This page is dedicated to our fallen members. You will not be forgotten.
Death is nothing at all
I have only slipped away into the next room
I am I and you are you
Whatever we were to each other
That we are still are
Call me by my old familiar name
Speak to me in the easy way you always used to
Put no difference into your tone
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow
Laugh as we always laughed
At the little jokes we always enjoyed together
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was
Let it be spoken without effect
Without the ghost of a shadow in it
Life means all that it ever meant
It is the same as it ever was
There is absolute unbroken continuity
What is death but a small incident?
Why should I be out of mind
Because I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you for an interval
Somewhere very near
Just around the corner
All is well.
Nothing is past; nothing is lost
One brief moment and all will be as it was before
How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!
-- Canon Henry Scott-Holland, 1847-1918, Canon of St Paul's Cathedral
Final Role Call
Sue Demore
Fred Groves
Pierre MacDonald
Alex Ogilvy
Alex was a family man, not only to his home family but to his Brothers and Sisters within the Freedom Riders. He, along with his beautiful wife MaryAnn, were part of the six founding members of the Freedom Riders. Alex took great pride in the club and always tried his best to keep things on the up and up. He was always a person you could call on for help. It was said by many that if he ever lost that hat of his, we would never find him, because if you lost him in a crowd, you would only look for the hat. He was a great man and a great friend/brother to us all and he will be sadly missed but never forgotten. Ride free brother, ride free.
Gladys (Biker Ma) McLean Bailey
We lost our sister Gladys (Biker Ma) McLean Bailey on March 22, 2002 at the age of 81. She was a member of the Freedom Riders for many years and she was our oldest and dearest member. A memorial run was held in her honour where 30 motorcycles showed up to show their respect. She is a dear friend and is sadly missed.
Carl & Peggy Hein
Carl & Peggy generously opened their property and their home to many "strange looking bikers" so that we would have a place to hold our events when we first started out as a club. They always insisted on paying their entry fee to get into the events, even if it was in their own back field. No one ever left hungry thanks to Peggy and everyone knew they could depend on Carl to help get you going again after the events with minor repairs or even gas. They never complained about the loud bikes revving up, the loud music playing till the wee hours of the morning or the steady flow of people through their otherwise peaceful farm. They just kept telling themselves that it was for a good cause and it would soon be over. Despite all that, Carl was always quick to say, " Drop around again soon". For all their dedication to the club, they were named Honorary Members of the Freedom Riders Motorcycle Association as a small token of our appreciation.
Guy Lalonde
We lost our brother Guy Lalonde on October 10th, 2002 at the age of 36 He was a member of the Freedom Riders Sudbury and well known by many. He was given a motorcade by 33 motorcycles and an honour guard by fellow bikers at his funeral. This was a great show of respect to a friend & brother who will be sadly missed but never forgotten.
Myles Watson
Myles joined our club because he appreciated an organization that had a lot of events going on and that he could have some input. He was a real trivia nut and loved to challenge others. Being a great cook himself, he took pride in sharing with others all the great out of the way places to eat that he had found on his travels. He was a very devoted firefighter and was a very welcome sight indeed to many in their time of need.
Ted Waldron
Ted Joined the Freedom Riders because he wanted information on biker related events as well as wanted people to go with. He was in his element when he found out that we shared in his passion for helping charities. He was an elevator technician by trade and used to race Yamaha motorcycles. He once related the story, " how one should never take a cassette out of the tape machine and hold it up to the sun while riding a bike because once the wind catches the tape, it only takes about 5 seconds to unravel ". Ted had a kind heart and a warm smile.
Doug Venturi
Doug lived in Blind River and ran a Tire business there. He got to Sudbury only occasionally and could never stay for very long. Then in late 2004 all that changed. He was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer and had to come to Sudbury for chemotherapy. While he was here he stayed with his cousin Gary and, over a year period, got to know a number of the Freedom Riders. He rode with the Club on the Deer Trail runs. He wanted to become a member of because he enjoyed the camaraderie of the members, but hoped his cancer would go into remission so that he could participate in the various Club events in better health. In 2006 his health deteriorated and it became obvious that he was losing his battle. He was made an Honorary Member of the Freedom Riders on August 3rd, 2006. This was unexpected and meant a great deal to him. Sadly the remission he had hoped for was not to be and he passed away in the Fall of that same year.
Andrea Shrenkle
Hailing from Pennsylvania, USA, Andrea was one of our previous club members. She was a fiercely independent person who had a great lust for adventure. For the longest time Andrea rode on the back of her hubby's motorcycle but one day she decided she wanted the thrill of being the pilot rather than the co-pilot. She saved up and bought herself a Honda trike. The pride showed in the permanent grin on her face and she handled the road very well. Andre was a compassionate person and gave her best as a medical secretary. She felt that everybody mattered. Her great sense of humour served her well in her job and home; she could be quite the practical joker if given the chance. She was very health conscious, always jogging and eating properly. Andrea did not just live her life, she embraced it. One of her favourite memories was riding a zip line across a jungle canopy on one of her trips. Andrea, you will be greatly missed but if we take time to pause every once in a while, a fond memory will return. One of a certain look that we are sure we have seen before, that mischievous gleam in the eyes, followed by your warm reassuring smile. God bless.
Michel Rouleau
1962 - 2008
Mike was the loving husband of Ginger Rouleau and father to Eric and Jean-Paul . He worked as a general foreman with Vale Inco. Mike was a past member of the Freedom Riders for a number of years and always held a place in our hearts and minds. His love for motorcycling showed with his collection of motorcycles ranging from his beautifully customized Road King to his turbo-charged Hayabusa to his gorgeous Iron Horse custom. Mike will be sadly missed by all who knew him. Keep riding, brother.
Al Barrowcliffe
1949 - 2012
On his 16th birthday, Al went out and bought a brand new 250 Yamaha 2 stroker, hopped on and drove to the license bureau to get his bike license. Drove around the back of the parking lot and that’s all it took. Eventually he got into cars. He put his love of bikes on the back burner for the “married” life. In 1996 he bought his first Harley Davidson. A 1992 Sportster, however there wasn’t much room on the back for his wife Ruth. She personally was afraid of bikes. He had the bike painted the way he wanted and enjoyed the rides except he wanted to do more with Ruth even though she followed behind in her van as they started to go on many rides and rally’s. After much coaxing, Ruth gave in and he bought a 1989 Yamaha Venture. Ruth started riding on the back and they enjoyed the time together riding. He then became a member of the Freedom Riders in 2008 after enjoying going to the rally’s. He then bought a 1997 Harley Road King and they enjoyed many rides together until he had to quit riding due to cataracts. He was finally done with the cataract surgery and was looking to a new riding season when he found out he had cancer and he never did get to ride again. He was honoured to be a member of the Freedom Riders.
Normie Hein
1955 - 2016
Normie was a founding member of the Freedom Riders and was well known throught Sudbury as a volunteer and activist for many wortyhwhile causes. His legendary presence will stay with us through the club motto he gave us - LOVE, HONOUR, RESPECT. Rather than recap Norm's story, we leave it to the tribute that Coyote of the Vulcan Riders and Owners Club posted on behalf of that club (of which Normie was also a respected member).