Friends, it’s old news, but I just found out that my Dad’s old friend, and by extension, mine, Will Davies, died.
I call him “Mr. Davies,” because that is how I always referred to him. He was a friend of my father’s, and I was first introduced to him as a young child. “You can call me ‘Will,’” I recall him saying, before my Mother said sharply, “You will call him ‘Mr. Davies.’” So, “Mr, Davies” he always was, to me. Even as an adult, I called him, “Mr. Davies,” and even though he said I could call him “Will,” I just couldn’t. He was always, to me, “Mr. Davies.”
So who was Will Davies, and why am I writing this? Because he was Canada’s Norman Rockwell. (Canadians: Google “Will Davies,” and select “Images” and see if you do not recognize his work. ) An excellent illustrator, whose work I saw in magazines, in the Toronto subway, and on my cigarette pack, back in the day–he illustrated the Macdonald Lassie, the mascot of Export A cigarettes, and once signed a pack for me.
The last time I saw Mr. Davies was at my Dad’s funeral in Toronto in 2015. He was in a wheelchair with an attendant, but he still had that wit and friendliness that I knew so well, and we had a great chat and caught up. I am sorry that I’m late on this one, but friends, especially those who appreciate art, please spare a thought for Mr. Davies. He illustrated Canadian life in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s through advertisements.
And he was a family friend. Please, spare a thought for him.