Philip Buchan LePan, 1948 – 2012


Lotus Phil

LEPAN, Philip Buchan – The motor racing world is diminished by the sudden death of Philip Buchan LePan, December 19, 2012. He will always be remembered and loved by his wife Donna LePan and sons Christopher and Nicholas. Philip was predeceased by his mother, Emily Buchan LePan and father George Noailles LePan. His many fans include sister Susan LePan (Ian Beitel) of Montreal and brother Richard LePan of St. Catharines, sister-in-law Connie Wilson of Oshawa, niece Rebecca Warren of Toronto, and nephews Jeremiah Warren of Victoria and Joshua Beitel of Montreal. Phil graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University in 1971, where he played varsity hockey for the Golden Hawks. He worked in Formula 1 racing with Team Lotus of Norwich, England, and later managed the Player’s/Forsythe Racing Team of Indianapolis, winning a championship in 2003 with Paul Tracy at the wheel. He most recently managed Dale Coyne Racing out of Plainfield, Illinois, helping driver Justin Wilson to victory on June, 9, 2012, at Texas Motor Speedway. Philip Buchan LePan was born in Toronto in 1948. Memorial service and interment will be held Saturday, February 16th at 2 p.m. at the Mount Pleasant Cemetery Visitation Centre, 375 Mt. Pleasant Rd., Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Donations may be made to the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto.

Published in the Toronto Star on January 5, 2013

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The passion for hockey in Roch Carrier’s classic The Hockey Sweater (1980) feels palpable. The story sets rich textures of childhood memory: pure love of sport, the idea of hero, and an introduction to bitter-sweet rivalry, as a young boy is … Continue reading

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And the travel gods looked upon the Midwest. Indiana to Illinois, it seemed so simple, the capital city of one state to another. Indianapolis to Springfield is but 191 miles along the I-74 W and I-72 W, a map smidge to … Continue reading

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  Take the best day of your life and put it in your mouth. It’s like getting punched in the mouth with flavour. These phrases belong to Rickard’s Beer, but they may as well have been written for the good … Continue reading

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CANCUN & CAMPECHE, MEXICO  – While talking boxing with Mexican sports fans, the outsider soon understands that this sport would inspire the same unwavering passion of football and baseball, if only the matches took place as often. Nearly all Mexicans know … Continue reading

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Day of the Dead at the University

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What can I say about el Día de Los Muertos? Washing your grandmother’s bones? Leaving a bottle of rum and a pack of cigarettes for a visiting dead uncle? Making a birthday cake for the dead? Ia this the celebration of a … Continue reading

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