Mr Chandler is one of the greatest male role models I had in my life. I remember the first time I saw him actually back in the Big Hill Two for one pizza days.
Since hearing the tragic news of his loss I have spent much time reminiscing at all the years worth of family events I got to attend and all the time spent at his house, the adventures we all had and working with/for him at the Mushroom factory. Being a father myself now I see on a new level at just how big of a heart Jeff had and how much he loved his family and friends. He had that intangible quality that made you just want to be around him and hear what he had to say.
Being able to be around Mr Chandler in my teens I was able to develop a healthy respect of him lol That all he had to do was give the “Dad look” and we straightened up.
Once when Jeff had his Mustang 5.0 and we were all at my Aunts place of all places with a crowd of locals on a weekend night Jeff throws Brian and the keys to his Mustang and says “Go get me a pack of cigarettes and keep it in second gear” lol Brian and my eyes light up and I snatch the keys and say I’m driving. That Mustang he built up was so fast!! We roasted the tires down to Service station and then did like Three Burnouts on the way back up lol
We pull back up to the house as I stall it as he had put in a racing clutch and Mr Chandler is standing outside the house doing the Dad look! As we walk up he cracks a grin and says “Did you leave and rubber on the tires ? I could hear you guys all the way there and back and we all laughed.
The one memory that has always really stuck out with me is the time when Brian was heading off to University.
It was bitterly cold out. Mr Chandler and Brian picked up a truck and had did some work on it and got it ready as Bri was heading off to University in Winnipeg with his GF. They had the truck loaded and took of on that freezing day and made it to Strathmore before the truck broke down. If I remember correctly the thermostat stuck or something and the heater core froze up. Brian and his Girlfriend ended up renting a car in Strathmore and leaving his truck there. Jeff needed to get the truck back to Airdrie and certainly was not going to pay for a tow truck. This is where I come into the story lol . At the time I was working a night shift and would get home around 3:30 am and was living at the my parents place. My mom wakes me up what seemed like only 10 min after I feel asleep. I come out of my room to see Jeff standing in my parents place. Disorientated from just waking up and trying to process Mr. Chandler standing in my parents place he says “ Get dressed I need your help and put on a sweater lol 20 year old me perks right up and says “ok Mr Chandler and then we took off in his truck. Not really knowing anything yet about what’s going on I ask him when we are in his truck what’s going on. He tells me that Brian made it to Strathmore and his truck broke down and he wants to go get it. I think oh simple enough we will get it running and I’m here to drive it back. Before we head out we stop to get gas and Jeff asked me if I wanted a coffee. Back then I didn’t drink coffee and he replied “ well you might want to start today lol” Still not understanding why he said to bring a sweater and why I should start drinking coffee I asked him So why do you need my help Mr Chandler ? And he replies “You’re going to have to tell Brian he owes you big time” lol That’s when I realized that we were not going to get his truck running that this was a rescue mission and that I had to be in the rescue truck that didn’t run and had no heat. The plan was to tow Brian’s truck home along the back roads while doing only about 50 or 60 km/h Jeff informed that the truck won’t run so there is no heat , no power steering and we can only do about 50 or 60 as I had to use the breaks on the rescue truck to stop both of us so there would not be slack on the tow rope. Once getting to Strathmore and we see the truck the windshield was completely iced and fogged up from having the heater core pile up so we couldn’t even clear it off so with a Grin on his face Jeff says . Well we will have to role down the window so you can see , he then repeats .. you better tell Brian he owes you huge lol. The next few hours consisted of me peaking my head out the window like Ace Ventura when a corner was coming or me just staring blankly at the muffled hazard lights of Mr Chandlers truck through the frozen and foggy windshield.
It is story’s and experiences like that with Jeff that I cherish so much. I’m so grateful for the knowledge and wisdom that he freely shared with me and all that he cared for. I am a better dad today for experiencing the love that he had for Christine, Jo and Brian and the lessons that he taught.
Thank you Big guy!! Love you lots.
Cody
