Goodbye David

by Vince R. Ditrich

My friend David Grierson, well-loved CBC journalist and broadcaster, died recently. He was only 49.

I was completely gobsmacked by his passing. He was too young, yet so very vital, bright and consistently in the thick of things. He was the kind of person who always owned the room and very often did so unintentionally, by virtue of the fact that he was making a genuine effort to shine the limelight on someone else. He was one of those very rare people who brought out the best in everyone that he touched, energized the best parts of us, and made us feel important, legitmate, worthy of greater attention and interest. He understood.

He was not unaware of his intellectual gifts or his huge charisma. But he channelled it, shared it, focused it, and sometimes simply gave it away. He was generous.

And it's no secret to all that knew him as I did that he had a wicked, ribald, famously clever sense of humor, wedded to a silken, diplomat's tongue. His humour was a great leveler, delivered with a twinkle and a broadcaster's practiced cadence...Even those of us occasionally barbed by his humour had to salute his facile mind. My thoughts are full of his clever and often profound comments.

I have been given the very great honour of acting as the Musical Director for a concert in David's honour this month. Please check back here for venue, date, time and other details. I hope that some of you can attend to say goodbye to the memory of a good friend.

Vince