Hi Friends,
Way to brave it this morning to honour and celebrate the life of a longtime NPer, Bill Gilroy. Mother Nature ordered up a great morning to help us remember how #weatherproof we are… and helped us create the fuzziest group photo ever!
I’d like to turn this blog post over to Christa to share some words with us about her Father, Bill.
My dad, Bill Gilroy, passed away on Oct. 16, 2022. It’s hard to believe he’s gone. Some of you long-time November Projectonians may remember him as that really old guy who showed up at the stairs when it wasn’t icy. You may also remember him as that old guy that had his middle finger up in many November Project pictures. It was his signature move.
My dad was an amazing guy. If you ever came to Commonwealth, and saw him slowly making his way up and down the stairs, you’ll know what I’m talking about. He was 93, he would have turned 94 yesterday. But he wasn’t your average 93-year-old. Not much about him was average.
November Project has a long history for my family. My brother, Scott, lives in Boston and started working out with November Project waay back in its early days in 2012. Scott told us he’d started exercising with this group – and it sounded pretty fun. When my dad and his awesome wife Margie visited Scott in Boston in July 2014, they joined him for a workout at Harvard Stadium. And just like that, my dad was hooked! These are some photos from Bill and Margie’s first NP workout in Boston, at Harvard Stadium.
Not long after NP came to Edmonton, Scott encouraged my dad and Margie to join a workout or two while he was home visiting. And once they started, they never really stopped.
November Project founders, Brogan and Bojan, have said “This shit is good.” I think that immediately, my dad realized that was true. These were his people. This was his thing. The comradery, the positivity, the fitness, the silliness and fun of it all. This shit IS good. And my dad knew it.
He loved to run, and he loved to be active. And he loved to be with other people spreading the love around. And when he couldn’t run anymore, he still wanted to “just show up” – and he did. When he couldn’t walk very far, he could still go up the stairs. And when he couldn’t stand for long periods, he brought a chair. But he showed up and he high-fived, and he had fun.
My dad also put up his middle finger, a lot. Or, as my kids call it, “The Grandpa finger.” I know for some, this hand gesture can be off-putting or even offensive. My dad NEVER used his middle finger in anger. It wasn’t intended to be mean or hurtful to anyone, ever. It was more of a playful gesture that had the added bonus of getting a rise out of people, and drawing attention to himself. He really liked attention.
So, as we don our fresh new “Bill” tags – please don’t let my dad’s middle finger offend or upset you. It’s meant to be funny, and playful and a little bit shocking. So wear your tag with pride. And think of it as a reminder not to take life too seriously, and to just relax and have a bit of fun along the way.
~ Christa Gilroy
Announcements
- Friday at 5:58am- We’ll be at the bottom of Walterdale Hill. We’ll go up and down hills for 30 mins AND, since it’s a holiday day, let’s go for coffee/brekkie afterwards. Show up to find out where!
- Monday at 5:58am– we’ll tell you on Friday where!
- Next Wednesday at 5:58am- you’ll get your fresh “Bill” tag back at the bottom of the RG stairs.
~togetherisbetter
Lazina
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