08/28/2026
Remembering Johnny — A Man Who Always Smiled Like a Child
For the past few days, I have found it very difficult to believe that Johnny is really gone.
I had just seen him at his sushi restaurant this past Tuesday. When I saw the news on Wednesday, I honestly thought it was another one of his jokes. Johnny was always such a funny and cheerful person. In my memory, his smile was always like a child’s—innocent, bright, and full of warmth.
Even today, it is still hard for me to accept that it is true.
Johnny was one year older than me. He came to Canada from Vietnam, and his life was not an easy one.
He lost his parents when he was very young and was raised by his grandparents. Later, he went through many difficult experiences and eventually made his way to the United States before coming to Canada.
When he arrived in Canada, he started as an apprentice in a sushi restaurant. He worked there and learned the trade for ten years.
After ten years of hard work, he finally opened his own sushi restaurant on our street.
His sushi was excellent. But if you ask me what I will remember most about Johnny, it will not be his sushi.
It will be the kind of person he was.
He was kind, friendly, and sincere. He treated his employees very well. He was also incredibly generous to the homeless people on our street. He never looked down on anyone because of their circumstances.
He seemed to have a natural kindness toward everyone he met.
What made him even more special was that, despite everything he had been through, he never became cold or bitter.
Instead, he kept a remarkably innocent and childlike heart.
His smile always looked like a child’s.
Whenever you saw him, it was hard to imagine that he had experienced so many hardships in his life. That smile made you feel that life was still good, that people could still be kind to one another, and that we could still help each other and enjoy the simple things in life.
Our street is a small community, and we see many people come and go every day.
Some people come into our lives, and some people leave.
But there are certain people who quietly become a part of the street itself, without us even realizing it.
Johnny was one of those people.
The next time I walk past his sushi restaurant, I may still instinctively look for that familiar face, expecting to see him standing there with that smile, ready to say hello.
But that smile will never be there again.
I am truly saddened, and I will truly miss him.
Johnny, you lived a life that was not easy. From a child who lost his parents, to an apprentice in a foreign country, and eventually to a restaurant owner, you built your life with your own hands.
You left this street with more than just a sushi restaurant.
You left behind kindness, generosity, warmth, and the memory of a man who always carried a childlike smile.
The people on this street will remember you.
I will remember you too.
Rest in peace, Johnny.
I hope you can finally leave behind all the hardships of this life and go to a place where there is no pain, only peace and smiles.
Goodbye, Johnny.
You will be deeply missed.
