?He'd do anything for anybody?: family remembers Robert Dagley ...

R.I.P. Robert Wendell Dagley (Submitted)

Robert ?Bobby? Wendell Dagley of Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, passed away in the early hours of January 14, due to complications with heart and diabetes. It was his 72^nd birthday.

Robert grew up in a crowded house in Chester, Nova Scotia. He was the third of 16 children. The family didn?t have much, but they made due.

?There was actually thirteen of us home at one time. It was testy, but interesting. My mom had nerves of steel and she worked hard to provide for us,? said Robert?s brother Randy.

Robert?s sister Joan Brown said they ?all got along great.? Despite the family?s size, Brown said fighting ?never seemed to happen to my family.?

Their father died in 1964 after a prolonged battle?with lung cancer. Robert moved to Ontario with his brother Ronald shortly after. ?According to Randy, he?didn?t?have much choice.

?There was no employment here. There was very low wages. Back then a real good wage for around here was a dollar an hour, if you could get a job that paid that much,? said Randy. ?Ontario was fast moving at the time, with lots of job opportunities.?

Robert spent nearly all his working life in Ontario. He married in his early twenties. Unfortunately the marriage?didn?t?last. By the mid-seventies it was over and Robert was left with the hardest decision of his life.

He came home for Ontario briefly with his wife. But she took a bus back to Ontario during their stay and that was that. She?didn?t?want anything to do with their six children. Robert?s mom looked after them briefly, but she still had to work to support her own children.
Robert?couldn?t?take care of them by himself. The children were put in foster care; something Robert never got over.

?His family was very important to him. He was always concerned about them,? said Randy.

?He loved his kids, and he always talked about them,? said Brown. ?He always felt that he?didn?t?do enough for them.? Brown said that Robert was never one to complain, except to see his children more.

Robert moved back to Nova Scotia when he retired and lived in Bridgewater until his death. He kept himself occupied. He loved western movies, puzzles and playing cards.

Randy, along with other friends and family, would often meet with Robert at the Bridgewater Mall. He loved to go to the mall, sitting and talking with friends while drinking coffee. Brown said he loved to torment people for a laugh.

?Bobby was a good guy. If there was trouble he always tried to settle it. He was pretty easy going. He was direct, he told you what was on his mind, but he was easy going,? said Randy.

Flea markets were another passion of his. Every weekend he would set up a table and sell items his friends had given him. He also helped run a small antiques shop until ten years ago, when his health deteriorated too much for him to continue.

Robert?s diabetes was severe. Last year he also had heart bypass surgery. He was in the hospital for slightly over a week before his death. A friend forced him to check in when he got sick.

?Things just started to cave in on him, and he knew it. He was courageous enough to say that he knew it,? Randy said.

Robert?s siblings said he was content at the end. They all visited him the day before his death, many spending the day with him. He remained lucid the entire time, comforting his friends and family.

?He had a good life and he was very contented. He told me he loved me and for me not to do any crying. I dearly loved him,? said Brown.

?He said ?There?s nothing you can do, or anyone else can do to help me. I?m sick. I?m dying,?? said Randy. ?He said, ?Randy, listen. I?m ready to go right now.? He said ?I don?t want to wait around suffering like dad did.??

Robert told the doctors he did not want any medicine, except to ease the pain if necessary. In the late afternoon he grew uncomfortable and was given some morphine.

Randy finally left the hospital at 10 p.m., after a close friend of Robert?s said she would stay with him and call if his condition changed.

?The last thing I said to him was ?Bobby,?you?ve?not only been a friend, but?you?ve?been a dear brother to us. God bless you, and I hope you don?t have pain.? That was it,? said Randy.

Randy and Brown were both woken up around 5:45 a.m. by a phone call from this friend telling them that Robert was gone.

?People should know Robert was a very caring person. He put more concern out for other people than he did himself, always,? said Randy, remembering his brother.

Source: http://www.newbrunswickbeacon.ca/28716/hed-family-remembers-robert-dagley/

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