Family, friends and fans said goodbye as Lightfoot can be poignantly seen stage left packing off with his guitar, leaving the room this afternoon amid tears.
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The lineup lasted all day from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. with a light rain from 1 p.m. till visitation ended.
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Rick Haynes, Lightfoot’s bassist of 55 years, and Bernie Fielder his promoter for 60 years spoke to the media as hundreds of fans filed past his coffin Sunday. Hayne said it was a “difficult” day and Fielder said the Canadian folk legend told him he was “ready to go.”
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‘Lunch with Lighfoot’ singer Neil Hutchinson, of Bracebridge, left one his guitar picks on the coffin as he paid his respects with Preeti Nichol Sunday afternoon.
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Sylvia Rogan gets a hug from fellow fan Ed Zeally. The two met and exchanged stories while waiting in line this morning.
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Gordon Lightfoot came home to rest in the church where he emerged from the choir and went on to Canadian and international singing fame. His wife Kim, centre left, followed his coffin into St. Paul’s United Church this morning with Lightfoots daughter Meredith, sons Galen, Eric, Fred and band member Rick Haynes and his son Jeremiah acting as pallbearers. The visitation went on till 8 p.m. with more than 2,000 fans, friends and his family celebrating his life. He was 84.
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Owner Paul Hill said Lightfoot visited his family stead a couple of times and once joked with retired high school teacher that he’d have to buy it back with all the renovations.
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The Lghtfoot family home where he grew up is a nice unassuming local Orillia landmark not far from where the singing sensation will eventually find his final resting place.
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Rev. Karen Hilfman-Millson asks mourners to pause for a moment as church bells rang out Sunday at 2 p.m. The 30 bell peals included 29 for the men lost on the Edmund Fitzgerald and finally once for Lightfoot.
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“Char’ Westbrook, who had Lightfoot chat with her five or six times “out there on the internet,” said he was finally “home.”
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Pallbearer Jeremiah Haynes takes a moment outside the church after helping carry in the coffin yesterday morning.
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Schulz made sure to get everything he owned signed by his friend in one of their final times together, including this ‘Songbook’ box set of CDs addressed to him.
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Schulz captured this lovely photo of Lightfoot at the unveiling of a bust at the Orillia Opera House where today flowers are all around it.
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Fred Sculz caught up with Gord again in recent times after one of his last Massey concerts. Photos Fred Schulz
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