Gord Hume, an icon of local politics, radio, and a prolific writer died on Tuesday at age 76. Hume was elected to city council four times, and served on the former Board of Control. Longtime friend and political colleague Cheryl Miller says, “One of the things we don’t realize is how much Gord changed London. Gord was a visionary. Gord saw things differently and he had a blueprint for the city. He loved London so much. There are pieces of Gord all over London. Hume spearheaded moving the central library to its current Dundas Street location, he also pushed for the construction of Canada Life Place and the new Covent Garden Market. During his time in office he chaired a number of prominent boards including the London Police Services Board, the London Public Library Board, London’s Creative City Task Force, London’s Creative City Committee, and the Small Business Task Force. Hume started his career in radio in the late 1960s and came to London in 1980. He authored seven non-fiction books on local government, designing and building great cities, and improving the quality of life in communities. His career also included stints as a professor at Western University, an instructor at Conestoga College, and a guest lecturer around the world. Hume shared some “final thoughts” for Londoners: And so I have departed. I hope it was a good death. I despise the usual obits, so I am offering some final thoughts. To my remaining family, I loved you dearly although I didn’t say that often enough. I was fortunate to have three very special women be part of various stages of my life. Each was smart, beautiful and lovely in every way, and enriched my life. I treasured our time together. I tried to live a life of adventure and discovery–intellectually and personally. I was fortunate to travel to many parts of the world and taste the cultures of many nations. It was not a timid life. I loved the passion of creating—my books, newspaper and magazine articles, record albums, radio and TV shows and more. I hope generations to come will always discover their creative skills. Unknown to most, I spent much of my life in pain and endured ten major surgeries with as much dignity and stoicism as possible. It was not always a happy time. The lesson is to be resilient; everybody has tough times. I believe that public service is noble and that I left my city a little better than when I began. I don’t think London is reaching its potential. The city needs to have a passionate conversation about its priorities and future. I liked most of my life. We make difficult decisions in our lives and must accept the consequences with grace. A lot of good people touched my life and I am grateful to each of them, especially my sisters Lorraine Harvie and Valerie Jean (VJ) Hume and dear friend Carol Stephenson.
