Obituary of August "Gus" Fleming McNamara
August Fleming McNamara passed away on May 1, 2025. Sadly, he died of an overdose. He was 22 years old and had fought his addiction for many years. We’re all in awe of his resilience and strength, proud of his hard-won periods of sobriety, and missing him terribly.
Gus is remembered primarily for his kindness. He was always that way. From the time he could talk, he was sunny and earnest, deeply concerned with the wellbeing of his siblings and parents and pets. He gravitated towards those who suffered. His dad, Brian, remembers that Gus would turn to strangers on the street and ask how they were doing. His smile was radiant, his presence gentle. He made people feel loved.
From his earliest days, Gus was a passionate and enthusiastic denizen of this earth. He loved trains and swimming, then music and science. He was a talented writer and photographer whose images—from scenes of nature to everyday moments around the house—made the world seem familiar and strange at once. His creative sensibility shaped his younger sister, Hazel, who is similarly discerning and eclectic. Gus saw beauty in small things and a gift of being around him was that he made all of us see it, too.
A great skeptic of systems and norms and authority, Gus was fearlessly individual, unwilling to be anyone but himself. His older sister, Sylvie, remembers him as an offbeat and impish presence who loved a cigarette and a sugary drink. His younger brother, Weston, is a game developer, in part because Gus got him into gaming when they were kids. His mom, Jeanette Fleming, took joy in his various delights: a perfect song, an adorable dog, riding his bike as fast as he could. She loved taking him to Tim Hortons for a crispy chicken sandwich and creamy chocolate chill.
When he was well, Gus had a probing and surprising mind, a gigantic heart, and an irrepressible, childlike laugh. But as he got older, he battled addiction and mental illness, a noxious combination that made parts of his life excruciating. Still, even as Gus suffered, he was kind. In recent days, our family has heard from an array of people who knew him—many who worked with him as he navigated his illnesses—and all have said the same thing: that Gus was so gracious, so concerned with the wellbeing of others, so polite and grateful for the help he received, so upbeat despite his burdens. In his short life, Gus expanded our notion of the grace and generosity that are possible under duress. He saw everyone—no matter their circumstances—as a human being, a friend. He was the least judgmental and most openhearted person we have ever known.
Various people and organizations helped Gus live the fullest life he could. Among them were the Assertive Community Treatment Team, which provided medical care; Starling Community Services (formerly Lutherwood), where he lived for a difficult period as a teen; and the Debbie Moore Residence in St. Jacobs, which gave him community and independence in his final months.
A memorial service will be announced at a later date. Donations in his memory can be made to St. John's Kitchen at the Working Centre, which fed him the day he died. These donations can be arranged through the Erb & Good Family Funeral Home, 519-745-8445, www.erbgood.com. Most of all, we ask the bereaved to honour Gus with compassion for others. Everybody suffers, mostly in private. It’s easier to bear when people are kind.