Two Men and a Funeral

I liked this story solely for the polarity of the deceased men. One fought a war for his country. The other died serving overlords in a city gang “war” over drugs, money, and a long-standing feud that began in high school. Separated by more than just generations, the moral chasm between them is infinite.

Police keep watch over gang funeral; Veteran’s family shares parlour with ‘roughies’ 

Sunday, July 20, 2008
Sherri Zickefoose
Calgary Herald ©

Two men, two funerals, one parlour. Sharing the same memorial service time as a notorious slain gang member came as a surprise for the family of Bob Roberts, a widowed 84-year-old veteran who died Tuesday.

Two divergent groups of mourners co-mingled late Saturday morning on the shared upper floor of McInnis & Holloway’s Chapel of the Bells on Centre Street North.

On one side, Roberts’ family and elderly friends gathered to pay their last respects.

On the other, friends and associates of the known gang member — mostly young men sporting matching white ball caps, hooded sweatshirts, sunglasses, jeans and dress shirts — said goodbye to Roger Chin.

“The world’s turned upside down,” said Ted Roberts, who walked out of his brother’s funeral and into the line of fire from a wall of photographers and television cameras waiting on the sidewalk.

When he learned the concurrent funerals put him in proximity with mourners at a gang member’s funeral, Roberts says he didn’t let it interrupt his last goodbye to his brother.

“They looked kind of like roughies, but our comfort level was good,” he said.

Around 50 guests arrived at Chin’s private service, far less than other prominent gang members’ funerals. Mourners from Edmonton and Vancouver were expected. Many arrived in taxis.

Police are stopping short of revealing how much manpower was used for surveillance but admitted to a “heightened police presence.”

Cruisers parked nearby kept an eye on the funeral home and the HAWC1 helicopter circled overhead.

“Extensive steps were taken to ensure public safety and the safety of our members while balancing the compassionate needs of the Chin family,” said duty Insp. Steve Lorne.

Chin, 23, died July 5 when a gunman in a passing vehicle shot him several times as he drove his Infiniti SUV.

Chin had actually cheated death once before.

He and another man were at a service station on Falconridge Boulevard N.E. when a gunman ambushed their car. Chin was hit but survived.

The Feb. 7 shooting was believed to be retaliation for the murder of rival gang member Mark Kim on Dec. 31, 2007.

No arrests have been made in Chin’s case, Calgary’s 18th homicide of 2008.

The day’s prayers were led by five Buddhist monks in red robes. Chin was cremated.

Young men in their 20s wore memorial ball caps embroidered with Chinese characters for Chin’s formal name.

The business of burying gangsters is fraught with tactics to keep both dangerous rivals and media away.

Service announcements are generally not advertised. In some cases, services are bumped hours ahead of times listed on websites.

It is believed Chin’s service was fast-tracked a few hours ahead.

Chin’s older brother, Roland, is serving a 32-month sentence for drug and weapons offences at Bowden Institution in central Alberta. He was not allowed to attend his brother’s funeral.