Bob Couchman had kind eyes.

At 71 years old, he had soft wrinkles in his forehead and a neatly-trimmed, wispy white beard. He was well-known for his storytelling, for his gentle touch with children, and for his passion for social justice.

At his Whitehorse funeral last week, there was a broad cross-section of society present. Representatives from all three political parties were there, as well as family, life-long friends and colleagues.

"He touched so many people's lives," Stephen Couchman, Bob's son, said in an interview last Friday afternoon.

There was also a service held in Toronto, where Bob grew up.

Carolyn Moore, Bob's second wife, noted that he had gathered an "enormous, post-modern family" and said it was touching to see them all come together.

"For better or worse, we all loved Bob," she said.

"This was not meant to happen," said Stephen Couchman, sitting in Bob's home.

He talked about Bob's model for life, Jackrabbit Johannson, who lived to be 111 years old.

"My father was always up to something," said Stephen, expressing disbelief that his father had actually passed on.

"I adored my father. We played together. Tripped together. Worked together. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree," he said, noting he now works for very similar charitable organizations as his father.

They often collaborated on social justice causes.

Bob originally got into social work in Toronto. While he worked for various organizations-the former Yukon Family Services Association, Terra Nova Think Tank, the Youth Coalition of Whitehorse and the YMCA, to name a few - he also found time to volunteer.

An active member of his church, he was devoted to the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition, the Rotary Club of Whitehorse, and the United Church of Social Justice Committee (again, among other things). He sang in the choir, petitioned the government and participated in outreach for troubled teenagers.

"He was always, always, always doing something, going somewhere," said Stephen. "I mean, it was endless."

On top of all this, Bob was a published author and speaker, with a number of awards and accolades. He loved to cross-country ski and go on canoe trips, and even performed in local theatre.

Now Bob's ashes are in a Glenfiddich box, and on June 14, the family plans to spread his ashes in Miles Canyon.

"My dad loved his single malt," said Stephen, joking that they saved money on the urn.

There will be a murder mystery, Who Killed Volcanic Joe?-one of Bob's imaginary characters. Stephen said the irreverence and fun of the event will be a tribute to his father, who was always up for a good time.

Moore also loved Bob's stories, saying her favourites were about Larry Lardo. A summer camp creation from his teenaged days as a counsellor, Bob's Larry Lardo worked out of a broom closet for the Burp-a-Cola Soft Drink Company, and travelled around the world for his wicked, greedy boss.

"Even there, you see? Larry Lardo is a social justice story," said Moore, laughing.

Her favourite story involves a trip to Africa, where the plane starts to go down and Larry Lardo saves the day by putting Burp-a-Cola in the gas tank.

"I think like people attract, and there are so many people with little pieces of Bob in them," said Moore.

She told a story of a middle-aged man who walked into Bob's Toronto office, introduced himself as a former camper, then said he'd remembered Larry Lardo stories to this day.

Bob died unexpectedly, from a heart attack, during a trip to Ontario.

Recently, his best friend Jack Davidson passed away. Born within 41 days of each other in 1937, they grew up on Rhodes Avenue in east Toronto.

They remained close for their entire lives. When Jack died, Bob trekked out to Toronto to deliver the eulogy. Fewer than 24 hours later, he was dead.

Bob's final day was spent with his son Michael. After the funeral, Bob drove to Kingston and went hiking with his son in Algonquin Park. Afterward, they went to see the new Jackie Chan movie. Before the credits had rolled, Bob was gone.

"Bob had a great death," said Moore.

When asked for favourite memories of Bob, his friends and family seem to have an endless supply.

Mark Kelly, a long-time collaborator with Bob, describes him as a "wise sage" with an "ability to push the envelope" and a "refusal to accept the status quo." When Kelly got married in June 2006, Bob was the man who married them.

"I couldn't think of anybody else with the grace or ability...no one else I could even imagine marrying me," said Kelly. Bob hand-wrote the service on a piece of parchment, and

Kelly said the Kluane Lake ceremony was like something out of a dream.

"What an amazing man," said Kelly, shaking his head.

Stephen also talks about his father with adoration and nostalgia.

"Every child should see their father as a superhero," he said.

One night, while the family was camping, a large tree branch almost fell on the tent where Stephen and his sister Barb were sleeping.

"I have this image of him, soaking wet, lightning flashing behind him, with his arms up just holding this branch. He saved us," he said.