinking their respective beverages...and letting the whole neighbourhood know who'd come out the victor! The rivalry was rigorous...the competition fierce...the friendship formidable!

It was unmistakably Pat, 'Whitie's dad, who 'brain-washed' coerced, 'paid off', my son to become such an ardent Detroit Red Wings fan at such a very impressionable young age! (the Windsor family was as fanatical about the Wings as the Thiessen family was about the Cowboys!). Diane has always been a Leafs fan...me a Hawks fan. "Why the Wings, Philip?" "'Cause Pat's a Detroit fan...duh!!". Can't argue with that!

We've been away from Hamilton now for 5 years. Philip continues to call Whitie regularly and never misses an opportunity to speak with Tracy or Shawn...that's all that's left. Pat passed away a year and a half ago, at the young age of 50. We all took it very hard...but none more so than Philip. He has wonderful memories of those years. He talks of Pat often and proudly keeps his friend's picture taped to his bedroom wall...right next to Aunt Elaine's...and Emmitt's...and that faded, old dog-eared poster of Steve Yzerman! (miss you lots Pat!)

"I've got lots of friends, some are near, some are far,

There are those who are weak - others mighty.

But none can compare to my pal with blond hair,

'Cause none hold a candle to Whitie!"

The T-shirt has faded...the friendship has not!