Reg Alcock

When I met Reg for the first time, he left a great impression on me. Reg came to my first campaign in 2004 to give me some encouragement, and that he did. Here was a man, unknown to me but a Liberal, who came all the way across Canada to Ontario to give me, a total stranger, but a Liberal, a hand. With his Liberal help we won the riding. We served in the Parliament together for a short time and my family and I will never forget his Liberal kindness.
Thank you Reg,
God Bless Reg and his family,
May his memory be forever…Liberal

Dearest Karen and children,

Please accept our deepest sympathies. We are saddened by the loss of Reg and cannot begin to realize your pain and sorrow.

Reg was such a wonderful man with integrity, inspiration and dedication. I will always remember him visiting Sweet Palace and enjoying his favorite butter chicken. It was always a pleasure to see him! His wonderful smile always warmed our hearts.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family at this very difficult time. Reg will never be forgotten.

Ali and Family

A big man with an even bigger heart – Reg was a tremendous public servant, a dedicated colleague and a wonderful friend. I miss so much about him.

Randy Gonzales once said, “Live with fulfillment, serve with passion so in this lifetime you will have the ability to die with no regrets.” I somehow feel that this statement is particularly apropos when it comes to Reg.

Please know that both Sam and I offer our prayers to each one of Reg’s many friends and family.

Reg and I shared hallway space in 1993. As newly elected MP’s with a last name beginning with the letter ‘A’ our offices faced each other. It seemed that Reg the biggest man in our caucus got the smallest office. This was always a topic of conversation and joke as we met on the hallway for serious discussions since we were both on the same Standing Committee. In jest I said to him one day “Remember Reg,it’s a great life if you don’t weaken”. He liked that and from that day for the next 10 + years his greeting to me was always about ‘not weakening’. We enjoyed many great occasions…travelling with Committees, strategizing around causes, and trying to bring us all into a world that we were still trying to decipher. Reg was always ahead of the pack. Rest in peace my Brother. We will always remember you.
Jean Augustine

Dear Karen, Sarah, Matt and Chrissy,
What a sad time this is. My memories of Reg are not of the politician, teacher or committee member as so many others are, but of a life long friend. The “Alcocks” have always been a part of my life. Of course Moose Lake played a huge role in our friendship and I have always been thankful for the pleasure he gave my parents when he walked through the cabin door with a quick witted statement or funny story. I will truly miss him at the bridge table, the banter and the challenge to beat “the boys”. He really was so funny and so captivating that people always wanted him in the room.
Karen you really were his miracle. Sarah, Matt and Chrissy he was so very proud of all of you.
I hope that in time, as the heartache starts to heal you will take comfort in knowing that you filled his life with joy.
Blessings Pat, Tony Chris and Liz

I knew Reg only as a member of the National Liberal Caucus when we were both in Ottawa. He was a giant of a man — physically, yes, but also mentally and emotionally. He never hesitated to speak his mind on any subject he felt strongly about, and he was always right on the mark. He will be missed in life, as he was in parliament.

My heartfelt sympathy goes out to his family.

I am deeply saddened to hear of the sudden passing of Reg. This is a huge loss for our community. Reg was a true champion for change and believed in the vision of what the Canadian Museum for Human Rights could bring to our city, province and country. He was most instrumental early on as he helped us to secure and announce an additional $70 million in 2005 as part of the federal government’s commitment towards capital funding for the Museum, when it was all still just a dream. We are forever thankful for Reg’s contribution in helping make Canada’s 5th national museum a reality. We also greatly appreciate the fact that, after he stepped down from political life, he continued to work to make the Museum a reality by joining the Campaign Cabinet, on which he served for several years. I send my most sincere condolences to his wife Karen and children Sarah, Matthew and Christina.

Gail Asper, O.C., O.M., LL.D.

My family and I extend our deepest sympathy to Karen, Sarah, Matt, and Christina and to his sisters, Bev and Joan. Words cannot express the sorrow we feel for your loss.

Reg was a dear friend. In our younger days we were always together. We went through high school, worked with children and youth, shared a house, and attended classes together at the University of Manitoba. We spent countless hours discussing everything under the sun and solving the problems of the world. We shared a hundreds of adventures together.

His curiosity was insatiable; as was his desire to find solution to problems and to make things work. He seldom talked about his accomplishments; rather, he would talk about his next projects. It was these traits, along with his boundless energy and his love for mankind that attracted him to politics where he felt he could make a difference.

As the years went by we maintained our friendship. He was my son’s Godfather and the favourite person of both my kids.

There is no doubt that his family was the most important part of his life. Reg constantly told me how grateful he was to have married you, Karen, his source of strength and inspiration. He spoke of how you managed the family and how much he relied on you. He never failed to mention his children and express how proud and fond he was of all of you.
Life will not be the same without him.

Mike Owen

Karen,

Please accept my hearfelt sympathies. I never got to know Reg and I know that is a great loss. My daughter and I were reminiscing about the time when she worked on his campaign in the early ninties. Her fondest memory was how kind, caring and helpful he was.

I am very sad today; Reg was a friend. We served together as MPs in the Commons. We did some good things for the country, even though I was a Conservative and he was in the Liberal camp. There was a special period of us together, when we conducted the many “in-camera” hearings on the Radwanski scandal. Even though I live in New Westminster BC, I was able to stop by his house to visit. I will miss his energy and enthusiasm to make our community a better place. He was far too young to be taken from us. I will most fondly remember him always.
Paul Forseth (MP 1993-2006)

As a student at the Asper School, I had the opportunity to get to know Reg. He was always willing to take time out to meet with me and discuss projects, extra-curricular activities, life goals, and a whole host of other topics.

My favourite memory was at the 2009 National Business School Conference, when at the gala dinner for the event, he called me out in front of a room of 150 people asking me to do my “I’m Reg” impression. I was more than a bit embarrassed and caught of guard.

I will sincerely miss Reg and offer my best wishes to family, friends, and everyone else who has been affected by the loss of this wonderful man.

It is thanks to Canadians such as Reg Alcock that give Canada the reputation as the best country on this planet where to live. Thank you to the Alcock immediate and extended families for Reg’s outstanding contribution.

Jesse Flis
Former Member of Parliament for Parkdale – High Park, Toronto (1979 – 1997)

Canada has lost a fine leader who will be greatly missed by many friends and colleagues.

My condolences to family and friends.

I remember Reg with great affection, and was proud to be able to speak about him and Barney Danson on Tuesday in the House. Like everyone, I was astonished by his energy and enthusiasm, he did not live life in little pieces, he lived it BIG. I can remember long coffees and breakfasts going over the details of campaigns, numbers, people, ideas, theories, and good stories, al rolled into one. He loved being an MP, hated losing, but the next day was hard at the next step, the next phase. He cared passionately about his family, his friends, Manitoba, his community, his country and the world. He was an unforgettable man, and I shall be there on Friday to pay my respects to a remarkable guy.

I remember Reg in 1988 when he was first elected to the Legislature. I was working in the building one morning when he introduced himself. During our conversation I mentioned the wonderful veiw of Winnipeg from the hatch under the Golden Boy statue.Right away his eyes opened wide and he had to see it for himself. I mentioned it was a long climb with a lot of stairs, he still wanted to look.It took us almost a half an hour but we made it to the hatch,when I opened it up he had no trouble getting up high enough to poke his head out. The veiw was worth it he, commented.I mentioned that only a few people over the years had the experience to view the city this way. I remember he pulled out a pen or a marker and smiled as he put his name on the side of the hatchway as a few before him had done.When I look up at the Golden Boy from now on this is what I remember I smiling Reg Alcock making his mark,that I hope will be there for eternity.Proud to have known you.–Gord Groves former Legislature Security Officer.