Written By Lisa Duthie
Tim MacLeod first called into America @ War a year ago, this larger than life man with flowing red hair, Norse/Celtic tattoos, and an immense pride in his Scottish heritage, we later discovered he was drawn to call into the show because I reminded him of his late mother, and to be compared to a woman who raised such a big hearted kind soul who genuinely cared for his fellow man was an honor.
What I never told Tim, which is something I now regret, because I thought I had more time, is that he reminded me of my mum too, I lost my mum to the same cruel disease that took Tim back in 2016, and there were huge parts of Tim's spirit and personality that reminded me of my own mother, and it gives me comfort knowing that she would have been there to greet him and thank him personally for the help, support & friendship he gave to me and Jamie and for being there for us whenever we needed it.
When he first joined Real Deal Media it was joked about that he was my Scottish cousin… but in the end that was no longer a joke because he really did become family .. not just to me, but to Jamie, Dean, Joe, Kristen and the entire team…. And we all loved him.
And our audience loved him too, they embraced this gentle giant as they got to know the man he was, his values, his passion and his plights, they felt his pain and sadness for the troubles he had in his personal life that he shared with them, they laughed with him and then cried for him when he was diagnosed with cancer, he wasn’t just a man they watched on tv, he was real, and he forged friendships with many of the viewers, we all prayed for him, and we all hoped beyond hope that he would win this fight.
Tim wasn’t just a RDM cast member, Throughout his life he held many roles… a marine, a musician, and a police officer to name but a few, but the one he was most proud of was that of a teacher.
His students, his cadets, meant the world to him and watching them play instilled in him a great sense of pride. He loved music, he loved Scotland and he loved teaching those kids about both. The gifts he gave them and the lessons he taught them are his legacy and the spirit of our dear friend will live on forever through the music they play in his honor.
At first glance, to a stranger Tim could appear as intimidating, this big burly red headed bloke who looks like he just stepped off the battlefield of an epic Viking war, he did have the heart of a warrior, but beneath that there was a kind gentle soul who fought with all he had for those he loved and cared for.
When he was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer he fought with all he had to survive, to live on and continue this fight with us all, but this was Tim MacLeod, he was not content with simply fighting one solitary battle, even though that was a pretty damn important battle …it was literally the fight for his life.
No, all the while he still fought as hard as he could for those that he loved, he still went out of his way to be there for the people he cared about and he still took on other peoples problems and did everything within his power to help them in any way he could.
Tim MacLeod was a hero, he fought as hard as he could and as long as he could and he put up a very brave fight but this cruel disease ravaged his body so much that he was in constant pain, and although his mind and soul were willing to stay in this mortal realm, his body had taken all it could take, probably more than most men could take, and he did it with bravery and dignity right to the very end.
At just after 5am on Tuesday 18th of January, just as the wolf moon sunk below the horizon on the dawning of a new day he left us all, in shock and sadness. The fact that the wolf moon came to carry Tim home is something that would have made him smile. As it correlates with Norse legend…
The three gods Odin, Ve and Vil (which represent the holy trinity) created the universe, at some point Odin left his two brothers and he wandered the universe alone, however after a time he became lonely so he created two wolves called Freki and Geri.
Odin and the wolves roamed the worlds, but food for the wolves was becoming scarce, so at this point Odin created two ravens, Huginn & Muninn.
The birds soared the heavens and located the prey for the wolves, the wolves would then kill the prey and share the spoils with the ravens.
It was only after this that Odin created humanity and gave them souls, and he bestowed upon the humans an important lesson. He told them to look to the wolves for guidance and learn from them and told them they must never forget the lessons from the wolves.
A pack of wolves runs together and they look after their own, all of the children of the wolves are cared for and protected by every member of the pack as if they were their own and this is the key to how the pack survives. Wolves encompass love and courage and this is why this was the most valuable lesson Odin bestowed upon humanity.
Wolves were the first creature Odin created and everything that came after was supposed to remember the lesson of the wolf and work together to protect the pack, primarily by collectively ensuring the safety and well-being of the children and thus ensuring they would survive as a species.
So the wolf is a very symbolic creature and Tim knew that, so it’s very apt that the wolf moon came to carry him home because it acknowledged that he remembered, it confirms he was right, and it means he fought as hard as he could for as long as he could to protect his pack, keep the children safe and ensure that his pack survives.
This is the reason why Tim joined Real Deal Media, because he remembered the wolf and he knew what we as a species need to be fighting for. And fight he did, he did his ancestors proud.
The world was a far better place with Tim Macleod in it, it’s a huge loss to us all, but we also gained so very much just by knowing him. And although he is gone he left behind his spirit, his tenacity and his strength to fight for what he believed in and for what he loved.
And we will all continue that fight in his stead and in his honor, all the stronger because of what Tim taught us.
We love you Tim
Go rest now brother.
The pain is gone & you are home.