Jack Layton passed away today from cancer. I wasn't a supporter of The New Democractic Party, but I admired Jack's warmth, and passion who led his party nicknamed (The Orange Crush) for the last eight years. The NDP gained Opposition status and its greatest showing ever with 102 seats in last federal election.

Jack was a councilor at Toronto City Hall and fought for social issues like affordable housing during the 1980s and 1990s. It's interesting to note that he lost twice in his bid for mayor and twice more when he ran for a federal seat in The House of Commons.

Jack was a fighter and I honestly thought that he'd win his battle against cancer. He defeated prostate cancer earlier this year.

In the U.S., lib-left politicians often get a bad name, but here in Canada most Canadians admired his dedication and humanity in fighting for social and family issues. He will be missed.

Jack's last letter to all Canadians.

Below is the last part of a eulogy from Ted Kennedy for his brother Robert Kennedy, it could apply to Jack today:

"My brother need not be idealized, or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life; to be remembered simply as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it.

Those of us who loved him and who take him to his rest today, pray that what he was to us and what he wished for others will some day come to pass for all the world.

As he said many times, in many parts of this nation, to those he touched and who sought to touch him:

"Some men see things as they are and say why.
I dream things that never were and say why not."