They were packed for a weekend getaway to Las Vegas Saturday, to take in the races at the NASCAR Motor Speedway.
After almost 40 years of marriage, Avril Morrison was excited to take her husband Gerry Cockburn, to the infamous strip for the first time.
However, the couple’s plans were shattered as Cockburn was identified as the victim in a fatal collision Tuesday which also left a 16-year-old in critical condition.
“We were soul mates, we were devoted to each other. We loved each other,” said Morrison of the man who was loved within his home and community.
For Morrison, it was love at first sight when she locked eyes with Cockburn at a London health club 38 years ago. Their relationship quickly grew into a lifelong partnership.
“We worked together and nobody really knew that we were dating. We just fell in love…,” said Morrison.
Almost four decades and seven grandchildren later, the couple still strictly followed their morning ritual that involved a kiss goodbye before work and of course, each of them saying “I love you” to the other.
On Tuesday, Cockburn, 69, assured his wife he’d be home in the evening when he said goodbye in the morning, before heading off to his part-time job as a maintenance worker at Rostenberg Welding Limited in Lucan.
She was left clinging onto her husband’s final goodbyes.
“We always give each other a hug and a kiss and an ‘I love you’ and an ‘I’ll see you after work’. Every morning, every day whenever he called me,” said Morrison. “Every time when we talked on the phone we always said ‘I love you’… every time.”
Morrison was prepping for retirement and Cockburn was planning for vacation so they could both spend a summer together on holiday. Beyond Vegas, the couple wanted to explore their favourite NASCAR locations, complementing their Sunday tradition of afternoon couch surfing of the car show. However, the couple’s Sunday ritual came after mass at the Gathering Place and Revival Center in east London.
Nonetheless, the annual family vacation will go ahead in July in a Bayfield cottage to celebrate Cockburn’s birthday, which falls on the couple’s anniversary.
Although Morrison won’t be accompanied by her long-time sweetheart, “I know we will meet again,” she said.
A visitation will be held tonight for the Cockburn family at Forest Lawn Funeral Home, followed by his funeral Friday held at the same location.