Mario Hudon is in his last moments. The illness is increasing faster than expected, her daughter said on Sunday morning and canceled his farewell party, which he planned to hold on Saturday, December 2nd.
There was simply Super Mario, who organized a farewell party. He had planned to leave on December 7th with medical euthanasia.
However, he was hospitalized this week due to breathing problems and is unlikely to be discharged. Six days ago he conducted more interviews to greet everyone.
I called it “my Mario.” Actually, I’m not that close to the ex-radio presenter. But no matter, it was always like this when I saw him: Hello Mario! If you’re involved in local sports in Quebec in any way, you know it and have seen it dozens of times.
Because Mario is everyone’s friend. He’s everyone’s Mario. It would really take someone evil to say they don’t get along well with Mario.
It was also weird and beautiful. His daughter Jessica, who wanted to organize Mario’s farewell party, seemed to no longer know what to do. She had reserved a room for 150 people and within a few hours 250 guests had registered their desire to be there.
Life lesson
When I asked him if he realized how much everyone loved him and how much he helped raise awareness for the fight against amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Mario remained humble. “I have good friends and a big mouth. »
Mario wanted to wait until his grandson Nathan’s 15th birthday party next Thursday before leaving. His brother Isaac has just been named captain of his nuclear team. Enough to make Grandpa very proud, who taught a life lesson by never complaining about the nasty ALS he’s been battling since December 7, 2020.
Photo Stevens LeBlanc
Even this week he was still joking about his illness, calmly announcing the date of his departure through tears.
The last time I saw Mario healthy was shortly before his diagnosis. He worked at JD Mitsubishi to complete his career with easier hours. I stopped by to look at a car. How do you think it turned out? We went into his office and started talking about the Nordiques, the Florida crowds, and the Coyotes saga. Mario opened his computer and showed me a large Excel spreadsheet in which he had compiled numerous attendance statistics to illustrate how strange it is that there is no NHL hockey in Quebec. Sorry, Pierre Tremblay, his boss, I don’t know if you knew he sometimes did that while working. We bought the car, so it still worked out.
If you go
Mario, it was also the famous open lines that were very entertaining. These were his spectacular descriptions of senior hockey. It was his ubiquity in local sports. It wasn’t always easy to get a microphone at radio stations in Quebec. We looked for him everywhere, but in the end we always found him because he knew how to win a place in the hearts of Quebec sports fans.
It’s a cliché, but we often tell people we love them when they’re gone. I hope you’re still here when you read this. We love you, my Mario! You told me how happy you were when you appeared in Le Journal because your parents and your grandchildren could be proud of you. I hope they are proud! We will miss your courage, your kindness, your love for Quebec and your constant smile.