Lawrence Edgar Dunleavy, 86, retired fire department captain, Second World War veteran and community volunteer, died of heart failure on June 4, 2006 at Sherwood Park Manor with his daughters by his side.
He was born in Brockville on July 20, 1919, the sixth of 11 children born to Garfield Dunleavy and the former Mabel Polley. Although he grew up in the economic hard times of the Depression and his family knew what hardship was, he had a happy and adventurous childhood and youth in Brockville. He attended Brockville Collegiate Institute and then started working at the Stetson hat factory in town.
The Second World War broke out in 1939 and Lawrence and six of his brothers joined the military. Before heading overseas, he married Ernestine "Ernie" Wylie, in September 1940. They did not see each other again until October 1945.
Dunleavy was an artillery surveyor with the 14th Field Regiment Artillery. On D-Day, June 6, 1944, he was among the first wave of Canadian soldiers to land at Bernières-sur-Mer (Juno Beach), France. Half the young men in that landing died that day.
He survived the war and returned to Brockville's Stetson factory and also worked briefly as a plasterer. Then with his wife Ernie he took a government land grant on Windsor Drive, built a house and tried farming. In 1951, ready for a change, he joined the Brockville Fire Department and found his career. He fought many of the big downtown fires and almost perished in the Grand Hotel fire. He retired in 1979 as captain of the department (one rank below chief). Any time he went back to the fire hall after retirement he was greeted with warm respect and affection by the firefighters.
A strong union supporter, he served many years as president of the Brockville Firefighters Association, negotiating improved working conditions for fellow firefighters and leading them during times of arbitration. He argued his cases so well that the people at city hall gave him the nickname "The Little Lawyer." He was also treasurer of the Municipal Employees Credit Union.
He joined the Royal Canadian Legion in Brockville after the war and was a life member at his death. In 2002, during the 75th anniversary celebrations by the local branch, the lounge at the pub was named The Dunleavy Room, after the seven Dunleavy brothers who all went to war and, against the odds, all returned.
Mr. Dunleavy was instrumental in establishing Brackinreid Park and Little League baseball in Brockville. Through the fire department he actively supported fundraising for muscular dystrophy. Many Christmases he worked on the toy drive for needy children and helped repair the toys.
In the early 1960s he and Ernie bought land for a cottage on Lower Beverley Lake. He scrounged for lumber at the newly demolished Smart's foundry site and built the cottage from recycled materials. He enjoyed spending time there with family and friends.
He loved sports and had exceptionally good hand-eye co-ordination. Trophies for horseshoes, darts, golf and bowling lined his home's window sills.
He also loved to tell family and friends a multitude of stories about his escapades in childhood, about family life during the Depression, the funny side of his war experiences, cottage living and his life as a firefighter.
Mr. Dunleavy is survived by his daughters, Linda Stockley and husband Douglas of Osgoode and Deborah Dunleavy and husband Howard Alexander of Brockville, and step grandchildren Charlotte and Abraham Alexander. Also surviving are his sister Stella Bradley of Brockville and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his wife Ernestine Dunleavy on February 19, 2001, by sisters Helen Sheridan and Margaret Picotte, and by brothers Garfield, Robert, Russell, Earl, Patrick, William and James Dunleavy.
Friends called at the Irvine Funeral Home, Brockville on June 7 and that evening 26 members of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 96 held a special Veterans Tribute for him. The funeral was held June 8 in the Irvine Chapel, with Rev. Stan Riley officiating. Howard Alexander gave the eulogy.
Sixteen Brockville firefighters led by Fire Chief Harry Jones formed an honour guard at the funeral. The pallbearers were Al Shire, Eric Salmon, Phil Sauve and Ron Warren. Burial followed at Oakland Cemetery, just west of the city.
Memorial donations were directed to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
Jake Easter, 60
IROQUOIS -- Clair "Jake" Easter, 60, a lifelong resident of Iroquois, died June 12, 2006 at Winchester and District Memorial Hospital.
He was born September 30, 1945 in Ottawa to Kenneth Easter and the former Cora Wyatt. On October 10, 1970 he married Hazel Baskin in Iroquois United Church.
For more than 42 years he worked as a weaver and store room clerk at the Caldwell Linen Mills in Iroquois.
He was a member of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 370, where he served as sports officer for several years. For over 25 years he ran a fastball tournament in Iroquois and was always involved in sports. He served as a coach of the Dundas County Flyers hockey team, umpired baseball and helped Jim Notman run hockey tournaments all over North America for the past several years. He was an avid hockey and baseball fan and loved to play cribbage and euchre.
Mr. Easter is survived by his wife Hazel, son Glen of Iroquois and four siblings: brothers Trevor and wife Sharon, Gary and wife Joyce and Tony and wife Susan of Iroquois and sister Corallee Sanderson and husband Bill of Newington. Also surviving are aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins.
He was predeceased by his parents and a brother, Dale.
Friends called at the Marsden and McLaughlin Funeral Home, Iroquois, where on June 17 the funeral was held, with Rev. Janet Evans officiating. Burial followed at South Gower Cemetery.
The pallbearers were Trevor Easter, Gary Easter, Tony Easter and Bill Sanderson.
Memorial donations were directed to Winchester Hospital.
Barbara Thibault-Brown
SPENCERVILLE -- After an illness, Barbara Rose Thibault-Brown, 63, of Algonquin Road, RR 4, Prescott died peacefully at her home on May 15, 2006 with her son and daughter at her side.
She was born in Garretton on July 29, 1942, to Delbert Forsyth and the former Barbara Anderson. Raised on the family farm in Garretton, she attended public school there and then South Grenville District High School in Prescott. She was a resident of Charleville for 35 years.
She was a housewife and stay-at-home mom and a caregiver to many children. For the past several years she worked at Hands Fireworks. She was also an active member of St. Andrew's Anglican Church in Garretton.
Among her many interests, her first was her family and grandchildren. She enjoyed going to all the sporting events in support of her grandchildren and she was the number one scorekeeper at the North Augusta Labour Day Tournament.
Mrs. Thibault-Brown was predeceased by her husband, Milford Thomas Brown, just five weeks before her own death.
She is survived by her children Randy Thibault (wife Steaci) of Smiths Falls, Terry Thibault (wife Diane) of Prescott, Shelly King (husband Greg) of Amherstview, Emily Miller (husband Mitch) of Spencerville and Joey Brown (wife Niki) of Maitland, and by grandchildren Cody, Jesse, Morgan, Jason, Ashley, Courtney, Joel, Jessie, Jordan, Devan, Braedon and Colby.
Also surviving are her siblings Judy Roobol (husband Cor) of North Augusta, Duane Forsyth (wife Sylvia) of North Augusta and Tom Forsyth (wife Kathy) of Charleville, as well as sister-in-law June Forsyth and several nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her parents Delbert and Barbara Forsyth, brother Delbert Jr., grandson Logan Thibault and nephew Christopher Forsyth.
Friends called at Grant Brown Funeral Home-Purcell Chapel, Spencerville, where on May 19 the funeral was held, with Rev. Allan Gault officiating. Burial followed at St. Andrew's Anglican Church Cemetery in Garretton.
The pallbearers were Tracy Miller, Lee Whitley, Paul Shipclark, Randy Ferguson, Paul Villeneuve and Andrew Villeneuve.
Memorial donations to St. Andrew's Anglican Church Women were gratefully acknowledged by the family.
Henry Merkx, 59
Hendrikus Marinus "Henry" Merkx, 59, of Greenbush, died October 23, 2006 at Kingston General Hospital.
He was born in Schijndel, Netherlands, on May 12, 1947, the son of Antonius Merkx and the former Anna denOtter. The family came to Canada in 1951, settling first in Quebec, where his father got work. They moved to Athens in 1953 where Henry grew up, graduating from Athens District High School.
He married Dinah May White on June 16, 1973 in Toledo and they settled in Greenbush.
He worked as janitor of the Addison school and then started working at the Bally Refrigeration plant. Later he worked in maintenance at Puritan Bennett and finally he was plant manager at Nitrous Oxide of Canada, in Maitland.
His special interests included car repairs and renovations. In his earlier years he was a music disc jockey.
Mr. Merkx is survived by his wife Dinah, son David Anthony Merkx and wife Christina of Vermont, his father Antonius Merkx at Hilltop Manor in Merrickville, and two sisters, Helena Maria Julien and husband Maurice of Addison and Geraldina Agnes Maria Merkx of Addison.
Also surviving are two grandchildren and four nephews, Joe, Jim, Terry and Chris Julien.
He was predeceased by his mother in 1972 and by his brother Marinus Johannes Merkx.
Friends called at the Barclay Funeral Home, Brockville, where on October 27 the funeral was held, with Father Brian Price of St. Francis Xavier Church officiating. Burial followed at St. Francis Xavier Cemetery.
The pallbearers were Joe, Jim, Chris and Terry Julien, Dave Jarvis and Ranald Curran.
Memorial donations were directed to a bursary for Athens District High School and to the Canadian Cancer Society.
Brenda Gill, 50
A well-known staff member and fundraiser of two agencies here and a tireless volunteer with many community groups, Brenda Gill died October 25, 2006 at the oncology unit of Ottawa General Hospital after a five-month battle with cancer. She was 50 years old.
Brenda Christine Gill was born August 1, 1956 in Windsor, moving several years later with her family to Kingston and then Prescott. She graduated from South Grenville District High School in 1975. She later attended Carleton University and married Jim Gill on April 30, 1976. She was her husband's best fan and companion traveling across North America during his professional motorcycle racing career.
In the late 1970s Mrs. Gill assisted her husband in developing an area seafood business, which first involved flights to the East Coast to bring back supplies of seafood products for wholesale and retail, and eventually led to the opening of 1000 Islands Seafood, first at Waltham Square and then moving downtown.
After the sale of the business in 1988, she assisted him with several property development projects including purchasing the Catholic Cultural Centre on Court House Avenue and operating the Trading Post Marketplace there for many years before selling the building to the Fuller family of Ottawa in 2003. The couple also held the "Christmas for Kids" charity toy drive while they owned the building.
Mrs. Gill worked for 12 years at the Royal Bank in Brockville in the 1000 Islands Mall branch and King Street main branch, leaving after the birth of the couple's first son, James, who arrived 18 weeks early in 1987 and was later listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's most premature baby to survive.
It was the care that James received that inspired Mrs. Gill to assist in raising funds for the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario. Over the years the couple established a friendship with well-known CTV Ottawa news anchor Max Keeping. Her friendship with Mr. Keeping developed into a strong fellowship working with him for non-profit organizations and particularly during her battle with cancer when she cherished his encouragement, support and visits.
During the late 1990s Mrs. Gill returned to the workplace as building manager of the Boardwalk Condominium and also worked at Scholastic Book Fairs.
She later joined the United Way as a staff member and became campaign director of the yearly canvass that successfully met its annual objective raising funds supporting many local agencies.
She left the United Way post last March to become executive director of the Alzheimer Society of Leeds-Grenville and continued working during her illness.
Mrs. Gill's main interests centred on her family. She was active in many community organizations, including school councils at Toniata Public School and Thousand Islands Secondary School and the Brockville Flying Club, and she had a key role in the raising funds for the Friends of TISS track and field project. She was highly regarded and respected for her fundraising and committee organizational skills.
Mrs. Gill's positive attitude continued throughout her battle with cancer. The hundreds of people attending the visitation and funeral for Mrs. Gill were a testament to the high regard in which she was held.
Mrs. Gill is survived by her husband, Jim, and sons James, a second-year student at Georgian College in Barrie, and Spencer, a student at TISS; her father, Fred Williamson; sisters Lynda Lemaire and husband Patrick, Patricia Coward and husband Doug, Susan Weststrate and husband Jack; brothers Robert Williamson and wife Darlene and Garry Williamson and wife Nancy; and mother-in-law, Martha Gill.
She is also survived by nephews Shane Lemaire, Nicholas and Benjamin Weststrate and Chad, Paul, Troy and Dane Williamson and nieces Keirstin Lemaire, Danna Thames and husband Marcus, Jessica and Jennifer Coward and Tahneen, Chiara and Alina Williamson.
Mrs. Gill was predeceased by her mother, Teri, in 1998.
Friends were received at the Irvine Funeral Home in the afternoon and evening of October 27 and morning of October 28, with the funeral service later that day in the Irvine Chapel, with Rev. Dr. Alan Bennett officiating. Tributes were delivered during the service by nephew Nicholas Weststrate, brother-in-law Jack Weststrate, Jim Gill's uncle Warren Bull and Max Keeping.
Pallbearers were Shane Lemaire, Nicholas and Benjamin Weststrate, Chad and Paul Williamson and Chris Noel. Honorary pallbearers were Max Keeping, Dr. Stan Gertler and Marcus Thames.
Cremation followed the service. The family will hold a private memorial at a later date.
Memorial donations were made to the Ottawa Cancer Research Centre, the United Way of Leeds and Grenville and the Alzheimer Society of Leeds-Grenville.
