David and Jean Eadie

This past Saturday, I travelled to Kleinburg for a gathering to say good-bye to two people who I came to know because of my work with the McMichael Gallery. They are two kind people who have been devoted to doing good in the world.
I first met Jean Eadie at her lovely home which was a showcase for David Eadie's woodworking. What a welcoming and charming home! I was pleased to find out that the door that he had carved has found a home in Ottawa at their daughter Marilyn's home. (Wish that I had taken a picture.) It was too precious to lose.
Often after gathering to honour people and say good-bye to them I am struck by the fact that many people who do a great deal for others just quietly go about their business doing what needs to be done without a great deal of fanfare.
David and Jean Eadie were such a couple. In 2002, David received the Order of Canada which was presented in Vancouver for the first time but Jean was very much part of their team, making sure that he could do his good works and willing travelled around the world with him.
What a privilege it has been to know them.

David Henry Eadie, C.M.Kleinburg, Ont.
He has dedicated his life to bringing humanitarian relief to the world's disadvantaged. He is a master woodworker and has been a volunteer technical advisor with the Canadian Hunger Foundation, the Canadian Executive Services Organization (CESO) and the United Church. He introduced new technology and techniques which are fostering self-sufficiency among indigenous peoples in Asia, Europe and the Americas. Using his extensive background in sawmilling and furniture manufacturing, he finds practical solutions to local problems. His ingenuity became the cornerstone for many successful aid projects in Canada and abroad.

This is a photo of Jean Eadie (on the right) after she won this quilt at the 2006 Binder Twine Festival, a festival that David and Jean were very involved in over the years.