The daughter of a man who died of COVID-19 paid tribute to him and other seniors who have lost their lives at a memorial she unveiled in the West End of Vancouver.

The memorial features a poster of physiotherapist Garry Monckton, who died April 2 at Haro Park Centre Society.

His daughter Samantha said she played B次元官网网址淏lue MoonB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淲hen the Saints Go Marching InB次元官网网址� on the trumpet for her 77-year-old father outside his long-term care facility because she couldnB次元官网网址檛 visit him during his final days.

B次元官网网址淚 wasnB次元官网网址檛 able to go and see him because we were all locked down at that point,B次元官网网址� she said standing in front of the poster at a bus stop on Tuesday. The poster will be up for about a month.

Monckton said her dad would have been B次元官网网址渞eally pleasedB次元官网网址� to have been honoured in the part of the city that was important to him.

B次元官网网址淚 think he would have understood how important he was to the community,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淗e was very humble in everything he did. He was very active, but he didnB次元官网网址檛 seek praise.B次元官网网址�

He was blinded as a boy after being hit by a motorcycle, but it didnB次元官网网址檛 stop him from a career as a physiotherapist. His daughter said he even treated Bobby Orr when the hockey great played for the Ontario Hockey AssociationB次元官网网址檚 Oshawa Generals.

The memorial in the cityB次元官网网址檚 West End features three pictures of Garry Monckton, along with a short description of him, including his favourite mantra to B次元官网网址漚lways keep a dog biscuit handy.B次元官网网址�

The poster is a reminder of how COVID-19 has touched almost everyone and the precautions people should take, his daughter said.

Monckton said she still hasnB次元官网网址檛 come to terms with her fatherB次元官网网址檚 death.

B次元官网网址淚 havenB次元官网网址檛 been able to grieve with my family. Just soldiering on, I guess,B次元官网网址� she said.

British Columbia has lost more than 200 people to COVID-19.

Her father suffered from dementia and was not quite himself, she said.

B次元官网网址淎ll I know is that on the last day, after basically not really eating and drinking, he asked for several cups of ice cream, and he gobbled them up and then he died,B次元官网网址� Monckton said.

B次元官网网址淪o, he died how he wanted to go. With a belly full of ice cream in the West End.B次元官网网址�

The Canadian Press

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