Community remembers Philip Morden

Family, friends and co-workers gathered this week to remember Philip Morden, an Ancaster native who died last weekend after a boating accident on Lake Muskoka.
Mr. Morden, 33, graduated from Ancaster High School and the University of Western Ontario before moving north to pursue a career as an associate advisor with RBC Dominion Securities in Orillia.
Mr. Morden was on route to meet friends when his 19-foot powerboat flipped over just after 6 p.m. on Aug. 8.
Bracebridge OPP Inspector Ed Medved said while the cause of death has not been determined, Mr. Morden sustained injuries as a result of being ejected from the vessel.
“Speed was a contributing factor,” Insp. Medved said.
Insp. Medved said Mr. Morden was wearing “a racing type” life preserver vest at the time of the accident. Rescuers from Muskoka Lakes Fire, Ambulance and the OPP responded almost immediately, Insp. Medved said.
Mr. Morden was unconscious when witnesses pulled him out of the water. He was airlifted to hospital in critical condition and died hours later.
Mr. Morden was an avid powerboat racer. According to Scream and Fly, High Performance Powerboating online, he was one of the top competitors at the 2006 Rumble on the River Rally in Carrollton, Kentucky.
“The Canadians ended up taking highest honors when Phil Morden pushed his STV to a screaming 115 mph,” a story on the Web site explains.
Carol Ivey, vice president and director of the Ivey Group, RBC Dominion Securities, said the Orillia office is devastated by the news of Mr. Morden’s passing.
“Everybody loved him,” Ms. Ivey said. “We found him a delight to work with as a co-worker.”
Ms. Ivey said Mr. Morden had a dry sense of humour and an uncanny ability to make people laugh.
“He’d have us all in stitches,” she said.
By Monday morning, clients had flooded the office with calls of condolence. Ms. Ivey said the entire office staff planned to attend Thursday’s funeral at St. John’s Church in Ancaster.
Mr. Morden lived in Milford Bay, Ont., north of Orillia with his girlfriend and dog.
High school classmate Sarah Galashan remembers Mr. Morden’s bright red truck and booming stereo that could be heard several blocks away from his home on St. Margaret’s Road. He enjoyed surfer movies and soon earned the nickname Spicoli, after fictional character Jeff Spicoli from the 1982 film Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
“He was easy-going that way,” said Ms. Galashan, who is currently Whistler bureau chief for CTV British Columbia. “He liked to have a good time. He liked life.”
Mr. Morden could also charm his way out of trouble, Ms. Galashan recalled.
After convincing Ms. Galashan to take Calculus, a course that forced her to seek a tutor, Mr. Morden got caught copying some answers from one of her assignments.
“He immediately took the blame and charmed his way out,” Ms. Galashan recalled.
After university, Mr. Morden took a job in Toronto. But Ms. Galashan suspects a keen sense of adventure attracted Mr. Morden to the Muskoka Lakes region.
“He was someone who needed a bit more adventure in his day,” Ms. Galashan said.
Despite moving north, Mr. Morden still loved Ancaster, giving it the nickname the Axe in the Hammer, Ms. Galashan said.
“It’s so hard to believe I won’t see him again.”
Longtime friend Josh Doan played hockey with Mr. Morden as a teenager in Ancaster. Recently he visited Mr. Morden in Muskoka about once a year. Whether he was riding a powerboat, skiing or snowboarding, Mr. Morden loved the outdoors, Mr. Doan said. As boys, Mr. Doan and Mr. Morden honed their snowboarding skills in the Spring Valley area. Mr. Morden spent two years in Fernie B.C. after graduating from university, where he continued his love of skiing and snowboarding.
When it came to fixing a small engine, installing a stereo or fixing anything mechanical, Mr. Morden was the one you could count on for help, Mr. Doan said.
“He could just get along with anybody,” said Mr. Doan. “He was that guy you would call for information.”