It’s an honour to pay tribute to Bob Callahan, best known as “Bob from Brampton,” member of provincial Parliament for Brampton and Brampton South from 1985 to 1995.

Welcome, to his family. We’re so happy that you can be here.

I didn’t know Bob, but in preparing this tribute, I got to know the kind of person that Bob was, his qualities.

As a politician, he remembered these golden rules: Never forget where you came from, who sent you and what they sent you to do. Bob’s accomplishments, which were so great, in building up his community and building up the community we have here in the Legislature demonstrated to me that he never, ever forgot that.

Bob was a hard worker throughout his life, in his education, activities in the community.

And after serving here for 10 years, he went back to serve on Brampton council for 17 years, having served there 10 years before he got here. I’m not sure many of us would have that kind of stamina or endurance for political life. It can be a little corrosive at times, but it didn’t wear Bob down.

At a time when most people are slowing down, Bob appeared to be speeding up—or, at least, not slowing down.

From what I’ve read and what I understand, he was a man of deep faith, and that was evident. He led a very centred life, focused on others, wherever he was. I imagine him going to St. Basil’s church, just a block away from here, where I like to go in the mornings. Being in this place requires you to be centred, and Bob knew what he had to do to achieve that.

My father, like Bob, worked in criminal justice, and he used to say two things: Nothing replaces a genuine interest in people, and people can and will change and the effort to help them do so is worthwhile. I can imagine Bob saying those two things as well, after learning what I’ve learned over the last couple days.

Steve Paikin told a story, which we’ve heard this morning, of Bob being stopped on the street on the way to a hockey game by a man asking for money. All he had was $50, which he gave to the man. He also took the time to talk to him, to show a genuine interest in him, and said to him, “Just remember, I’m Bob from Brampton.” A year later, going to another hockey game, he heard someone shout, “Hey, it’s Bob from Brampton.” It was the same guy. The man remembered him not just because of the money, but because Bob took the time; he listened. I don’t think that was the only time that happened. It happened many times during Bob’s life.

I like to find somebody who sat with the member we’re giving tribute to, and I was lucky enough to get in touch with my old boss Premier Dalton McGuinty. I asked him if he had something to share with Bob’s family. He has written quite a bit, so I had to cut this down a little bit, and I want to apologize to him. Here’s what he had to say:

“Bob embodied that lovely quality that never goes out of style, decency. He was a decent man.

“Bob Callahan was a proud Liberal. But his decency led him to respect and enjoy his colleagues on all sides of this Legislature.

“Bob worked hard on behalf of his constituents and, along the way, encountered the usual frustrations in politics. It was his decency that led him to uphold respect for this place and all our democratic institutions.

“Life can wear us down and rob us of our youthful idealism. Life’s inevitable hard knocks can force us onto the sidelines. We can give up on others and turn inwards ...

“Not Bob.

“Bob devoted an amazing and inspiring 43 years of his life to meeting the needs of others through public service. It would be perfectly understandable for ‘Bob from Brampton,’ the name he gave himself, to have become cynical ... to have grown tired and tainted by what can be a corrosive experience.

“But that wasn’t Bob.

“Bob brought unfailing decency and honour to his political responsibilities. He was devoted to his community and, through his good example, reminds us all that the reward of public service is to be found in the service itself.”

To his wife, Lyn; his sons, Kevin, Peter, Timothy and Brian; their spouses; and all of Bob’s grandchildren: I know that you miss your husband, your father and your grandfather. Bob from Brampton led an incredible life of public service to his community, and that incredible life was possible because you shared him with us. That’s something that we ask from all our families and something that we are all so grateful for. Thank you.

Applause.