Edward Wicks

On Monday, November 16th, 2020, Edward Dennis Wicks, loving husband, father and grandfather, passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family at age 70 after a three-year-long battle with cancer.

Born to Aaron and Kay Wicks on May 1st, 1950, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Dennis' life was remarkable from the get-go. He contracted polio in early childhood and was quarantined in hospital for a year and a half. When he was finally allowed home, the hospital released the wrong child! Frantically rushing back in, Aaron found the youngster sitting on a dormitory bed eating bread and molasses. Initially diagnosed as bedridden, Dennis' mother Kay ventured on a 1054 km pilgrimage to St Anne de Beaupré to pray for his recovery.

Through childhood, his six siblings – Betty (Eddie), Ruth (Ernie), Barb (Greg), Patsy (Gordon), Jim and Christine (Ben), had his back - teaching him to play and swim, and protecting him from further injury. Dennis defied expectations of immobility, beginning first with the use of a wheelchair and later progressed to those infamous wooden crutches, which supported his body throughout the rest of his life. With determination and hard work, Dennis became a champion swimmer - getting up to train for two hours every day before school. That dedication culminated in international competition, representing Canada in the 1968 Paralympics in Tel Aviv, Israel.

His passion for music motivated him to take up drumming; he played in numerous bands into his 40s, influenced by the British pop invasion. In his 20s, Dennis fathered two children, Jeffrey and Jennifer. An attentive and caring Dad, he built the first family home on Lynville Drive, in Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia, with his bare hands. He spent the next two decades as a cub scout leader and baseball coach. From Halloween costumes to abundant Christmas mornings, balancing budgets to filing everyone's taxes, he created an atmosphere of family fun and adventure, laced with practicality and protection. Ripe with an entrepreneurial spirit, Dennis delved into being an accountant, door to door salesman, car refinisher, taxi driver; a dry-cleaning business owner, real estate agent, landlord, bar owner, race car owner, and founder of the Ottawa West Poker Club. And, of course, he spent 29 years as a federal government employee at HRDC.

Lady Luck accompanied Dennis throughout his life, bringing him fortune in friendships, life and love. He realized his aspirations one by one. Meeting Line Gauthier was one of those moments. At a point when his stack was short, he went all in - and hit the jackpot. Approaching a case of love at first sight, they were together from 2003. In his Miss Linny, Dennis found his soulmate and partner in crime. He said his bucket list was complete, save for that elusive lottery win, but I'm not sure I believe that. He certainly won big with Line - she was his royal flush.

In March 2017, life came full circle with the birth of Dennis' grandson, Aaron. In these last years, Dennis had the joy of experiencing the life cycle anew through Aaron, Jeff and Paige, providing overwhelming delight and fulfilment. A man amongst men, Dennis' resilience, paired with insurmountable joie de vivre, led him through the unpredictable journey of life. He is loved and will be missed by all who had the privilege to cross his path, especially those who could call him a friend.

A special thanks to Dr. Lisa Cross, Joseph, Diego and the many PSWs and RNs of the Bayshore Health Care team who helped us care for Dennis at home, Dr Ong and Dr Eapen and staff of the Irving Greenberg Family Cancer Centre, and The Ottawa Hospital Cancer Centre for their continued care and support.

Due to COVID 19, the family invites you to an informal outdoor visitation / drive-through on Saturday, November 28th from 1 – 2:30 pm in the parking lot of the Remic Rapids exit off the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway, Ottawa    Directions here: https://goo.gl/maps/cCYc61T5FAGu3NdW9

This informal memorial for Dennis will be broadcasted live via Zoom. A personal Zoom account is not necessary to log into the zoom meeting. To join in, please go to

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81545251019...  Or use https://zoom.us or zoom mobile app. Then, simply click "join" located near the top right corner of the screen. Should you be required to enter a meeting ID and passcode, please enter the digits below.

Meeting ID: 815 4525 1019

Passcode: 525577

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Canadian Cancer Society would be appreciated.