Farewell to a friend,
On September 11 – 2001 – 343 Brave firefighters lost their lives in New York City, the world called them Hero’s.
On September 11 2017 we lost another Brave man, Luigi Caputo.
The Bravest man I ever knew, he was my My Hero!
Born September 1st 1969, passed away September 11th after a long battle with MS complications, survived by his loving parents Giuseppe (Joe) & Francis Caputo and his younger brother Rosario Caputo (wife Lisa) His presence in the Jasper Community will be greatly missed along with his loving generous heart, infectious smile, sense of humor and positive attitude. Luigi was the kind of person to leave a lasting impression on anyone who met him even if it was only for a minute, he will be missed by everyone that had the oppurtunity too cross paths with him.
For over 25 years Luigi has fought a battle with Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis a severely debilitating Neurological condition that confined him to a wheel chair and severely limited his capabilities.
Most of the basic things we take for granted were challenges for Luigi, some were impossible, but despite this Luigi faced every day of uncertainty, pain and suffering with true grit and a brave spirit. His life for the past number of years had been filled with uncertainty, but he kept a positive outlook and faced each day with courage and hope.
For over 25 years Luigi lived with Multiple Sclerosis – for the past 10 years all he wanted to do was to be able to walk again.
Luigi had MS and MS had Luigi, but MS did not define him. He will be defined by his brave spirit, his character and his sense of humor, this is how we will remember him, this will be his legacy. Despite all the hardships and challenges he faced, he lived each day with an enduring spirit a positive attitude and twinkle in his eyes.
Multiple Sclerosis is an Autoimmune Disorder, a malfunctioning condition of the central nervous system, the brain, spinal cord and nerve tissues, which control all the activities of the body.
There is no cure and no known cause.
MS affects nerve signals to the brain and brain signals to body functions, but not all brain function; intelligence, thoughts, needs and desires. In this respect Luigi was trapped in a body that would not perform the way it should – all the while he knew exactly what he wanted to do, who he wanted to be, places he wanted to go, this was frustrating beyond imagination. Frustration was a constant for Luigi, but he hid it well.
To say that he was a ladies man would be an understatement,
Luigi had woman friends everywhere, he had his daily rounds, visits to the girls at the Wild Orchid, the girls at Physio, the girls at Kauruso’s, Something Else, the Fitness Centre, he had an affinity for Lu Lu Lemon and Victoria Secret.
He like to reminisce on the good old days, days of road trips with friends, the Rat Pack, Hockey and Soccer games, cars and of course girls.
He was a devout Oilers fan, I am a Flames fan, this led to many discussions, arguments and wagers, and a lot of trash talk.
Infectous smile; or mischievious smile?
He was very social and had a busy social schedule, every week lining up a number of lunch dates with friends; a lot of us will hold memories of dinning with Lu,
Helping him cut his food, manage his fork, put honey in his tea, asking the waitress for a straw, pushing him in his wheel chair afraid to tip it over or watching him maneuver the electric chair up over a curb afraid he would tip it over. Once he got to the point where he had to use a straw to drink I made a deal with him that I would use a straw also, over the next couple of years that led to alot of strange looks.
Tequila Shots with a straw
We have lost our friend Luigi, he is gone in person but not in spirit, his legacy will live on in our memories and he will always be remembered for his brave spirit, his character and sense of humor, the twinkle in his eyes and his shit eating grin. Certainly we need to mourn his loss and we need to grieve, for now; but soon we will need to move on and let him go. It will be difficult for sure, but he is free now, no more pain and suffering, he in a good place.
Let us honor Luigi’s legacy, let us take inspiration from his spirit and pledge to improve our own lives and the lives of those around us.
We can all learn a lot from Luigi.
The next time something doesn’t quite go the way you had hoped, plans go sideways, life throws you a curve ball or you’re not feeling up to something, think of Luigi, and change your attitude to reflect his.
Lets all honor Luigi’s legacy and the world will be a better place. He may be gone from our lives but he will never be gone form our memory.
Luigi, God saw you getting tired but the cure was never found, You fought hard to win the battle but your destiny was bound
You suffered much in silence and your spirit did not bend,
You faced your pain with courage until the very end
You tried so hard to stay with us, your fight was not in vain,
God took you to his heaven home and freed you from your pain
Now you’re in a place where there’s always a good mood Every hours Happy Hour, and you can cut up your own food
Wild Orchids open 24/7 the Oilers always win, the angels are from Victoria Secret’s and you don’t need a straw for your tequila or your gin
Best of all there are no wheel chairs in heaven, you are walking again!
Farewell my friend.
RIP
A couple of News articles featuring Luigi:
cycling beyond... 