Keeping a stiff upper lip when a close friend is gone...

Len Corben says he gets many of his ideas for catchy headlines and descriptive words for his often quirky Instant Replay columns while taking a long morning shower. So his wife has suggested he should just stand out in the rain to write his stories. Then, she says, he’d be thinking outside the box.

This week’s story is definitely outside the box, so he must have been out in the rain for a very long time this week.

A very close friend of mine, Sunny Beam, died this past week.

Let’s just say, I had expected this moment would come sooner rather than later.

I first got to know Sunny years ago when he was just a little shaver and I was soon to start a 31-year career (1969-99) as Co-ordinator of Athletics for the North Shore Secondary Schools’ Athletic Association.

I would guess our first face-to-face meeting was probably way back in the early 1960s. We’ve been extremely close ever since.

In fact we’ve spent at least a few minutes together many, many times over the years.

We’d have a little chinwag, whenever we met, usually in the morning.

Yes, I can honestly say that I’ve never felt closer to anyone in my life.

My friend would be with me as I thought through numerous story and headline ideas for the “Corben’s Corner” sports column that appeared most weeks over eight years in the old North Shore Citizen from July 2, 1962, until October 7, 1970.

Ditto with the “High School Athletes of the Week” feature which I originated and wrote for the North Shore News each week of every school year between 1994 and 2001.

And more recently as I have been researching and writing the “Instant Replay” columns right here on the sports pages of the North Shore Outlook, coming up 10 years now, ever since the paper’s very first issue on November 12, 1999.

The electricity between Sunny and I was awesome, although we did have a few hair-raising confrontations between us. The word bristle would sometimes come to mind at the thought of meeting up again after not seeing Sunny for an extended period of time. I even had a cut on my chin after our worst encounter. But I never held it against Sunny. Even after that, we remained close.

You see, Sunny was always there for me when I was going through rough times. No question, my friend has been through thick and thin with me during all these years.

But Sunny had his own problems too and I missed my friend most when Sunny had a close shave with death and had to go in for prolonged checkups, initially in January 1999, then again in December 2003 and once more in October 2005.

As Sunny got older and began to slow down, I began to worry that the end might be near. Most recently there was another close brush with death in October 2007. However, with rehabilitation, there was noted improvement.

Our times together continued, though I did realize my dear companion was at the stage when expiration might happen suddenly at any time.

I always wondered who would be the first to go and now Sunny’s gone. I’ve been trying to keep my chin up this last week and, like they say, keep a stiff upper lip. It’s just something I’m having to face up to… Sunny won’t be in my life any more

I thought there might be a chance of Sunny lasting a few more years so I sought the very best help when it was evident things were not going well. But Sunny was definitely on his last legs this time. No one was able to save my friend from an untimely end.

When it was time to go, it was I who pulled the plug.

It was like a death in the family to me. Sunny was not a relative of mine but was closer than any relative or friend I’ve ever had.

However, no burial or cremation is planned for Sunny.

You see, my friend’s full name is Sunbeam Shavemaster and he’s been my trustworthy electric shaver for as long as I can remember.

This is episode 351 from Len Corben’s treasure chest of stories – the great events and the quirky – that bring to life the North Shore’s rich sports history.

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