'The dream never dies, just the singer': Family of Anthony Dwyer mourns
With a photo of Anthony Dwyer on display behind them, Lisa and Jerome Dwyer sit inside their brother's Petitcodiac home.
The dining room table in front of the two siblings is bare except two cups of water and a box of tissues.
They're remembering their brother as a talented musician, a navy veteran known for his sense of humour and most importantly, a caring man who put others first.
"Whenever you were engaged in a conversation with Tony, he was really listening," Lisa said. "He just had this way of embracing everyone, of all walks of life. His door was always a revolving door."
"He was a good guy," Jerome said. "He always wanted to be helping somebody. He was one of those guys that he walked into the room and everyone lit up."
Anthony was taken off life support and died Monday after an altercation on the Market Square boardwalk in Saint John on Friday night.
According to police reports, the 54-year-old man was struck, fell and hit his head.
'Trying to be as fair as we can possibly be'
William Jordan, 19, has been taken into custody and faces one count of assault causing bodily harm — something the Crown has considered updating to a more serious charge.
His bail hearing is Thursday at 1:30 p.m. in Saint John provincial court.
"We know how hard it's been for us, but we're trying to be as fair as we can possibly be," Lisa said.
"If this situation was happening and we were watching on the news, Tony would be one of the first people to say, 'I wonder what happened in that scenario and this is a 19-year-old young guy. This is going to impact his life for the rest of his existence. What are the circumstances we need to know about that?'
"Tony would be the first person to look for seeking to understand versus seeking to make a judgment."
Navy a natural fit
Born third of five children on Newfoundland's Fogo Island, he grew up in a community called Tilting.
His brother described Anthony's childhood as "free."
"We hung out in one neighbourhood all the time," Jerome said. "It was all our family, all the Dwyers. Doesn't matter where we were, we were safe. We were in one family member's backyard."
At 18, Anthony joined the navy. His father had been a fisherman, making it a natural fit for the young man looking to serve.
Participating in the Gulf War in the early 1990s, his area of expertise was naval communications.
"He got out for a couple of years, but it was calling him back so he re-enlisted," Jerome said.
An advocate for others
He served for about 25 years, his family estimated. Most of his time was spent at the base in Halifax.
It was his wife, Normie, who got him to settle down near her hometown of Elgin.
Following his retirement in 2005, his family said Anthony focused on what he loved: music, making others laugh and assisting veterans in need of help navigating a difficult bureaucratic system — something he struggled with himself.
"He did everything for everyone else," said Anthony Wood, a veteran who sailed with Dwyer. "Any veterans having a hard time would be put in touch with Tony."
"[He] did it enormously for a lot of vets. A lot," Jerome said.
'I'll miss the music'
His siblings say Anthony, who played guitar, was in Saint John on Friday to support a friend who was performing in the Buskers on the Bay Festival.
Outside the house, Anthony's garage is set up to be a jam space of sorts and was referred to as "the Dwyer Irish Pub."
Local musicians would often stop by to play, the siblings said, with Anthony being equally supportive of other people's art.
"I'm going to miss the music," Lisa said. "I'm going to miss the Dwyer Irish Pub. Things are not going to be the same."
Anthony even acted as a mentor and confidant to local neighbourhood youths, Jerome said, and was someone they felt comfortable receiving advice from.
"I don't think there's going to be much I don't miss about my brother," he said.
"For me, there will be a lot, but I think most of all will be his sense of humour," Lisa said. "Tony always had a joke to lighten a situation. He could always bring the humour out and make you laugh in a tense environment."
The last line of Anthony's obituary says, "The dream never dies, just the singer" — a quote from another sibling.
"For Tony, it was about the music, being that musician. That dream of becoming a better and better musician. That never died," Lisa said. "But he did."
