Leslieville's Paul Quarrington dies of lung cancer.
Author, musician and screenwriter Paul Quarrington died Thursday morning at his Toronto home after battling lung cancer since the spring of 2009. (Jan. 21, 2010)
Photo/paulquarrington.org
Paul Quarrington, one of Canada's most talented multi-disciplinary artists, has died.The Leslieville-based musician and writer was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer in May.The 56-year-old Don Mills native died peacefully early Thursday, Jan. 21 at home surrounded by family members and friends."It is comforting to know that he didn't suffer; he was calm and quiet holding hands with those who were closest to him," a posting on his website, http://www.paulquarrington.org, reads.Random House editor, Anne Collins, shared her thoughts on Quarrington's passing on that site's tribute page."Paul Quarrington brought humour, grace, energy and joy to the dark business of dying in the same way he brought those qualities to his remarkable fiction. He was one of our funniest writers and surreptitiously one of our most profound," she wrote."I hate the fact that he has died but I am so glad he did it in the company of the people he loved best. I am so sorry for their loss, and deeply sorry that Paul won't be able to sing us more songs or tell us more stories, both things he loved so much to do."Michael Leclair, a producer at Arc Pictures, spoke of Quarrington's many literary contributions to the game of hockey in his tribute. "Logan in Overtime, King Leary and Original Six: True Stories from Hockey's Classic Era are masterful stories with unique, captivating and unforgettable characters. Thank you Paul, for your inspiring words and for so brilliantly capturing the people, beauty and ruggedness that make up our game and our country," he said. Last Saturday evening, CBC Hockey Night in Canada even aired a tribute to Quarrington in its opening segment, which featured the Rheosatics' song Dope Fiends and Booze Hounds from their Whale Music album. The group's lead singer, David Bidini, and Quarrington were good friends. Despite having a hard time breathing near the end, Quarrington succeeded in completing several ongoing projects including his first solo CD as well as the third CD from his jazzy-blues-country band, Porkbelly Futures. A life-long music lover who sang and played several instruments, Quarrington was the group's lead singer and guitarist.He also finished his memoir for Greystone Books and Cigar Box Banjo, a documentary film inspired by the book, Life in Music. Quarrington is perhaps best known for his 1989 novel Whale Music, a fictionalized account of Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys and dubbed "the greatest rock'n'roll novel ever written" by Penthouse magazine. In 1989, he received the Governor General's Literary Award for English-language fiction for Whale Music. A two-time Scotiabank Giller Prize nominee for his 2008 novel, The Ravine, and his 2004 novel, Galveston, Quarrington was also a two-time Trillium Book Award finalist. In total, he penned 10 novels including The Service, Home Game and King Leary, the story of a cantankerous former hockey star recruited to Toronto from his small-town nursing home for which he won the Stephen Leacock Award for Humour.Quarrington was also the author of countless award-winning non-fiction books, plays, articles and screenplays.In October, dozens of friends, fellow authors and family members gathered for a living wake in his honour during the International Festival of Authors at Harbourfront Centre. During his storied creative career, he also established the non-profit Quarrington Arts Society to support multi-disciplinary Canadian artists like himself. This year, the organization is hoping to realize its goal of presenting its first Quarrington Award to at least one multidisciplinary artist. Donations are being accepted for those interested in contributing to the charity in the father of two's memory.Visit http://www.quarringtonartsociety.ca for more information.A self-professed atheist, Quarrington did not want to have a funeral. Nonetheless, loved ones gathered at his east-end home upon learning of his death for an informal wake. A memorial for Quarrington is currently in the works. -with files from Lisa Queen