KWINTER o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-08-05 published
Michael Iain
PRENTICE
By Joel KWINTER, Barry
ALPER, Doug
ADLAM Tuesday, August 5, 2003
- Page A16
Father, husband, son, friend, television producer. Born October
21, 1964, in Toronto. Died May in Toronto, of natural causes,
aged 38.
Michael PRENTICE was a Big Manitoba He was physically big, but
also big in so many other ways. He had a big charming personality,
a big collection of Friends and he was a big reader. He also
had a big appetite for adventure, travel, exotic food, fine wines
and unique liquors; he told big stories, had big adventures and
hosted big parties. He was really a big loveable guy.
His Friends had several nicknames for Michael, including Big
Country, Large and
in Charge, the Country Squire, and occasionally
and only playfully, the Big Baby.
Behind his big, tough exterior, was a sentimental, loving man.
His love for his wife Janet, and daughters Emma and Margot, as
well as his love of cooking, gardening, collecting first edition
books, and spending time at the cottage, often eclipsed his tough
exterior.
Michael played to win and often tested the boundaries. He appeared
to have the ability to pick up new activities or new interests
effortlessly. Michael simply put his mind to excelling at something,
and he did. He lived his life the way he played tennis -- after
the first serve, he would always charge the net and go for the
"smash."
Michael introduced many of his Friends to golf, eventually establishing
a tradition of Wednesday night golf. Week after week, no one
could beat Michael -- his Friends affectionately called his winning
streak "the reign of terror." Michael diligently kept score at
every round he played, sometimes keeping better track of other
people's strokes than his own.
Michael hosted an annual boys' weekend, where he'd make a pot
of spicy chili and loaves of homemade bread. The veterans of
the boys' weekend knew to approach the bread with caution, because
it was even spicier than the chili. Every year, a good laugh
would be had as we watched the uninitiated try to put the spice-fire
out of his mouth, by eating more and more of the spicy bread.
Michael was proud of his upbringing, and was close to his parents
Ralph and Mary, and his sister Carolyn. Michael was in his element
at the family cottage near Bancroft, Ontario He extended open
invitations to all his Friends, and used the cottage to build
new relationships and strengthen existing ones. He expended great
effort so that everyone would have a good time.
Michael loved to tell stories. They often started with "When
I was living in England", or "When I was living in India", or
"When I was living in Australia." His life in many ways was a
search for great stories, and he relished telling them as much
as his Friends loved hearing them.
Though born and raised Presbyterian, he was a practicing contrarian.
In the spirit of debate, he was prepared to take different sides
on the same issue. He loved the role of devil's advocate, and
because he was so smart and such a voracious reader, his arguments
were convincing, even when he was arguing against a point he
had made previously. This was sport for Michael, and he played
it well.
Michael had a traveller's attitude to life. He turned everyday
activities into events, and opportunities for new experiences.
Often, he would playfully push his companion into an awkward
moment or toward a new challenge, thus heightening the experience
and further building his portfolio of stories.
Michael has left a big hole in our lives, but he has left us
with such rich memories, traditions, and stories, that his spirit
will always be with us. To quote the lyrics from one of Michael's
favorite songs by Bryan Ferry, "These ties that bind us, they
still surround us".
Joel KWINTER,
ALPER and Doug
ADLAM are Michael's Friends.
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