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“Willie would do anything for you. I’m proud to have been able to call him a friend and a teammate. When Willie talked in the dressing room, everybody shut up and listened, you know? He had that aura about him.

“So today is a mixture of sadness and beauty at the same time. He’s gone on a journey.”

Placekicker/DB Larry Robinson echoed those sentiments.

“He was a great person. I’m sure you’ll hear that from everyone. And a wonderful cartoonist. Fantastic. As a ballplayer, you couldn’t beat him. Heckuva athlete.’’

Burden had been experiencing heart problems as early as in his 40s, when he was working as an AD at Georgia Southern.

His popularity spilled out and grew even as his battle to ward off the heart issues came to a head. For his 64th birthday a few months ago, over 60 of the hospital staff at Piedmont showed up to wish Burden the best. The crowd was so great people had to wait their turn to get into the room. They also arranged a date night for Willie and Velma, complete with candlelit meal and music from the ’40s.

Early in September, when news of Burden’s plight became public knowledge in Calgary, Stamps’ long-time equipment manager George Hopkins reflected on his friend.

His words, their echo, their resonance, is perhaps even more eloquent right now.

“Nobody,” said Hopkins, who in 44 years hauling equipment has known all the greats to don Stampeder red and white, “has a bigger heart than Willie Burden.

“Nobody I’ve ever come in contact with, anyway.

“Just a genuinely nice guy. And I mean that in the best way. I’ve met a lot of … I don’t how to say it so you can print it in the paper … let’s say I’ve met a lot of ‘questionable’ individuals in this business over the years.

“But the number of really super-nice guys you can count on two hands, right?

“I got asked the other day ‘Who’s your favourite Stampeder?’ And it’s really hard to say. After Willie Burden.

“’Cause he’s the first guy I automatically think of.’

Everyone in Calgary, it goes without saying, is thinking of Willie Burden today.

gjohnson@calgaryherald.com

Twitter.com/GeorgejohnsonCH