Patrick "John" Gervais
Patrick John Gervais, born October 23, 1931 in Ottawa, passed away at the Clinton Public Hospital, Clinton Ontario on Tuesday July 18, 2017. Predeceased by his wife Shirley (Davidson) in 2007. He will be greatly missed by his daughter Pam Chalmers and husband Dwight of Blyth; grandchildren Matt of Fort Frances, Becca of Oakville and Kathryn of Blyth. Brother of Muriel (Francis) Cousineau of North Bay, Mabel Gauthier of Pembroke and brother in law of Helen Stewart, Magnetawan. Predeceased by parents P. John and Ida; sisters Elsie McCormack and Faye Slattery; brother in laws Bob McCormack, Smokey Gauthier, Ted Slattery and Sam Stewart. He was uncle to many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.
He spent his youth living at Brule Lake in Algonquin Park. He worked as a Forester with Ontario Hydro. John enjoyed spending his summers at his cottage on Oxtongue Lake that he rebuilt after his retirement.
Visitation for family and friends will be at the Mitchell Funeral Home, 15 High Street, Huntsville on Sunday July 23,2017 from 1-3 pm. The funeral mass will be celebrated on Monday July 24,2017 at 11 am at St Mary of the Assumption Roman Catholic Church, 12 Centre Street N, Huntsville.
If desired, donations to West Park Healthcare Centre, the Huntsville Hospital Foundation or the charity of your choice.
Harry Lenard Treadwell
It is with great sadness that the family of Harry Lenard Treadwell announces his passing on May 14, 2016 at the age of 69 years.
Harry leaves his wife and best friend of 48 years, Suzanne. “My heart is broken but will mend, nourished by the wonderful memories we made together and the unconditional love we shared”.
Harry loved his family with a pride that filled his heart. He will be lovingly remembered by son James, his wife Lori, their children Jonathon (his racing hero) and his partner Tamara, and Justine (his pride and joy) and son Jeremy, his wife Christine and their amazing soulful daughter Isabella.
Harry will be forever missed by his insightful sister Marnie and husband Owen Wagg and stepsister Lynn and husband Gary Johnson. He will be fondly remembered by the numerous sisters in law, brothers in law and nieces and nephews and his close friend John Lacey.
A Celebration of Life will take place on May 24, 2016 at 12:00 noon to 3:00pm at the Mark O’Meara’s Golf Club located at 245 Grandview Drive North, Huntsville, ON P1H 1B4. Remembrances will be shared at 2:30pm.
Memorial donations in Harry’s memory may be made to Algonquin Grace Hospice, Huntsville or ALS Society.
Geraldine Jean Keays
The death occurred at her residence in Huntsville on August 6, 2017 of Geri Keays (nee Barkwell)
A Memorial Service will be held at All Saints' Anglican Church, 30 High Street, Huntsville on Thursday, September 14, 2017 at 10:30 a.m.
Reception to follow at Sutherland Hall, adjacent to the church.
In lieu of flowers, donations to All Saints' Anglican Church, would be appreciated.
John David Hockin
John David Hockin born August 12, 1941 passed away after a year-long battle with cancer on July 8th, 2017 in Huntsville, Ontario surrounded by his loving family. He will be greatly missed by his wife Heather, brother Tom (Mary), children John (Lisa) and Carrie (Jeff) Watt, granddaughters, nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his brother Peter in 2005.
David was born in London, Ontario, son of Thomas and Margaret, and enjoyed summers at Lake Huron and Camp Hurontario with brothers Tom and Peter. He met his intellectual equal and life-long love Heather at the University of Western Ontario. They celebrated 50 years of marriage in 2015 with friends and family at their cottage on Lake of Bays. Both David and Heather graduated from the Ivey Business School in 1965 and David went on to be a member of the first graduating class of the MBA program at York University in 1967.
David embraced and thrived in a variety of business roles highlighted by his 15 years as President of Stafford Foods. He also served as President of Hunt Wesson Foods Canada, Vice President of Imperial Life and Vice President of Ontario Blue Cross/Blue Shield. On the weekends, he instilled his strong work ethic in his children, completing building projects at several cottage properties between Georgian Bay and Lake of Bays. He also made time for fun with his friends, family and toys - from his hand-built Seaflea speedboat to his Piper Cub airplane. David enjoyed golf and served on the Board at Panther Woods Country Club in Florida and was President of Men’s Golf at Deerhurst Lakeside. He helped launch the Probus Club in Huntsville, served as a Warden at Grassmere Church and delivered Meals on Wheels.
David was an extremely proud Grandpa and Big D to Haley, Emily, Annie, Audrey, Sophie and Meredith. He cheered on all their accomplishments, gave them their first taste of beer, and made them personalized paddles for our annual family Olympics.
Our family would like thank Dr. David Mathies and the doctors, nurses and medical practitioners at Huntsville Hospital, CCAC and Hospice Huntsville for their compassionate care for David in his final journey.
A Memorial Service will be held Tuesday July 25th at 2:00 p.m. at Trinity United Church, 33 Main St East, Huntsville, Ontario. A reception will follow at Mark O’Meara Grandview Golf Club, 245 Grandview Dr. North, Huntsville, Ontario.
If desired, memorial donations may be made to Hospice Huntsville or the Huntsville Hospital Foundation.
Allen Swan
April 28, 1942 to January 22, 2011
The death occurred at his home in Huntsville on Saturday, January 22, 2011 of Allen Swan
A funeral service will be held in the Addison Chapel of the Mitchell Funeral Home on Tuesday, January 25, 2011 at 3 O'Clock
Visitation will be on Monday from 6 to 8 p.m.
If desired, donations to the Canadian Cancer Society or the Ontario Heart & Stroke Foundation would be appreciated.
Vera "Elaine" Walsh
On Saturday, July 22, 2017 our Mom, Elaine Walsh passed away at the Huntsville District Memorial Hospital and joined Dad, Pastor Earl Walsh (predeceased August 31, 2015) in their Eternal Heavenly Home.
Born in Toronto, Ontario, March 14, 1931. Daughter of her predeceased parents Frank and Mabel (nee Burke) Terry.
Cherished mother to Leona (Wayne Knight), Douglas (Robynn), Donnalee (Neil Harris), Margaret (John Dalby), Stephen (Maryke), Lois (Fred Robinson) and Diane (Kyle Cousineau- Walsh).
Proud grandmother to 16 and great grandmother to 9.
Predeceased by brother Earl Terry Sr. (the Late Josie) and sisters Bernice Terry, Grace Butler (the late Bill), Helen Jevons (the late Bill Jevons and the late Al Cushing) and June Burns (the late Gordon).
Mom will be fondly remembered by Dorothy and Lawrence Cross, Hazel and Alton Weedmark, Marilyn Walsh and Priscilla Walsh, numerous nieces and nephews and special lifelong friend of 80 years, Jean Evans.
Mom lived every day for her family and loved each and every special moment spent together.
A Memorial Service for Elaine Walsh will be held at the Mitchell Funeral Home on Saturday, July 29th at 1 p.m, officiated by Reverend Darrell Baker of Faith Baptist Church, Huntsville. A reception will follow at the Funeral Home. Cremation has taken place. The interment of ashes will take place at a later date at Langford Cemetery, Baysville.
In lieu of flowers, donations to either the Canadian Cancer Society or the charity of your choice, would be appreciated by the family.
Joseph Donald Horace Contant
It is with deep sadness we announce the death of Don Contant in his 86th year. He died peacefully at home September 11, 2017. He was born in Kapuskasing, Ontario October 17, 1931. He worked for Spruce Falls in Smokey Falls, then in Kapuskasing and then in Kimberly Clark in Huntsville. On retirement he opened a successful electronics repair shop. Dad could fix just about everything. We all relied on him for his fix it skills, knowledge and strength. He is survived by his loving wife Jean (Melanson), children Sharon (Michael Raskas), Janet (Jim Spencer), Brian (Kelly) and Donna (Norm Gaudreault), sister Jocelyn and grandchildren Shelley, Sara, Shawna, Louis, Genevieve, Jodie, Jamie, Shaina, Sam and all the great grandchildren. We love you forever.
Claude Durocher
Claude A. Durocher was born on December 29, 1950, in Timmins, Ont., to Noëlla (Larocque) and Joseph Durocher. He grew up in Elliot Lake, Ont., Chapais, Que., and Timmins, and he loved hunting and fishing with his dad and brothers. At the age of 17 he moved to Montreal to study geology because he didn’t have an answer as to why he shouldn’t and the work outdoors appealed to him.
Claude graduated from Loyola College (now Concordia University) with a BSc in Geology in 1971. In 1972, hemarried
Monique Gravel from St. Thomas-Didyme, Que., and the next decade brought three children: Jonathan, Johanne and Stéphanie. Claude continued studying and earned a MSc from Acadia University in 1974 and a MBA in Finance from the University of Manitoba in 1992. He worked as a geologist and managed and supported mineral exploration programs across Canada and internationally for companies including Asbestos Corp., Camflo, Noranda, Geomatics, WestPac, Sierra Minerals, Atikokan and Diagem.
Claude enjoyed leading teams and empowering others: his professionalism and character made a positive and lasting impact on many of his colleagues. Claude and his teams discovered many mineral deposits, three of which became operating mines in Canada: Holt-McDermott, Norita East and Isle Dieu.
Over the course of his career, Claude lived in Thetford Mines, Malartic, Saint-Edmond and Matagami, Que., as well as Wolfville, Winnipeg, Thunder Bay and Toronto. He worked across most of Canada including the Far North and in Nevada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Nicaragua, Hungary, Nigeria, Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Iran.
Claude was known for his kind smile and generosity, his positive outlook and his outstanding physical strength, mental endurance and expertise that carried him through the wilderness in Canada and abroad. Across the Canadian map he could trace the steps he walked and, over the years, they covered nearly the entire length of the nation. He went where few had been and would ever see. His stories of solitude and survival in the bush were the stuff of adventure novels. In the field and in his extreme sport hobbies, he frequently found himself in life-threatening situations and yet he always managed to get back home. His children remember him arriving from trips with a duffel bag of dusty clothes and boring specimen rocks that he would describe down to the chemical composition, age, provenance and mining potential. Claude shared the earth’s geologic story with anyone interested. His knowledge and crisp memory could send a conversation back millions of years to explain any outcrop, crystal, rock formation or famous Canadian landscape and his personal moments there studying its geology.
Claude’s three children grew up following their father’s career placements and fondly bonded with him by working together on his evolving hobbyist pursuits and home projects. He taught them everything he knew and he delved into any unique interest they raised. He was a rock to his children and their families: Jonathan and his wife, Natalie (Mousseau) and their son Maxime, all residing in Winnipeg; Johanne and her husband, Eric Gold, who both reside in Toronto; and Stéphanie and her husband, Jeffrey Eastman and their two children, Anabelle and Everett, all residing in Winnipeg. Claude was extremely proud of his children and their accomplishments. His love for them was solid and steadfast. He was very happy to become a grandpapa and delighted in his grandchildren's lives and adventures. His active role in their lives and his dedication to their happiness are making his loss an impossible void to fill.
Claude’s first marriage ended after 20 years and he continued to support his children and be involved in their lives as his work migrated him to Toronto. There, he joined his soul mate, Karen Hammond, of whom he said, "Met her, loved her, never loved her less." They weremarried
in 1995. Their instant connection and mutual interests are most memorably captured through their transformation of a plot of wilderness in the Algonquin Highlands to a peaceful off-grid, water-access retirement dream home that they designed and built in 1999.
It is an understatement that Claude was hard working and creative. Claude accomplished more than most and surpassed all limits beyond what others thought not possible. He designed and erected a 100-foot tower for a windmill helping to fuel his Livingstone Lake home. He also innovated his home’s power and water systems to minimize environmental impact. Claude will be greatly missed by his community on Livingstone Lake where he and Karen lived full-time for the past 11 years.
Claude also leaves his two brothers, Marcel of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and Roger (Micheline) of Drummondville, Que. He is deeply missed by many close friends and extended family including Amy McCarten and her daughter Maeve. His absence is also heartfelt by his beloved dog, Blizzard, and his cuddly cat, Felix.
Claude's interests were varied, eclectic and committed. He built or renovated many of the homes he lived in; he earned a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and coached his son Jonathan until he achieved the same level; he enjoyed woodworking and most notably built four cedar strip canoes from scratch. Claude chose and cut down the cedar trees and milled the lumber to create two of his three Prospector-style canoes. He gifted each one to his children.
He loved to sail and, while living in Toronto, he and Karen sailed and occasionally raced a classic wooden boat, Crusader 1. Over the years, Claude treated his Livingstone Lake neighbours to the vision of his wooden sailing canoe and a Hobie catamaran cruising the water.
Claude took an interest in and held strong opinions on politics, government and world affairs. No one was happier than he at the Conservative Party’s defeat in 2015 or as disappointed at the results of the 2016 American election.
He loved historical event strategy games and was an early adopter of the home computer. He was quick at crosswords and liked challenging jigsaw puzzles. He enjoyed reading almost anything from classics to science fiction. He liked classical music, blues and, according to his children, an oddball mix of popular music.
He loved to cook and share extravagant homemade meals with family and friends, many of which are still talked about. Good wine and single malt scotch were always an accompaniment. He only recently became a charcoal barbecue aficionado, sharing his secrets with friends and family as they took to the delights of smoking meat.
At different times in his life he delved into photography, astronomy, motocross racing, sketching, white water kayaking, scuba diving, cross-country skiing and being on the ski patrol. He was intelligent and fun. He liked musicals and would be singing along as he gathered his tools for another project in his workshop. He cared about the natural environment, especially around Livingstone Lake.
Claude was an extraordinary man.
His family feels deep gratitude for everything that they have received from him. His love and lessons shown by the way he lived continue to inspire their own journeys. His excellence has imparted their ambition to succeed at doing what’s right. They strive to make Papa proud.
Claude died with Karen by his side at the Huntsville District Memorial Hospital in Huntsville, Ont., on August 27, 2017. He was 66 years old.
In 2006, Claude was diagnosed with primary systemic amyloidosis and, in 2008, was treated at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto where he underwent an autologous stem cell transplant under the care of Dr. Christine Chen, Medical Director in Hematology, and Dr. Norman Franke. During his treatment in 2008 he suffered kidney damage and later became a patient of Dr. Vassili Poulopoulos, Nephrologist at Soldiers' Memorial Hospital in Orillia. Over the last three years, Claude’s treatment for amyloidosis was at the Huntsville Hospital under the direction of Dr. Rouslan Kotchetkov, Oncologist with the Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie. These are only four members of a large team of medical professionals who cared for and supported Claude during the nearly 11-and-a-half-years he lived with his disease. His family thanks them all most gratefully. Claude’s dynamic medical care, personal strength, his own management of his health and, he believed, living at Livingstone Lake added years to his prognosis and demonstrated again that he achieved the impossible.
A private celebration for family and friends is being held at Livingstone Lake on September 30, 2017.
If desired, donations in honour of Claude A. Durocher can be made to:
SPCA of Western Quebec
659 Auguste-Mondoux
Gatineau, QC
J9J 3K2
819-770-7722
www.aylmer-hull-spca.qc.ca/main_e.html
email: ahspca@storm.ca
- or -
Huntsville Hospital Foundation
4-100 Frank Miller Dr.
Huntsville, ON
P1H 1H7
705-789-4756
www.huntsvillehospitalfoundation.ca
email: hhfoundation@mahc.ca
