Reg Alcock

I remember a giant of a man who was to help me become the man I am today.He was the reason I joined the order of the black square a church group and learned a different way to look at life.We had a lot of good times riding in his triumph and partying the way youths tend to do.Back then it was known he would do great things.HE did.BYE REG you will be greatly missed.

I served with Reg in the House of Commons during his first term in Parliament (1993-97) and remained friends with him in the years that followed. I had the honour of chairing the Standing Committee on Human Resources Development and of leading the Committee’s consultations on Canada’s social security system during 1994. Reg was an important, thoughtful, gregarious, and fun-loving member of that Committee during those sometimes tumultuous hearings. Most of all, he was always asking, partisanship aside, what could we do to make our social security system in Canada fairer, more effective, and more just for Canadians. And his mind was always creative. I saw in those early years, the signs of a committed Canadian who would make his mark later in an even important ways through his campaigns for open government and the more effective delivery of government services.

He remained a friend throughout those years and I will cherish with fondness those evenings he came to our home in Ottawa for a break from the Hill and we made sure to serve him his favorite dish: “creamed onions”. We have a wonderful picture of Reg sitting in our living room playing checkers with my 7 year old son.

It is sad that he is gone but he’s probably now with Steve Jobs working on ways to make the interface between earth and the celestial world more transparent and user friendly. I hope they succeed!

Reg was a great help and support for me as a rookie MP. He gave me lots of guidance and kindness, and this I will never forget.
Our prayers are with you.

Larry Bagnell
YUKON

Dear Alcock family,
I was shocked and extremely saddened to hear of the passing, much too soon, of this giant of a man (in many senses of the word) with a huge ‘teddy bear’ hearth, that Reg was.
I had the pleasure to work with him as a federal MP, within the Canada-China Legislative Association created in 1998. He was its first co-chair and I was the Association’s first Executive secretary.
As we worked and traveled together, both within Canada and to China, I witnessed his deep love for his family of whom he was always so proud … he would gladly tell of his children’s achievements, including little Christina’s latest ones, and his envy and admiration for his wife back home with them. I suspect that a part of his enthusiasm for new communication technologies was due to his realization, early on, that they provided him with innovative ways to stay in touch with you and his constituents, while in Ottawa … he was much ahead of his time!
Reg had a never ending positive approach to challenges which I admired. He also listened well to advises and discuss them … Enfin, en tant que francophone, il me demandait souvent de lui parler en francais, et à ce titre, j’appréciais les efforts qu’il faisait pour l’apprendre afin de mieux communiquer avec un plus grand nombre de personnes.
Although I never met you, please accept my most sincere condolences and deepest sympathies. I know that you will miss him dearly … my thoughts are with you in these difficult times.

MRP

I have known Karen and Reg for about 30 years. My hesrt and my prayers go out to all the family!

Although Reg and I never worked together in Cabinet (as I did not stand for relection in 1988), some years before Reg entered Federal Politics, I met him first when I was President of the party in the early 1990s.

He also impressed me as a dedicated Liberal with an independent attitude on issues of principle. I was very pleased whem PM Marin named him President of the Treasury Board, a post I occupied more than a decade before.

It is tragic when someone with so much left to contribute to Canada and Manitoba leaves us at the age of 63.

My sincere condolences to his family and friends.

Don Johnston

Uncle Reg,
If the Jets don’t pick me up one day, then I may want to follow in your footsteps and become a politician. I can only hope that if I do, I can serve my country as well as you! You are an inspiration. We will always miss you at g ma’s for family dinners.

Rest in peace

Ben

Thank you for all you did on behalf of Canadians. Thank you for being a champion for so many Winnipegs, especially those from the Deaf Community.
You will be missed, but not forgotten.
Rest in Peace.

For many years, on and off, we were seat mates. I always used to tease him and ask him about the size of his shoes, “it’s size 15″, then I asked him “how much do you pay for those shoes?”, he said “it’s not the money, I have to get them custom-made, it takes time and I only know one place that can do this for me”.

Sometimes he used to tease me too. When he stood up to make a statement or to give one of his passionate speeches, he stood up in front of me to block my face from the cameras in the House. I asked him “why are you doing this to me Reg?” with a big smile he said “I don’t want your constituents to see your ugly face, Sarkis. I am trying to be nice to you and protect you.” He had a great sense of humour.

He was always very helpful to me and many of our colleagues. He did not know how to say no.

Many times you heard him praising some members of the opposition and he would say “that guy is good, but he is in the wrong party.”

He was one of the most passionate supporters of the Louis Riel issue in the House with Hon. Lloyd Axworthy. I agreed with him and he said, “You know Sarkis, you are OK.”

May God bless his soul and all the best to his loved ones.

I am profoundly sorry that Reg is gone and send my sympathies to all the family.

I worked with him in the LPC in Ottawa when I was a Party executive member and then a senator.He was filled with such optimism and fun and determination about his projects, Liberalism, and Canada it was always a pleasure to meet with him. He was a great Manitoban in addition to his other virtues.

He did great things and leaves an imporant legacy. I’m grateful to have known him as I’m sure are so many others.

Lorna Marsden

I did not know Reg as an MP. However, my daughter volunteered for him in Ottawa.

It was interesting working with Reg during our overlap as Associate Deans at the Asper School. He always thought big, and had a huge “can-do” attitude.

Later, when he was Executive in Residence, we spent some time together discussing his executive education and his book on corporate governance. He was very enthusiastic about improving governance as a means to improving society. While we debated some ideas, we always had fun.

We will miss Reg as a friend and colleague. We offer his family our condolences. I guess he has moved on to shake things up in other places!

So sorry for your personal loss, and the whole of Canada

Me and my wife distinctly remember the night Reg Alcock was nominated for the very first time as the WINNING NOMINATED CANDIDATE at the Winnipeg Convention Centre to represent Winnipeg South FEDEARAL Constituency. We both stayed past midnight just to support and guarantee the winning of Reg Alcock as the winning candidate to represent the residents of South Winnipeg. Why ??? Because me and my wife did the research and our homework and discovered that Reg was the only politician who understood our needs , aspirations and could deliver the results. So , reg was our man. He did not fail. He did not falter. He made it his personal goal to serve the people of South Winniopeg in particular and the people of Canada in general. REST IN PEACE OUR POLITICAL GIANT. A JOB WELLDONE INDEED. We all miss you. Thanks for being our strong voice in Ottawa.

Karen and Family,

We are so sorry to hear about your great loss. We had never met Reg and this is our loss. By all reports, he was a kind and dedicated man.

Our prayers are with you all at this very sad time.

Please accept our deepest sympathies.

God Bless, Ed and Sonja Duke, Calgary

It was 1974 – I was a Social Work student at the U of M and during that summer I worked at Student Manpower. They gave me the social-workey types of jobs to fill. One day the phone rings. This very stirring voice said:

“Sandy, I’m Reg. I need counselors at our camp. Sandy – I need you to send me lots of really great people who love kids.”

I had no idea who he was – only that his voice was oh so sexy and mesmerizing. A few months later our office closed early (too many job orders and not enough students to fill them) so we all took some of the jobs. I went to work at Camp Robertson.

I was curious to see who was this person “behind that amazing voice” that had phoned me so often. Upon arrival – into my vision walked this:

- incredibly un-kept giant, in wrinkled blue jeans and blue jean jacket,
- hair that hadn’t been combed in a month,
- and a moustache that had no idea where on his face to go.

Oh did I have a good laugh!

But ‘mesmerizing, commanding – as well as commandeering’ Reg continued to be – over the years – in my and countless people’s lives.

He cared about kids – which is what we were all into at that time.

Then he started getting interested in politics.

How many of us volunteered for Charles Huband because Reg wanted us ‘ready’ for when he was going to run? Oh Reg – you trained us all so well!

Reg also wrangled Marion Bremner and I into temporarily taking care of a youth he cared deeply for, and that youth’s huge husky dog. Reg gave that youth a budget to buy food for himself and his dog – a budget was triple what Marion and I were living on as students!

There are no words that I can think of to say to Karen and the kids.

All I know – is that I heard how much Reg loved his family with every fiber of his being.

(Karen – may I add – you did a wonderful job of making Reg look incredibly classy!)

God bless you Reg.

And God bless your family.