Noah (Bud) Hurst was born into an Old Order Mennonite family. He may have died of cancer - several physicians think so - but we don't know for sure because he never saw a doctor. It wasn't his style.
What we do know is that he died at home, surrounded by the love of his family. Bud had seven children, 19 grandchildren and two great-grandsons. His family was the source of his joy, peace and fulfilment. He was not an affluent man but was known to remark, "I sure am rich. I sure do have a good family. I sure have had a great life."
Bud's father had a serious back injury, making farming impossible. Providing for nine children was difficult. At a young age, Bud was sent to work at a neighbouring farm - one less mouth to feed. "They treated me pretty good," he would say. "They didn't talk to me, but I had food and a place to sleep. I guess they treated me like the dog."
To his dismay, Bud just missed serving in the Second World War. He'd finished basic training and was about to set sail for Europe when fighting stopped. He delighted in telling his grandchildren that when the Nazis heard he was on the way, they surrendered on the spot.
Bud and Evelyn were married in 1948. As newlyweds, they moved from Kitchener to Windsor, Ont., at the prospect of work in an auto factory. They bought the only house they ever owned, a tiny bungalow in a working-class neighbourhood. Bud worked in factories until landing his dream job as a meter reader at Union Gas, a job he held for 32 years, never taking a sick day.
Without ever saying so - Bud wasn't much for waxing philosophical - he understood the value in being present. He was there: listening to the ball game in the yard, reading the paper, trimming the hedges, feeding the birds. He loved to take kids to the park or for a walk down to the corner store to get a Popsicle. In recent years, his knees worn out, he toured the neighbourhood on his bike.
Bud was too ill to travel to my wedding last summer and never met my wife. In our last visit, a few days before his death, I held up a honeymoon photo. He pulled up his frail body, opened his eyes and said, "Pretty good lookin' … not sure about that guy she's with though." He gave me a wink and a smile before slipping out of the moment.
He sure did have a great life.
Justin Archer is Bud's grandson.