Good afternoon everyone,   I'm Darin Finlayson, Garnet’s son-in-law.  It’s an honor to speak to you today on behalf of the family about a man who I had the pleasure of knowing since I first met his daughter, now my wife, Judy, over 16 years ago.  I can remember the first time Judy introduced me to her parents in Mississauga.  I was a nervous wreck.....but even from our initial greeting, Garnet made me feel welcome through his easy humour and casual openness.   It didn't take long to feel like part of their family.

My father in law was a miner, a business owner, a building manager, but above all else - he was a family man. They were is WHOLE  world and that was reflected in everything he did.  Growing up in Espanola, Ontario- he came from a large family of 12 children. He was estranged from his family for a while but came back to meet the love of his life, a girl who grew up on the same street as him, Pat.  They were married in the spring of 1971 when they were both 19 years old and were barely 20 before they had their first daughter, Jennifer.

Their adventure together took them to Elliott Lake where Judy and Joseph were born -- then out to Saskatchewan and Northern Ontario and finally settling in Southern Ontario.   They worked hard to raise their children and give them things that they never had growing up and always took  their family on vacations, including a very memorable bus trip to British Columbia.  Garnet and Pat showed their true spirit and resilience when Garnet could no longer work in the mines. They began a whole new journey, eventually becoming resident building managers in Kitchener.  As a building manager, Garnet gained the trust and respect of many of his tenants developing strong relationships with them.

My Father in Law was an honest and tell-it-like it is man who expected the very best from his children.  He set high standards, and ensured that RESPECT, HARD WORK and INTEGRITY were core values in the Golden household. These instilled traits are clearly evident even today as Jennifer, Judy and Joe are some of the hardest working and dignified people you could meet.  He mentioned to me on one occasion how proud he was of the people his kids have grown up to be.

He contributed much more than that however. He is the reason why my wife can recite most oldies and country songs from the 1950s to today.

He is the reason why my brother in law can build just about anything with his bare hands, and NEVER quits until it is completed and done accurately.

He's the reason why my sister in law is such a leader and why her perceptions of right and wrong are very black and white.

He's the very definition of integrity.

Even though I've heard about Garnet disciplining Judy as a teenager when she came in past curfew, she told me often that her father had softened over the last 20 years --and this was the gentle man that I came to know.  He had a huge heart and was passionate about standing up for what was right - and he wasn't afraid to let anyone know how he felt.  One of Garnet's many qualities was his great sense of humour - and this is what we’ll remember most about him.  He was always the life of the party - cracking corny jokes, (he was the absolute king puns), or hiking his pants up and pretending to be Steve Erkle; that was my personal favourite.  He clearly thrived on the rolling eyes and groans from his audience - always to be followed by his own hearty laugh.  A laugh that I am going to miss terribly.

He impressed us with his charm, his wit, his ability to fix anything and of course his handsome looks which turned plenty of female heads wherever he was.

My father in law was also a huge music lover.  Any time we were all together, it was standard procedure to have country or classic rock just a few notches below the maximum volume level.

Garnet loved to visit his grandkids whenever possible- including driving 1400 km to attend the high school graduations of his oldest grandchildren.  He experienced sheer joy when the younger kids ran to give him a hug --and were almost always rewarded with skittles or m&ms.

We shared a love for food.  He was a Sunday roast kinda guy.  Many conversations revolved around the most recent juicy steak we had, or how he preferred his cooked ham's to have the bone-in.   He and Pat made the best loaf of homemade bread ever.   He took so much pride not only in making it, but also watching us enjoy it.

I cherish the moments that I spent with him, usually sharing a cold beer on the balcony together -- discussing why anything other than a FORD truck was junk...or just life in general.  Garnet was very easy to converse with.  He warmly talked about days from his past, whether it was during his period working in the mines, or stories about partying with his buddies, or fun times he spent with the family. I've heard some of these same stories recently, but still loved how much he enjoyed telling them.

Over recent months it was challenging to see Garnet's health decline and that twinkle in his eye disappear as he battled adversity with courage and strength. We were all very worried about him and finally were comforted by the fact that he is in a better place where he can be his old self again, without pain

It's difficult to imagine him not being around, and I suppose we will all find our own ways of accepting it.  I guarantee we will think of him often, whether we are hearing one of his favourite songs, recalling him playing with his grandchildren or remembering one of his corny jokes- he will always be there.

We are all blessed to have known Garnet and grateful for the precious moments we spent together and the laughter we shared.  The hardest part of losing someone isn’t necessarily having to say goodbye, but rather learning to live without them, always having to fill the void and the emptiness that’s left inside your heart when they go.

He was a wonderful man who will be dearly missed, loved forever, and an inspiration to all of us.