Peace, Mrs. Packard and the Meaning of Life

Julie Rekai Rickerd is a Toronto-based broadcaster and public relations
consultant.

The untimely death of columnist Gary Lautens in February 1992 left a
huge void in the hearts and minds of his many thousands of readers
across Canada and United States. His observational skills, his eternal
optimism, and his delightful sense of humor made Lautens an icon at The
Toronto Star for almost 30 years. Nothing was too big or too small to
escape his attention: Meech Lake and how to correctly split a muffin
received equal billing.

Lautens was an original disciple of family values. His life revolved
around his wife (“the Resident Love Goddess”), his three children,
his parents, and his dogs. His generosity in sharing the antics and
foibles of his daily life with his readers made him a vital part of
their own lives.

In his lifetime, Lautens won the Stephen Leacock Award for Humour for
two previous compilations of his columns. It is a great pleasure to read
and reread the superb columns in this collection, lovingly chosen by
Lautens’s wife and children. He is missed, but his inspirational words
live on.