PRESCOTT -- Aurele Joseph Filion, 73, retired RCA plant worker, died March 5, 2004 at Brockville General Hospital, with his family at his side.
He was born on August 13, 1927 in GlenRoy, Ont., to Hilaire Filion and the former Blanche Roy, one of 13 children. He was raised and educated in GlenRoy.
He met Marion Lunny, of Verdun, Que., at her parents' summer home, located in GlenRoy. They were married at St. Raphael's Church in Williamstown on May 17, 1952. They moved to Lachine, Que., then Cornwall and finally Prescott, where he worked as a technician at the RCA Victor manufacturing plant until his retirement.
Mr. Filion is survived by his wife Marion Filion; two sons, Donald of Prescott and Dean and wife Kimberley of Domville; and three daughters, Karen Anderson and husband Jeremy of Brockville, Holly Adams and husband Ronald of Charleville and Debbie Lemelin and husband Andre of Brockville.
Also surviving are grandchildren Christopher, Michael and Julie Anderson, Danielle and Mathieu Adams, Andrew, James and Rebecca Filion and Shannon McLellan.
He is survived by brothers Laurin, Hubert, Ronald, Marcel and Roy Filion and sister Simone O'Connor, as well as several nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his parents, brother Raymond, sisters Annette Cain and Pauline Lauzon, and three siblings at birth.
Friends called at the Chris Slater Funeral Home, Prescott, were on March 8 the funeral was held, with Father John Appelman officiating. Burial will be at St. Mark Cemetery in the spring.
Memorial donations were directed to the Canadian Diabetes Association.
Gerard Geneau, 63
Gerard Paul Geneau, 63, of Mallorytown, died February 3, 2004 at Brockville General Hospital after a short illness.
He was born January 16, 1941 in Brockville to Gerard "Gerry" Geneau and the former Justine Rousselle. Raised in Brockville, he attended St. Francis Xavier School, Brockville Collegiate Institute and Brockville Business College.
He worked for Canadian National Railways until a work-related accident left him a paraplegic at the age of 25. For a time, he held various part-time jobs, and then was employed at the Black and Decker plant for 12 years. He retired 15 years ago.
After retirement, he led an active life as a full-time fishing guide out of Caiger's at Rockport, where he had worked part-time for 20 years. He was very knowledgeable about both the habitat and the geography of the St. Lawrence River, having spent his boyhood and teen years at his parents' cottage on the river.
He married Helen Harper-Row on June 9, 1989 in Brockville and he and his wife carried on a small woodworking business.
Besides fishing, he was interested in his community and had coached softball in both Brockville and Mallorytown.
He had a very determined nature, which helped carry him through the challenges of living with a disability.
Mr. Geneau is survived by his mother Justine Geneau Humble and his stepfather Joe Humble of Brockville, his wife Helen Geneau, his stepsons Tom Row and wife Laurie of Trenton and Andrew Row and wife Lise of Brockville and his daughter Lisa Geneau and friend Jim McDowell of Brampton, as well as three grandchildren, Courtney, Ryan and Jenna Row.
Also surviving are two sisters, Gail Hodge and husband Graham of Brockville and Linda McInnis and husband John of Brockville, as well as his uncle Paul Rousselle, his friend and fishing buddy Dale Gibson, and several aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins.
He was predeceased by his father and several aunts and uncles.
Cremation and other arrangements were made through the Barclay Funeral Home, Brockville.
Memorial donations were directed to the Canadian Diabetes Association and the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
Barrie Harding, 67
GANANOQUE -- Barrie Harding, 67, died suddenly February 3, 2004 at Kingston General Hospital of heart-related illness. He had been hospitalized two and a half weeks before his death.
He was born April 2, 1936 in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England, the son of James Harding and the former Constance Annie Hampson. He attended Macclesfield Central School for Boys before apprenticing to become a fitter (millwright). He was an army cadet during his school years and served his two-year conscription in the British Army stationed in Wrexham, North Wales.
On January 25, 1954, in Macclesfield, he married Josephine Mary Brittlebank and they had four children. They immigrated to Canada in March 1960 after hearing glowing reports about life in Canada from his brother, who had already settled in southeastern Ontario.
He worked as a millwright out of the Kingston local 1410 of the millwrights union. When he lived in Seeleys Bay, he was also part owner (with Ron Brown of Temperance Lake) of Baron Mechanical of Seeleys Bay.
Mr. Harding was very involved in various levels of the Masonic order. He was a past master of the Leeds Masonic Lodge, member of the Newburgh Lodge, Royal Arch Masons, Preceptory, the Royal and Select Masters, the Ottawa Lodge of Perfection, and the Murray Chapter of the Rose Croix, Ottawa Consistory.
He was also a member of the Tunis Shriners Ottawa and a Tunis Shrine Klown, Brockville Unit, and he held membership in the International Order of Old Bastards and International Association of Turtles, as well as the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 92, Gananoque.
Mr. Harding was a sea cadet officer at HMCS Cataraqui, Kingston, and co-founder of the sea cadet band RCSC Hawke, Napanee. He competed in swimming and boxing in his early years and enjoyed various hobbies from stamp collecting to photography, crosswords and reading. He also enjoyed most types of music.
He was a wonderful storyteller and a ready jokester, greeting one and all with a smile and a handshake.
He is survived by his wife Josephine Harding of Gananoque; three sons, Clive and wife Bonnie of RR 1, Gananoque, Mark and wife Rose of Gananoque and James and wife Rhoda of RR 1, Titchborne; daughter Carolyn and friend Greg of Gananoque; seven grandchildren, Joel, Melissa Sherman and friend Peter, Leyna, Dalton, Shawnee, Zane and Reece; and two step-grandchildren, Brittany and Kristen and friend Buddy and step-great-grandchild Buster.
Also surviving are his brother Philip Harding and wife Vera of St. Catharines; two nephews, Chris and wife Carol and Scott; niece Sheila Harding and friend Ron; and sister-in-law Anne Bradley and husband Eric.
Friends called at the Tompkins Funeral Home, Gananoque, where on February 5 a Masonic service was led by his eldest son, Clive Harding. The funeral was held in the funeral home February 6, with Rev. Harold Miller officiating. The Shrine Klown Prayer was delivered by fellow Klown Danny Bruce and readings were given by granddaughter Melissa Sherman, grandson RCMP Constable Joel Harding and nephew Scott Harding.
The pallbearers were Clive, Mark, James and Joel Harding, Greg Reynolds and Peter Phillips.
Cremation was arranged. Memorial donations were directed to the Masonic Foundation and the Shriners Children's Hospitals.
Arthur Purvis, 86
Arthur M. Purvis, 86, longtime farmer and former councillor and reeve of Front of Yonge Township, died February 6, 2004 at Brockville General Hospital.
He was born November 18, 1917 in Brockville, the only son of Victor Purvis and his wife, the former Agnes MacLauchlan, both of Yonge Mills.
Following graduation from Kemptville Agricultural College and attendance at Guelph University, he became a dairy farmer on the family farm at Yonge Mills, where he farmed for the rest of his life. Over the years he was a competitive plowman in Leeds and surrounding counties.
Although a stroke in 1989 slowed him down, he continued his interest in farming. He was driving his tractor into the summer of 2003.
He was an accomplished whistler and continually whistled while he worked. He was honoured by the Canadian Red Cross Society for the gift of more than 100 blood donations.
He loved sports, as a father, spectator and player. The Purvis front yard was a rink in the winter and a ball field in the summer for his children and their friends. He was a Brooklyn Dodgers fan and was one of the founders and early players of the Yonge Mills softball team in the Leeds County league.
Mr. Purvis served as both a councillor and reeve for Front of Yonge Township and was a member of the Mallorytown McCoy Masonic Lodge.
He loved music, especially country music and country dances, and he had travelled to Nashville.
He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Katherine Purvis (nee Purvis) and five children: Bob of Edmonton; Martha and husband William Tottenham of Anacortes, Washington; Ted and wife Rhonda of Merrickville, Paul of Yonge Mills and Laurie Purvis and husband Graham Duncan of Toronto. Also surviving are eight grandchildren, Tracy, Leslie and Lorie of Edmonton, Katherine and Brian of Anacortes and Justin, Mathew and Peter-James of Merrickville, as well as nine great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
He is survived as well by brothers- and sisters-in-law Dr. Jim and Lorraine Purvis of Kingston, and Jim and Elizabeth Tennant of Caintown.
He was predeceased by sister-in-law Harriet Purvis and sister-in-law Margaret Brown and her husband Lt. Col. Lindsay Brown.
A celebration of his life was held February 9 at the Irvine Funeral Home and Chapel, Brockville, with Rev. Greg Blatch of St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, Caintown, officiating. His son Bob delivered the eulogy and his grandson Mathew gave Scripture readings.
The honorary pallbearers were Boyd Stacey, Jim Forrest, Stanley Bryan, Jim Tennant and Dr. Jim Purvis.
Cremation followed at Roselawn Crematorium, Maitland, and burial will be at the Yonge Mills Stone Church Cemetery in the spring.
Memorial donations to the Yonge Mills Stone Church Restoration Fund and charities of the donors' choice were gratefully acknowledged by the family.
