Remember Brent Kane

ME: Your underwear is much too tight, and very revealing!

HER: Then, wear your own........

Tonight I learned that my friend Brent Kane is gone. I spent today with my first day back at work, as I was in the office for the first time since May. Because Inwas busy, I didn’t look at Facebook all day, so I had not seen the post from his daughter Aliyah, letting his friends know that Brent had died last night, Sunday evening.

I last spoke with Brent on the second day of the Folk Festival, as I knew he had really wanted to go. He went that Friday night, and he had made plans to be able to rest while he was there. Getting out was a lot. It took a lot out of him. But he was so happy they had been able to save the Folk Festival, it being such a big part of his life for so many years.

I last saw him in person when he brought me some chicken soup. It was so delicious. I couldn’t taste most foods, but yiu could taste the love in that soup. We had talked about that chicken soup for years, Brent always promising me chicken soup with matzoh balls. In life there are certain events that force us to act on promises. Events like cancer. In this case, my cancer. The fact that Brent was dealing with his own cancer was not lost on either of us.

Brent had been dealing with his cancer for alot longer than I. We had a long conversation, about his cancer about 6 weeks ago, when Brent shared with me that his cancer was going to take him. He was not going to beat this. We had both been cheering each other on for months, and the news that he was not going to make it, was devastating. They had tried chemo for months and his cancer kept growing.

It is hard to talk with a friend who knows they are going to die. But Brent was brave. He wanted me to remember him. Which of course I said I would because I will.

He wanted people to know that he was a good person. And he was. He was a very good person. We talked about his love of comedy and who our favourites were. We had had many years of laughs.

Brent and I went back so many years. I don’t remember exactly how we met, But he was with co-op radio and the Folk Fest. He came to shows. He always had a joke. His laughs were huge.

I remember when he decided to become a chef. We talked about this big change because it was a huge commitment and a change for him.

Being a chef is incredibly hard work, with long hours, and literally years of dedication and study. Brent applied himself and listened and learned and worked hard in many restaurants.

As proud as he was for becoming a chef, his proudest accomplishment was being a Dad to his beautiful daughter Aliyah. He marvelled at her intelligence and accomplishments and there was nothing in his life that brought him as much joy.

No matter how aware you are that a frieand is going to die, you are never ready when it happens. Tonight I was not ready. I had more conversations that I wanted to have. I feel such a loss. Brent wanted us to remember that he was a good person. He was a mensch, as I always told him. I already miss his voice and his big laugh.

I loved him and he is gone.

Brent Kane started the page Put Dennis Mills’ Hair in the Punk Rock Hall of Fame in 2010.

Here are some of the posts from Brent: