Eric Neal Cummins

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Eric Cummins, beloved partner of Marivic. Eric was the son of Victor and Frances (both deceased) and the brother of Doreen, Victor (Vera), Donna (deceased – Rosaire, deceased), Karen (deceased – Scott), Bryan (Tricia – deceased) and Neal (deceased – Anne). We would be remiss if we did not mention his foster brother “Big” Brian Watkins. He was also the proud uncle of Peter (Mathieu), Joy (Michele), Aaron, Kimmie (Steve), Scott (Linda) Alain (Hélène-Marie), Jeffrey, Jonathan, Christopher (deceased), and Tony. He was also the proud great-uncle of Qilliam, Tobyaz, Airiél, Camiah, Shylah, and Nola.

As a young man in his teens or early 20s, Eric acquired a nickname that he carried for the rest of his life. After a haircut one day, sister Donna told him that he looked like Iggy from the Little Lulu comics. For the rest of his life, he was affectionately known as Iggy. He had no objections to it.

When he was 16, Eric left Montréal and moved with the rest of his family to Sept Iles, on the lower north shore of the St. Lawrence. There, he worked on the Québec North Shore & Labrador for the next twenty years. Had he stayed, he would have had a most successful future but, being restless, he moved on, working for a number of years as a marine mechanic for Dome Petroleum in the Beaufort Sea and later on lakers in the Great Lakes. Later still, for a brief stint, he was a long distance trucker, driving from Ottawa to Los Angeles maintaining a home base first in Montreal and later in Ottawa.

Many of his friends and acquaintances would be surprised at the artistic and crafts skills that Eric developed over the years on ships. Among his creations are an incredibly detailed little sailing ship, the main structure of which is a turkey breast bone. This little vessel has sails and rigging and is painted red and back and is a masterpiece of craftsmanship. Another creation is a fish that he made from hundreds of tiny sea shells he had collected. These two are now prized possessions of his younger brother.

Eric had a profound knowledge of politics and political history, both domestic and global, and liked few things more than to debate them. Regardless of the topic of political debate, he invariably won because of his mastery of the facts. Likewise, he was a hockey historian without peer, citing facts and figures and championships with encyclopedic knowledge and authority. To listen to him discuss hockey was akin to having a master class in sports history.

But it was as a brother, friend, and uncle that Eric was at his best. Kind, generous, and warmhearted to a fault, he was the best of companions who liked nothing more than to share a pint or three with those closest to him. His brother and his nephews remember fondly afternoons and nights at pubs in Ottawa, shooting the breeze, discussing politics or sports, or listening to Lucky Ron at The Downstairs Club. And he always had time to visit his brother and sister-in-law semi-annually six hours away from Ottawa

As he got older, he was less inclined to be away from home for long periods of time, so he became a school bus driver in Ottawa, a job he greatly enjoyed. He had a natural rapport with young people, so the job was a natural fit for him. The students could see that beneath what might have appeared to be a gruff exterior was a gentle soul.

His family would like to thank Eric’s partner, Marivic, and express their deepest appreciation for her loving care and devotion to him for the last fifteen years. We should all be so fortunate to have such a partner and companion. Rest easy, Iggy. You are loved and missed.