Gerald Walter McBroom, 81, of RR 4, Prescott, died December 29, 2002 at Brockville General Hospital.
He was born March 24, 1921 in the Maynard area to Walter Hill McBroom and the former Florence Amelia Ferguson Brimson.
He worked for 20 years for the Canadian Coast Guard, serving on the Coast Guard vessel Simcoe, out of Prescott. After his retirement, some 20 years ago, he enjoyed his home and liked to tinker around the house and repair things.
He is survived by son Robin Shawn McBroom of Brockville and daughters Cheryl Ann Maxwell and husband John of RR 5, Brockville, and Donna Marie McBroom of Brockville. Also surviving are his sister Gladys Whitehorne and husband James of North Augusta and several nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his twin sister, Marion Bell, and his parents.
Friends called at the Irvine Funeral Home, Brockville, where on January 3 the funeral was held, with Father Claude Delorme officiating. Burial will be at Maynard Cemetery at a later date.
The pallbearers were Ron Whitehorne, Gary Findlay, Robert McBroom, John Maxwell, Doug Whitehorne and Gordon Conklin. Honorary pallbearers were Alex Whitehorne and Frank Conklin.
Memorial donations were directed to the Canadian Cancer Society and the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
Joan Gilmour Gandier, 77
A native Brockvillian with the soul of an artist and the spirit of an adventurer, Joan Gilmour Gandier, 77, died November 17, 2002 at Brockville General Hospital. She had been in failing health from a heart condition.
Born February 14, 1925 in Brockville she was the daughter of Alan Gilmour, whose family had established the Gilmour Wholesale Company here, and the former Helen Barker, a native of Chicago. Joan spent her early childhood in the family home on Hartley Street. After the death of her father and her mother's remarriage to James R. Maclaren, she lived with them on King Street East.
From an early age she showed a strong artistic bent. After attending a summer art camp when only 15, she returned home and opened an art course for the neighbourhood children in the garage/loft of the King Street East house.
Sailing was the other great passion in her life. She was first taught the basics by her stepfather, James R. Maclaren. She was instrumental in establishing the sailing division of the Brockville Rowing Club in 1945 and organized a youth sailing program, called the Polliwog Fleet in the late 1940s. She managed to equip the fleet with donated boats. In 1948 she became the commodore of the sailing division, the first woman commodore in the history of North American yachting, and held the post for two years.
She graduated from the Ontario Ladies College in Whitby in 1944. Later she attended the Ontario College of Art, where she studied fine art design and graduated in 1950.
While at art school, she met a veterinarian, John Carlyle "Curly" Gandier, of Montreal, who was working as a researcher for the government. They were married in Brockville on the Sunday of the August holiday weekend in 1950, after Joan had officiated at a local sailing regatta.
From then on, wherever they lived Mrs. Gandier continued to develop her abilities as an artist and sailor.
She studied art at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and at the Ringling School of Art and the Fine Arts Institute at New College, both in Sarasota, Florida. Her abstract works - some as precise as clockwork and others as carefree as childhood - have hung in numerous juried shows and one-man exhibitions in Toronto, Florida, New York City, Montreal and Brockville.
Her thirst for knowledge and understanding in arts, literature and history led her to take a wide variety of summer and correspondence courses from universities here and abroad: St. Lawrence University, Canton, N.Y.; Queen's University, Kingston; Oxford University, Cambridge University and York University in England; Edinburgh University in Scotland.
In her later years, a hearing impairment she had endured all her life was corrected and she was able to hear music. Characteristically, she began taking correspondence courses in music appreciation and music history through the University of North Carolina.
The Gandiers owned a farm north of Maitland, which became their permanent residence after the October Crisis in Quebec in 1970. Mrs. Gandier contributed her time and skills to the advancement of sailing in her hometown. She taught sailing, particularly dedicating herself to the Junior Sailing School of the Brockville Yacht Club. She skippered Ackroyd dinghies, Sabot Prams, Lightenings and Y Fliers, among others, winning many awards along the way. She was given an honorary life membership in the Brockville Yacht Club in 1978, in appreciation of her efforts to teach young people to sail, and was named its honorary commodore in 1982.
She led a full and interesting life and met many challenges along the way. One of her sayings was: "My friends, if there is a will, there is a way, and if ever one wants to verify this, try racing sailboats."
In her later years, Mrs. Gandier entered a new career as freelance writer, doing reviews of local art exhibits and concerts, which were published in The Recorder and Times.
The Gandiers moved from their Maitland area farm to the Rosedale Retirement Centre in Brockville following the January 1998 ice storm. After the death of her husband, Mrs. Gandier converted the extra room they had rented into an informal art gallery where she continued to promote young artists in the community.
She is survived by her sister Judith Caldwell and husband Geoffrey of Prescott and several nieces and nephews, Alexandra "Lexie" Tizzard and husband Raymond of the Toronto area, Jamie Auld and wife Lisa of Brockville, Cynthia Caldwell RN, Kathryn Caldwell and husband Robert Miller, Robert Caldwell, and Bob and Jamie McPherson.
She was predeceased by her older sister, Nancy Auld and brother-in-law James A.C. Auld, former MPP, as well as by her parents, Alan Gilmour and Helen Barker Gilmour Maclaren.
The family received friends on November 23, just before a musical celebration of her life was held in the chapel of the Irvine Funeral Home, Brockville, which was filled to capacity by longtime friends and associates. Rev. Charles Farnsworth officiated, her nephew Robert Caldwell delivered the eulogy and her grand-niece Eleanor Miller sang a solo. The Navy Hymn ("Eternal Father, Strong to Save") was sung.
Burial followed at the Old Brockville Cemetery, just west of the city.
Memorial donations to the Brockville Yacht Club's Joan Gilmour Gandier Trust Fund, the Diabetes Centre at St. Vincent de Paul Hospital and the Ontario College of Art and Design were gratefully acknowledged.
Dorothy Burt, 71
Dorothy Jeannette Burt, 71, a Mallorytown resident since 1984, died suddenly December 1, 2002 at Brockville General Hospital following a heart attack.
Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on December 17, 1930, she was the daughter of John Schendal and the former Rose Grudzinski. She grew up in Toronto and worked for many years as a food services manager.
Her husband, George Edward Burt, predeceased her in the early 1980s.
After retiring to this area, she became an active member of the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 484, Mallorytown, and served as branch secretary. She also enjoyed gardening and dancing.
Mrs. Burt is survived by her daughter Cindy Burt of Oshawa. Besides her parents and her husband, she was predeceased by her longtime companion, John Tomlinson, earlier this year.
Arrangements were entrusted to the Irvine Funeral Home, Brockville. Burial will take place at a later date at Pine Hills Cemetery, Scarborough.
Cy Perry, 71
ATHENS -- Joseph Cyril "Cy" Perry, 71, of Mallorytown, died December 31, 2002. He had been ill with cancer for 18 months and remained at home most of that time, becoming a patient at St. Vincent de Paul Hospital just four days before his death.
Born December 9, 1931 in Miscouche, P.E.I., he was the son of Benjamin Perry and the former Eleanor Desroche. He grew up in Miscouche and Summerside, P.E.I., and came to the Brockville area in 1958.
He worked as an automotive mechanic until he semi-retired; then he worked at Sherwood Golf Course as a mechanic and greenskeeper for 14 years. He retired four years ago.
He was married to Yvonne Bird on October 8, 1966 in St. John's United Church, Brockville, and lived in Brockville, Graham Lake and Mallorytown over the years.
Mr. Perry was a life member of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 96 in Brockville. He enjoyed fishing, golfing, gardening, playing cards, and spending time with his family and friends on Graham Lake, where he lived after retirement. He enjoyed community activities and was always involved in something.
He is survived by his wife, Yvonne Perry, and three children, Tom Perry and wife Becky of Brockville, Otis Perry and wife Brenda of Summerside, P.E.I., and Colleen Gillis of Summerside, P.E.I., as well as six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, and a sister, Edna Coates, of Waterford, N.B.
He was predeceased by his daughter Lisa Marie Perry, his parents, seven sisters and three brothers.
Friends called at the Judson Funeral Home, Athens, where on January 2 the Legion Branch 96 held a memorial service. The funeral was held in the Judson Chapel on January 3, with Rev. Stan Riley officiating. Burial followed at New Dublin Cemetery.
The pallbearers were Tom Napper, Rick Churchill, Jim Bird, Jim Leeder, Kevin Carley and Greg Healy.
Memorial donations were directed to the Hospice of Providence Palliative Care and the Kingston Regional Cancer Centre.
Violet Foley, 78
ATHENS -- Violet Rachel Foley, 78, died January 10, 2003 at Brockville General Hospital with her family by her side.
She was born in Newboro on March 28, 1924 to Mathew Wilson and the former Lucy Girden and was raised in Bedford Mills.
On March 14, 1942 she married Bernard "Bun" Foley in Christ Church, Athens.
She was a homemaker whose main interest was in her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
A member of St. John the Baptist Anglican Church in Lyn, she belonged to the Anglican Church Women group there. She also enjoyed knitting, crafts and playing euchre at the church with her husband.
Mrs. Foley is survived by her husband Bernard and eight children: Shirley McIntyre of Kemptville, Robert Foley of Brockville, Joseph Foley and wife Pauline of Cornwall, Valerie Cooper and husband Brian, Susan Greer, Bernard Foley and Lucy Foley, all of Brockville, and Arnold Foley and wife Shelly of New Liskeard.
Also surviving are 21 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren, as well as her brother Harry Wilson of Brockville and three sisters, Mary Harper of Ottawa, Leita Burt of Brockville and Verna Gendron of Maitland.
She was predeceased by two sons, James (who had lived at Greenbush) and Garry Foley (London); three brothers, Edward, Mathew and Charles Wilson; and three sisters, Maude Talbot, Wanda Giffin and Bernice Harper.
Friends called at the Judson Funeral Home, Athens, on January 11. The funeral was held January 12 in St. John the Baptist Church in Lyn, with Rev. Maude Parsons-Horst officiating. Burial will be at Oak Leaf Cemetery in the spring.
The pallbearers were Chris Smith, Brian Cooper, Ronnie Smith, John Foley, Jeff Greer and Dale Harris. Honorary pallbearers were Don Kerr, Don White, Brian Webber, Orval Ladd, Harry Anderson and Maurice Avery.
Memorial donations were directed to the Heart and Stroke Foundation and St. John the Baptist Church.
