John Gagnon

On Thursday evening at 8:12 PM John slipped quietly from life, comfortable at last after a string of illnesses that sapped his normal strength and love of life.  The most recent challenge, pancreatic cancer, came hot on the heels of his triumph over terrible sciatica, leg pain, a 98% blocked carotid requiring difficult surgery, and vision problems that prevented him from reading for 7 months until he had a corneatransplant.  Still he plowed on with his brilliance, humor, care for others, known and unknown, humanity, and affection for those he loved, intact.