MOORE, Douglas Eric On Sunday, March 21, 2010, Douglas Eric Moore (b. 1948) died as a result of a skiing accident in Whistler, B.C. Notwithstanding the incredible shock and sadness of this misadventure, for those of us who knew Doug, either as family, life partner, student, colleague, fellow artist, or friend, the terms of his passing - "died as a result of a skiing accident" - constitute a peculiarly fitting epitaph, one this seasoned traveller and adventurer would have appreciated. In an article he wrote for the Globe & Mail several years ago, recounting his pilgrimage to India's holy city of Varanasi in 2001, Doug offered three reasons for his visit: As a teacher of art, philosophy and religion, I felt I owed it to my students to go to India's holiest place. Moreover, I am infected occasionally with what one 19th-century author called "the perverse obstinacy of the crippled." And finally, I went to Varanasi to see for myself. Though rendered paraplegic at the age of 25 as a result of a car accident, throughout what remained of his life Doug drew on spectacular reserves of what he refers to above as "perverse obstinacy." That obstinacy, coupled with an enormous appetite "to see for [him]self," managed to transform what might have amounted a life sentence of restricted mobility into a life rich in travel. And not merely travel of the physical kind (though he circumnavigated the planet no less than three times). Few lives have been lived closer to the edge of the known than Doug's. There was no place on earth this wonderfully gifted artist and teacher wouldn't visit, no realm of philosophy, expression in art, or emphasis in religion that didn't interest him. His was a life truly lived all "over the map," in the strongest possible sense. Whenever Doug listened, looked carefully, or thought deeply, his mouth went through this series of odd expressions, as if the passing moment was a large sourball with a sugared, mysterious heart he believed in but could never quite bite down upon. Wherever Doug is now - apart, that is, from the life he's now living in our hearts and memories - he's no doubt only half-listening while the rules are explained, his mouth trying to secure some purchase on the moment, his eyes already drifting to the horizons of the already-known, imagining the adventures that must be waiting just beyond the vanishing point. A Memorial Service for Doug will be held where he taught for nearly thirty years, at Hillfield Strathallan School, in Hamilton, in the Artsplex, on March 27th, at 2 p.m. All those who knew and loved this amazing spirit are most welcome to attend. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in Doug's name be made to Hillfield Strathallan College in support of its visual arts program. Please consult the College's website at www.hsc.on.ca for additional details