Gary Oak Passed Away

[Bearer of Sad News]

David Fiddes aka Gary Oak passed away in August at the age of sixty in British Columbia. He had been railway track maintenance laborer for the past ten years.

He was never married, he did not have kids, and he never owned property. He did leave behind a girlfriend. My condolences to her.

[Yong Jessie]

as link says yes correct mr oak was liked by all had only good intentions

thats quite a shock i thought gary oak was in excellent health. he did mention stop smoking many years ago and walked 10 km a day from his job he did tell me. too bad for yet another one i used to know die so young. its quite something all the people i knew in asia as that is only where i met mr oak in died like yes max 60 years old. most died in there 40ties. but seemed mr oak smartened up went back to the west before asia would cut his life in half

just what was the cause of death?

i did find this from do a search on duckduckgo

https://www.gofundme.com/f/mr-david-fiddes

[Yong Jessie]

ok found cause of death some more searching the internet

so terrible. does not really matter if you are a good person or liked by all. have to be extra careful in this world there is danger and bad luck lurking everywhere

[Bearer of Sad News]

That is not the name of Dave's girlfriend.

[Blue Frost]

I have few words at the moment, just grief, this really hurts me a lot.
Thank you for the news even if bad news.

Not long ago I got to talk to him over the phone, I was wanting to call him soon to see what was up.
I figured something bad had happened, but didn't expect this.

No matter what people thought of him to me he was a good guy, and friend even if I didn't know him in person.

Gary/David it was an honor.

[Yong Jessie]

I have few words at the moment, just grief, this really hurts me a lot.
Thank you for the news even if bad news.

Not long ago I got to talk to him over the phone, I was wanting to call him soon to see what was up.
I figured something bad had happened, but didn't expect this.

No matter what people thought of him to me he was a good guy, and friend even if I didn't know him in person.

i did know him in person for 25 years from asia and he did visit me in thailand. fun fact and this is the truth i met thousands of expats from all over the world mostly from movie work modelling and did this as full time job. very many i at first did exchange emails with but one thing or another we just faded away or they just too stupid to see what was really going on so just nothing bothered to contact them again. it was a dave that first came up with the words clueless wonder what he described most expats of asia. yes exactly as i felt the same way. dave not at all clueless is why only him among yes thousands only still stayed friend with over all these years and still did contact each other

such a shame

i dont really believe this concept karma as dave passing proves it. it mostly not exist. cant be too careful in this world again in less than 1 minute from now you might not be here anymore

[Blue Frost]

I'm just feeling awful from this, i know what you say about Karma, life just throws hardball at a whim it seems at as all.
I hope he didn't suffer leaving us, he didn't deserve this.
I forget how long I have been talking to him, maybe since maybe 2015.
We where on The Discover Vancouver Forum for a while where I first found him.

[Blue Frost]

I'm still trying to figure out what year I met him online, it was somewhere between 2008- 2011.
It wasn't long after I began posting online on the Van Forum.
I can't remember dates well, especially now that I have more issue.
I just can't believe he is gone, I feel for his loved ones, and other friends.

[Yong Jessie]

yeah i know i not so good with dates either. i think it was even longer than 25 years knew him. we did have a few movie jobs together in asia. could have been 27-28 years. then he did visit myself in thailand cant remember what year that was. then just stayed in touch will all the others i knew just faded away or in the end they too stupid to get it. asia can be a very dangerous place if you not all clued up. forget what you read on some tourist guide they leave all the huge dangers as if you knew u might cancel your trip

dave in particular knew alot about china as did live there and hong kong and told me much about what they were really like. but i knew already same-but the same as thailand the largest chinese population outside of china. some 10 million. taiwan has more but technically still part of china. but all the vile nastyiness rampant jealousy and arrogrance ah yes exactly what is in all chinese thais too. so over all the years he would just sent me stuff to view and sent him stuff and experiences of asia. dave also did goto malaysia borneo and vietnam

he did also have plans to learn some more languages all now cut short. i am guessing he did have bad car accident as his job

he travelled all across great distances every day the rural roads of british columbia perhaps at nite slippery and dangerous

i cant quite believe hes gone too. such a shame

[Bearer of Sad News]

When did Dave ever do movie wor? And whatr would he do? Before he managed to sscounge enough money to go to Asia as an ESL teacher in 1997, he was a day laborer in Vancouver. Once he got there he realized you need a degree to teach English and Dave didn't even finish high school. So for ten years he stayed at places like Chung King hostel in Hing Kong while he did some under the table doorman work. When he crossed the border into China he was able to find under the table ESL jobs that did not pay eneough to live on and he was usually homeless.

When he returned to Canada, he was once again a day laborer and staying in men's homeless shelters until somebodyy he knew got him on as a laborer at one of Canada's railways. He hooked up with a girl he knew since he was kid and never saved a dime. That is why it is so sad tthat after working in a decent paying iindustry for a decade and having almost no bills, he didn't leave enough money for a funeral. Dave was a good guy, but he never really grew up. His childlike outlook made his both likable to some and turned off others. It all depended on the person.

[Yong Jessie]

he did movie work in hong kong. i did there as well. he was even in the film knock off with van dame a extra and did talk to van dame when big dave told van dame in the toliet as both were having a smoke non smoking building. dave announced to van dame he was a boxer. and instead of van dame punching daves lights out ha ha. he ran for his life. to dave surprise

i know why cause fighting in a bathroom anything can happen super danger and many crazies want to make a name for yourself im the guy that beat up van dame. and if you lose sue him

van dame did the right move running for the hills from our doctor dave. he did tell me he was homeless on the streets prior to going to hong kong and china. i didnt know when went back to canada was in homeless shelters. he did mention his job on the railroads he was the boss and super high pay. guess thou as canada super expensive doesnt matter. i am surprised didnt even have enof for his funeral. i thought as he knew canada a great piece of turdeau shit now that dave would work till 65 then with saving foff out of canada to samoa for one and live the rest of his life

so now we learn doctor dave had the peterpan disease (the boy that could never grew up). i didnt really see that him that much. do think its better to not take life and you carrer so super serious as one day you will be dead. like now so unexpected.

he acatully stayed at Mirador Mansions that next to Chung King mansions its quite the slum mostly packies and africans but the absolute cheapest place to stay in dam expensive hong kong. i met him at Mirador Mansion garden hostel. i made a career well survival of modeling that pays more only did extra work with dave in hong kong. was offered this one modeling agency in hong kong to least try but declined as i never really wanted to be a model. was just what i could do like all to earn money and survive. which is what doctordave did in hong kong. i does disturb me to know someone this long about 27-28 years and now i cant ever contact again. a 27-28 year lose. yes could make new friends but would take time to good friends. almost everyone i knew before now dead.

interesting you say doctordave never even finished high school. and yet on his own he read many books later in life and spoke many languages. so cant say he was stupid or anything.

[Blue Frost]

I was up all night thinking about this, still hard to believe.
I had wished he got to travel more, and would have liked to meet the man.
It was an honor to talk to him, I told him that, but I don't know if he knew I really meant that.

In life I don't have many friends, I'm pretty much a shut in now so someone like Dave was a cherished part of my life even if on the internet.
He was quite the character for sometimes odd information wasn't he.
Even though he wasn't a graduate of high school like you say he was a smart person, and maybe a lot wiser than most which schools never teach us.

I do wish he was wiser on the money as mentioned on here, all of us should be, but most are not since we think we will live on.

He had mentioned to me about meeting Van Dam before on the movie set.
I laughed because Van Dam was known for running away from fights a lot, and never would fight someone for fear of being outed as a fraud in fighting.
Being built as he was at back then it looks like he would want to test himself, but sometimes build is just a facade of stregnth.

[Guest]

I wondered if there would be a memorial thread for Dave when I found out this place was still around. I used to occasionally post here and a couple of other forums, but I retired form all of them about eight years ago. Frankly I am surprised all three are still around, but especially this one as it has the least traffic.

From a cursory glance, Dave deserved a tribute thread. Without Dave it looks like this place would have went 404 years ago.

[Guest]

he did movie work in hong kong. i did there as well. he was even in the film knock off with van dame a extra and did talk to van dame when big dave told van dame in the toliet as both were having a smoke non smoking building. dave announced to van dame he was a boxer. and instead of van dame punching daves lights out ha ha. he ran for his life. to dave surprise

The only paid work Dave ever had was occasionally working as a doorman at a club in HK and the odd English tutoring job. Remember, he never had a work visa the whole time he was in Asia. He was really limited which is why he was so poor all the time.

Frankly, I have no idea what he was doing in Asia. he wasn't making money or getting laid. I worked as an expat oil and gas professional when I met Dave in Shenzhen in 2001. He was always broke, so a few of us offered to pass the hat and get him on a flight back to Canada. He refused because he said CSIS and the triads were after him. Crazy I know, but Dave was diagnosed with paranoid persoanlity disorder. He always thought it was his low blood sugar holding him back, but it was his mental illness.

My wife got him a job at a kindergarten in Foshan, Guangdong province. It didn't pay a lot, and it didn't come with a work visa, but it did have a room for him to sleep in and he had gone most of his life without that basic requirement.

he did mention his job on the railroads he was the boss and super high pay. guess thou as canada super expensive doesnt matter. i am surprised didnt even have enof for his funeral.

No, he never made super high pay. It is unskilled labor. Are you really this gullible.

I got him his job at CP. He was a laborer on the maintenance gangs. It paid well for someone like Dave with no skills, but 80,000 CDN a year is far from "super high pay" in Canada anymore. Still he should have been able to save some money. But, he was like a kid. If he had money, he blew it.

so now we learn doctor dave had the peterpan disease (the boy that could never grew up). i didnt really see that him that much.

Think about it for a second. What grown man makes meeting a celeb like Van Damme the highlight of his life.

Interesting you say doctordave never even finished high school. and yet on his own he read many books later in life and spoke many languages

He was not fluent in any language besides English. He learned rudimentary languages from Berlitz handbooks. They are designed for the basics, like travellers, not fluency.

Dave could not carry on a convo with my Chinese wife. I can speak fluent Mandarin, but I took a diploma course at Shenzhen Polytech with a proper pedagogy.

Dave had many faults, but he was trustworthy. He would not take a dollar that was not his own. This is why so many of us professional expats in Shenzhen and HK helped him out.

[Blue Frost]

Thank You for sharing any info, or thoughts on him, he does deserve a tribute page.

I have never really grown up, but most people never do it seems to me, more responsibility than I ever wanted.
Yeah some get married, and have kids, but are less than real parents anymore, and work life is just a nuisance to most people.
I enjoyed work a lot, and making money though till I got injured.
I can partly understand his not growing up as some of you say, but going out on your own, and making it like he did is grownup enough, and he was a smart man for doing as much as he did.
I believe he wanted to learn all he could in life, and really enjoyed it's mysteries a lot, maybe to get a higher mindset for himself.
Having money does not make you rich, living a life of experiences, real friends, and surviving on your own two feet is rich.

He had a life when most just exist, I just exist, I have a bit of money, but he had a life.
Who has, or was better off ??? I think Dave was by far a very rich man.

[Yong Jessie]

too the bearer of sad news

its true what you say but at the end of the day dave was a good person trust me not east to find like this in asia. i could beleive he have some mental disorders as to why was even in asia. i did met very many like that in asia. oh boy thailand has to be the worlds leading magnet for mental defectives of the world. as bad as you think dave was i dont think you realize how much more fuked up expats in asia can get. its shocking how many i knew that died a-z nonsense and most in there 20ties 30ties

i do think he stretched things abit far. when i heard him speak cantonese to the other chinese movie extras they either didnt like it as hong kongers are arrogant or didnt understand being his chinese was not as good as he claimed it was

i can speak 6 languages of south east asia some more than others. and do know the progression one goes thru first you can only understand what they speak. then you start to speak. but people dont automatically understand. its pronunciation level that comes after that dave didnt have that but does take many years

like didnt at all agree about everything he was into the lover of israel he was and yes he was a conspiracy nut abit too much. he always used the words with me that satan was ruling the world while sort of true but do there really worship satan i doubt it?

i say super high pay ah yes was just smashing a sledgehammer laying tracks for CN is manual labour N***** work. BUT he only told me he was the boss of it all and figured it was a UNION job. i am thou quite surprised he didnt even save any money out of this job and didnt have enof money even to cover his funeral. which yes is kind of abit stupid as i did get the idea he was only doing the job and would save money for his retirement then leave Canada for Samoa or somewhere in asia. but now appears dave wouldnt have being going anywhere as didnt even have a nickel to his name



its a shame thou dave not here anymore i wish could still communicate with regardless if he was not perfect as again met thousands of expats from doing modeling and extra work. some where professional expats like on the oliver stone alexander movie just wanting to have some fun. and most of the time you NOT working but sitting around talking to the other extras/models about everything you get to know so much about everything

for some reason it was only dave that didnt make me angry or was not so clueless and i must have sent him yes thousands of emails before i was even on this forum. i only came on this forum as dave asked me to

if it was a car accident which it appears it was then he would have insurance that would cover that at much more. unless it was his fault but even then maybe still covered

did dave die from bad luck it was it daves own fault?

if it was daves fault then yes it would back up this idea that dave was at times not doing the best for himself he could have

[Blue Frost]

I have contacted someone who might know of his death a bit more, I don't know if they will get back to me, or not.
I would like to know more myself.

I know a lot of people who never prepare for their deaths, it's not unusual for the US, or Canada.
Often most the burden goes to the families, or the state who will just put you in a paupers cemetery .
I'm surprised they just don't cremate the bodies.

[Guest]

going out on your own, and making it like he did is grownup enough, and he was a smart man for doing as much as he did.

For doing what? What did he do besides get conned into thinking he could teach ESL in Asia without a degree and getting stuck there for years because he had no money to get home. Even if he got back to Canada, he would have been homeless and unemployed. If it was not for me and my help he would have died twenty years ago and you would never have known Gary Oak.

I believe he wanted to learn all he could in life, and really enjoyed it's mysteries a lot, maybe to get a higher mindset for himself.
Having money does not make you rich, living a life of experiences, real friends, and surviving on your own two feet is rich.

Those are hobbies. He was broke, homeless, unemployed and unloved for fifty one years. Those terrible circumstances did not happen because he made wise choices in life.

He had a life when most just exist, I just exist, I have a bit of money, but he had a life.
Who has, or was better off ??? I think Dave was by far.

No, he did not have a life. Where do you get that idea?

Unless you think being destitute, unloved, and hungry is living. His time in Asia were wasted years and he had nothing to show for it except he saw Van Damme. As I said, my wife and I, along with most real expats back then felt sorry for him.

He would have died earlier and in the same inlivable conditions if I did not help him get that job at CP. Even then he did not make adult decsions with his pay. Which is why even in death he still needs financial help from others.

[Blue Frost]

I think he lived it on his terms, and got out, and made it, most people never try, and are stuck like I have been.
Hardships might seem bad to you, but it helps a person either grow, or fall in on themselves.
He don't seem to me to have fell in on himself.
I'm glad he met you, you where one of his treasures I speak of, and I'm sure his memories there which he shared was some also.


I actually enjoyed his conspiracy theories, and debunked a few over the years for him.
Some I consider pretty much real, and some proof to them.
His crypto creature stuff, and space stuff was fun also, and far out sometimes.
I likes his tree, and animal stuff also, we have had several people on here who enjoyed that stuff.

[Guest]

I think he lived it on his terms, and got out, and made it, most people never try, and are stuck like I have been.
Hardships might seem bad to you, but it helps a person either grow, or fall in on themselves.
He don't seem to me to have fell in on himself.
I'm glad he met you, you where one of his treasures I speak of, and I'm sure his memories there which he shared was some also.

Blue I liked you ten years ago when I used to troll this forum. But, where on earth do you get this idea that he "made it" and on his terms. He never made anything. Decisions and their accompanying consequences were made for him because he failed to plan like an adult.

Look, you may think I am being a tad harsh, but I don't think you knew the real Dave. He was immature, and irresonsible as a grown man can get. Now I know a big part of that was his mental health problems.

I gave Dave lots of help over the past twenty three years. As you can clearly tell, I am bothered he did not do more to help himself.