To honour PLAN’s three decades of history, we’ve decided to share a “Throwback Thursday” post every week. Our first is a letter written by David Cohen to his Community Connector Ken in 1994. While David has since passed away, we share this letter to celebrate the many contributions he made as a beloved PLAN Member and friend:
Dear Ken and members of PLAN,
The birthday party at the Unitarian Church was excellent. I’m pleased a good number showed up, but with regret plenty of people I invited couldn’t make it because summer is a time people are away on vacation. I had a wonderful time and it was an appropriate way to celebrate my birthday at the Unitarian Church.
This is my first birthday of being on my own with both of my parents in a wonderful place called Heaven. I’m happy that I had someone from the arts, Owen Underhill, Music Director of the Vancouver New Music Society show up. Also, I was happy Bill Walsh showed up along with the regulars of my Network: Dave and Ruby H., Dave H. Junior, John M. and Marion F. The food was wonderful and I liked the cake for the occasion. It’s great to have a party like this one to show that there are people who are caring, loving and supportive – that’s what PLAN is all about. I was so happy to get plenty of cards.
On the day of my 50th birthday, I had lunch at the Sirloiner. I had a great day riding on the turn-of-the-century motorized trolly car that goes around major tourist places of interest and attending three IMAX movies at Canada Place. Some of the people in my Network – Barry, Connie, Paul, Margaret, Bob and Ken showed up along with Joy. This helped make my day a very pleasant one.
This year I wont have to worry about my mother and no more stressful situations of being concerned whether she’ll get worse now that the Lord took my wonderful and happy place where there’s no more illness, no more pain, no more suffering. She won’t have to go to the hospital again. I know how happy she is to meet her husband again who went to that wonderful place on May 12, 1979. I want to thank those who were able to come to the party at the Unitarian Church on July 13 and to the one at the Sirloiner on the 17th.
Love, David
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A tribute to David and his Network was also shared on CBC’s: The National.