Denny Doherty

Denny Doherty, one of the singers of the Mamas & the Papas, died in Mississauga in 2007. I attended his funerary wake at the Skinner & Middlebrook Funeral Home in Port Credit and had the opportunity to offer my condolences to his children and to Michelle Phillips. She and I had both arrived there early–Michelle no doubt had arranged to have a private moment alone with Denny and the family–while I was there early, before the scheduled time of the wake, as I was anticipating a crowd. I shared a few moments with Michelle inside the funeral home and told her how much her and Denny’s music meant to me. This was in January and I recall Michelle was wearing a knit hat with a prominent pompom.

When I had first arrived, I was busy locking my bike outside when a cab pulled up. I recognized immediately who exited the vehicle: Leah Kunkel and Owen Elliot, sister and daughter of Cass Elliot. Leah looked just like Cass. I was able to talk to Owen, as well as Denny’s children, inside. I spent most of my time talking to first daughter Jessica.

Denny’s gravesite had just been reseeded so there was no grass in front of the tombstone. You can see just a fringe of grass but the ground in front was dirt, as seen by my left foot.