Metallica lyric embodied life of Windsor couple killed in Walker Road crash

"Our bodies lie, but still we roam" is written on a wooden cross paying tribute to Paul Gilbert and Donna Whyte — the Windsor couple who were fatally hit by a vehicle on Walker Road last week.

The words are a paraphrase of lyrics from the Metallica song Wherever I May Roam — one of Gilbert's favourite songs, according to his family.

"My dad, on my wedding day, blared the song," said Audrey Gatherall, Paul Gilbert's daughter, smiling at the memory.

"He blared it to the point where my husband's truck speakers were, like, going to blow. He said, 'That's my song.'"

Eddy Gilbert, Paul Gilbert's son, said the song suited his 63-year-old father and 68-year-old stepmother, as the couple was known to take walks all year round.

"They'd always be walking down the road together," Eddy said. "They loved going up and down the river. Just kind of keeping low key, you know. They walked everywhere."

The tribute cross has been put up at a memorial site where the deadly incident occurred, on Walker Road just south of Wyandotte Street East, near Niagara Street.

The couple were pedestrians there when they were struck and killed by a red SUV on the afternoon of Nov. 18.

As of Tuesday, details about how the collision happened have not been disclosed.

Windsor police, firefighters, and paramedics responded around 2 p.m. to the crash. The heavily-damaged SUV was found on its side in the middle of the roadway. 

Neither Eddy nor Audrey live in Windsor, and both said much of what they know comes from news articles about the incident.

"There's a lot of speculation. I don't know," Eddy said.

Regarding the driver of the SUV, Eddy said he and Audrey both hope she is OK. "We just want — we need more answers."

Paul Gilbert was born in England, but his family emigrated to Canada when he was a child.

A glazier and metal worker for 30 years, he learned his trade in London, Ont., before moving to Windsor for jobs in the 1990s.

Eddy said his father was proud of his work, which included major buildings across the city.

"A lot of high-rise glass. He worked on the casino, the hospital, the university," Eddy said. "He would take us for tours. Show me around, what he did."

"I think he liked the challenge. He was up for it, and he had passion. He really enjoyed working with his hands."

Eddy said his father retired this past summer — just four or five months ago.

Audrey said her father met Donna Whyte in Windsor, and they were a couple for the past 24 years. "They had a lot of love for each other, a lot of respect. Wherever they would go, they would go together."

"You know, they're compassionate people. They'd give you a hand," Audrey continued. "I've heard a lot of stories about how Dad would help people move, or how Donna would just come to talk to you, give you that time to talk."

Eddy believes that shared sense of compassion was part of why the couple loved cats so much: They were living with at least seven pet felines in their apartment near Walker Road.

"They had cats that were, like, their main cats. They would feed stray cats. They treated those cats like kids, right?" Eddy explained. "They were so generous. When they'd see somebody struggling, or a cat comes clawing at the door for some food, they would always feed them."

Eddy said all the cats have since gone to the Humane Society.

Private ceremonies for Paul Gilbert and Donna Whyte were held at Windsor Chapel Funeral Home. Both were cremated.

The families of the deceased encourage those wishing to make donations on the couple's behalf to the Windsor/Essex County Humane Society.