A remarkable man and a great story

Re: The nine lives of Mike Lecuyer, Jan. 20.

What a great local story Bruce Deachman, with images by Rob Cross, has done on Mike Lecuyer.

Mike and his brother, Jerry, lived around the corner from me in Carleton Heights back in the 1950s and ’60s; Mike was a year and a bit older than me and was a great role model and friend.

Until I was 14, I, along with many of the neighbours, would fish, swim and live a life of fun and adventure like Tom Sawyer (almost all of us nearly drowned in the Rideau River). Mike was a really good athlete; whether hockey, football and especially at the Rideau Canoe Club, where he was a champion paddler.

He and Jerry had a racetrack around their half-acre housing lot, and a section of Minaki Avenue (their street address) was part of the track. They would race their little Morris Mini cars for hours on end. Mike was very strong both physically and mentally, which I believe is part of the “Nine Lives” you portrayed.

Lastly, and just as important in my life, were Mike’s good nature and fairness, which he showed time after time and year after year. He could be ferocious if angered but never a bully. His smile, enthusiasm and friendliness were and are so impressive ... a really good man.

Thanks for the story. Kevin Sullivan, Ottawa