Remembering George

It was a beautiful autumn evening in 2012. I had been wandering the grounds at Clarke Fields Park, in Barrhaven's west end, getting a lay of the Oktoberfest grounds, preparing for my first day as the event's official photographer.

There were live bands, activities for the kids, and of course, beer.

Darren, one of the organizers of the event and the person who hired me, told me to be ready, as we had a guest of honour for the first night and he didn't want me to miss the opportunity of this VIP officially marking the opening of the event by tapping a firkin of ale. Already being a fan of this celebrity, I wasn't going to miss it for the world.

The VIP was none other than American actor, George Wendt, known for many roles but especially as Norm Peterson in the smash hit comedy series, Cheers!

After expertly tapping the firkin, George took his stein of ale over to a table, where he said hello to waiting fans and signed autographs. I was right there, with my camera, capturing it all.

When there was a lull in the crowds, George suggested that I take a break and get myself a beer. I asked if I could sit with him and he said yes, by all means.

While we sipped our beer, I asked him how he found himself in Barrhaven, of all places, for Oktoberfest. He admitted that he enjoyed meeting people from all over, that he loved Canada, and that he always wanted to see Ottawa.

He was glad to be at the festival. We clinked glasses to that.

He asked me about myself. Was I a professional photographer? Did I shoot many of these events? I told him that this was only my second beer festival where I was the official photographer, and how I had got the first gig by accident. I told him I was a writer, that I wrote technical documentation for a paycheque and had recently published my first novel.

George seemed to be genuinely interested, asking about the novel. It would have been so easy to imagine me having a beer with the fictitious Norm Peterson, but George Wendt wasn't about being funny or sarcastic. He was your average guy, having a beer with another average guy, making pleasant conversation.

George nursed that stein while I polished off the small, plastic cup that held mine. When I was done, I thanked him for his time, told him that I had better get back to work. But before I left, I asked for one more, close-up shot.

I saw George a few more times that evening and the next day, where he teamed up with Canadian funny guy Shawn Majumder, who is also a down-to-Earth guy. But on that Saturday, I gave him distance, let George be George, and captured images from a distance.

The time we shared over beer was special and I wanted to keep it that way.

I was very saddened to hear that George died on Tuesday at only 75 years old. He was a really great guy. I feel privileged to have met him and will always remember that time where he and I had a warm conversation, over beer, on a beautiful autumn evening in 2012.