By James Grainger

Photo by Irene Duma.

Canada lost one of its most beloved artists and personalities when author, screenwriter, musician, and teacher Paul Quarrington passed away in his Toronto home this morning. Quarrington, 56, was diagnosed with stage four cancer in May but continued to work on a wide range of projects, including laying down tracks for his first solo album and the third Porkbelly Futures CD, and writing a memoir about his illness, Cigar Box Banjo.
A note on Quarrington’s website speaks eloquently of the author’s final hours: “He passed peacefully at home in Toronto in the early hours surrounded by friends and family. It is comforting to know that he didn’t suffer; he was calm and quiet holding hands with those who were closest to him.”
Quarrington was the author of Whale Music, King Leary, Galveston, The Ravine, and several other novels as well as a number of popular fishing and hockey memoirs. He worked on many Canadian television shows and movies, including Due South and Moose TV, and wrote the screenplay for the big-screen adaptation of Whale Music.