You did a super job.

Dear editor,

Re: Canon John Erb dies at 72, September Journal. I was quite stunned to learn of John's passing, after I found your article on the Web. I felt that your article captured the essence of what John really was: a young person at heart always. Sadly, I had not seen him in nearly 30 years, yet it sounds as though he never changed much. A bubbly spirit with a zest for life and a passion for the youth of the world. Yep, that was John.

I was hired as the assistant verger at Toronto's Grace Church on-the-Hill back on in 1974. John was the associate rector at the time. I was young (19), fresh out of high school and scared of the future, like most young people at that age. I remember watching John interact at the church's drop in room with many of those children and teenagers, just a bit younger than me. Almost all of them seemed to adore John. He listened to them and talked to them, never at them. His favourite expression was "super!" and he said it all the time.

In 1977, I reluctantly left Grace Church On-The-Hill and lost touch with the people there, but I always kept a wee bit of John inside me.

Since then, my love and interest in kids was, I believe, due in part to seeing how cool John was with kids that many years ago.

Rest in peace, John. You did a super job!

Norm Leggett

Toronto