It had been a full year and yet many of us remained stunned at the reality. So we gathered under a sky filled with scudding clouds on a day that seemed fittingly cool. The chill helped us acknowledge the fact our friend Willie Fida is gone.

Those gathered, family members, close friends, colleagues were there to plant trees. Small, tender pines were distributed and each, in her or his turn, spaded the earth, put the sapling in place. In time the trees will form a hedge, a living tribute to a fine man's brief time amongst us.

Willie's car left the road 365 day before. It hit a large tree head-on, demolishing the vehicle and killing him. In that brief, shattering moment his life as a master chef and owner of Angeline's restaurant in Bloomfield ended.

During his life, Willie seemed to know everyone. He was just that way. A rare combination of genuine caring, humour and sharing. His laugh was infectious as was his ability to make things appear easier than they are.

No one is certain what caused the crash. But many consider the time of the accident, that monotonous stretch of road and the fact he was just back from a busy holiday as factors. Tired, oh yes! His routine required he work hard and long.

Bad news travels fast, but disastrous news encompasses a place like Prince Edward County instantly. Small communities operate this way. Folks gathered and hushed whispers flew from lip to ear. Shock, disbelief, tears were commonplace.

Within hours of that crash the tree began a metamorphosis. It became a memorial. Flowers, plaques; keepsakes were fixed to its scarred trunk by Willie's friends. His brother's tribute is amongst them.

Even now, a full year later, it seems unnatural to not see Willie at the restaurant, walking in Bloomfield or chatting, or socializing in J J's, a local gathering spot.

So each in his or her way planted their tree and then took a moment for reflection and to recall a moment or two spent with Willie in the past. Many smiled and others laughed at a treasured yesterday.

It is my thought that Willie would enjoy the laughter just as he would take pleasure in seeing his son and daughter carry on Angeline's. His son and the kitchen team follow the prescribed regime and, use the honoured recipes. Fine dining all the way.

In places like Prince Edward County, it is held that you must be born there to be a native. Moving there does not count! No matter how long you live there you are from away. Longevity is everything.

Fair enough, I suppose.

But Willie, by just being the man he was, came as close to being "True County" as is possible.

I hope the pine tree hedge we planted last week flourishes and stands for a century or more. Generations to come will forget who Willie was. The tree he hit will be gone as well. But the next generation will see the pines and appreciate their beauty.

A nice way to be remembered and in some small way give back to a community that accepted him as one of their own.