John Stanley Moorhouse, 81, retired carpenter, died suddenly at his home July 7, 2004.
He was born at the Clow homestead, at Spring Valley, on December 18, 1922, the only son of the former Helen M. Clow and Harold S. Moorhouse. He lived at Avondale farm for most of his elementary school years. He could remember getting rides to school with Harvey Pyke on the latter's horse-drawn milk cart.
Then his family moved back to the farm on Temperance Lake Road, Glen Buell, where he worked with his father raising dairy cattle and producing maple syrup in season.
In the early 1950s he went into the construction trade and over the years built many area homes, including his own and his daughter's. In all his jobs he also built a reputation for being very particular that his work was straight and solid.
He was a sports enthusiast, enjoying baseball, hockey and golf. In his younger years he played baseball and in the 1940s he played hockey with the Athens Flyers. Ever the optimist, he rooted for the Toronto Maple Leafs all his life. When his sons were young, he coached the Athens boys' hockey team, making lasting friendships with parents and sons alike.
In the late 1970s he and his wife began yearly golfing trips to Myrtle Beach, S.C., until declining health intervened. Over the years, all three sons had the opportunity to make a trip or more with them to challenge him on the links. He also made friends through golf, including a special friendship with Randy Turner, of Commerce, Georgia.
Mr. Moorhouse attended Centennial Road Standard Church. When he could no longer attend, he enjoyed visits from Bill and Linda Tennant, who took him out for rides and church events. Whenever he talked with family on the phone, his parting words were "God bless."
He is survived by his wife, Marie; daughter Lynda and husband John Simpson; sons Bruce, Dale, of St. Thomas, and Randy and wife Pam; six grandchildren, Kelly, Kyal and wife Amy, Curtis, Allison, Scott and Mike and wife Marija; and eight great-grandchildren.
Also surviving are two sisters, Aileen and Muriel Gingras and husband Hector, of Kanata; sister-in-law Helen Renkema and husband Nels; uncle Edgar Clow and wife Mildred; aunts-in-law Katie Stewart and Jennie Barton, of Ottawa, and several nieces, nephews and cousins.
Friends were received at the Barclay Funeral Home, Brockville, where on July 9 the funeral was held, with Pastor Laurence Croswell, of Centennial Road Standard Church, Brockville, officiating. Burial followed at Oakland Cemetery.
Memorial donations were directed to charities of the donors' choice.
Mary Miller, 63
PRESCOTT -- Mary Miller, 63, died August 12, 2004 at Ottawa Civic Hospital.
She was born July 5, 1941 in Holland to Willem Veltkamp and his wife, the former Maria Slootweg; her family immigrated to Canada.
She married Harlow Miller on October 12, 1963, and was employed as an assembly line worker and machine operator at Brock Telecom for a number of years.
She enjoyed reading, knitting, spending time with her grandchildren and visiting family and friends.
Mrs. Miller is survived by her husband Harlow; two sons, Robert and wife Lori and Mitch and wife Emily; daughter Nicole and husband Shaun Iacurci; and five grandchildren, Cole, Faith, Devan, Braedon and Colby.
Also surviving are her sister Janet Hare and husband Ron; five brothers, Hank Veltkamp and wife Ursula, Casey Veltkamp and wife Marge, Bill Veltkamp and wife Bonnie, Eric Veltkamp and Peter Veltkamp and wife Bonnie; and several nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her parents, brother John Veltkamp and sister Corrie Winters.
Friends called at the Chris Slater Funeral Home, Prescott, where on August 16 the funeral was held, with Rev. Claude Delorme officiating. Cremation at Hope Cemetery was arranged.
The pallbearers were her brothers Hank, Casey, Bill and Peter Veltkamp and nephews Chris and Peter Veltkamp.
Memorial donations were directed to the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Ottawa Civic Intensive Care Unit.
Elva Green, 88
Elva Annie Green, 88, died July 6, 2004 at St. Lawrence Lodge.
She was born March 19, 1916, in Belleville, to Wesley O'Dell Weymark and the former Ruth Mosley. She grew up in Belleville and helped raise her brothers and sisters after her mother died at an early age.
She married Harold Thomas Green on June 29, 1935, in Belleville and they raised two children. They moved to Brockville in 1947 and lived for many years on Richard Street.
Mrs. Green was a member of St. Paul's Anglican Church and its Anglican Church Women group. She was also a member of the Brockville General Hospital Auxiliary.
She enjoyed golf and belonged to the Highland Golf Club. She also did oil paintings. Her main interests were her home and family.
She is survived by her son Robert "Bob" Green and wife Theresa of Lyndhurst and by her daughter Barbara Whiteside of Brockville, as well as grandchildren Cheryl Green, Donald Green, Catherine Whiteside and Karen Oblinski and great-grandson Ben Oblinski.
Also surviving are her brother Jim Weymark of Belleville and sister Doreen McCoy and husband Bill of Belleville, as well as several nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her husband, son-in-law Gordon Whiteside, sisters Grace Fraser and Frances Hodges, and brothers George, Wilfred, Joe and Harry Weymark.
Friends called at the Barclay Funeral Home, Brockville, where on July 9 the funeral was held, with Rev. Stan Riley officiating. Granddaughter Cheryl Green gave remembrances. Burial followed at Oakland Cemetery.
The pallbearers were Don, Cheryl and Bob Green, Jason Oblinski, Bill Ferguson and John Donovan.
Memorial donations were directed to the Canadian Cancer Society.
Harold Hall, 80
Harold Ernest Hall, 80, a lifelong resident of Brockville, died suddenly June 24, 2004 at Ottawa Civic Hospital.
Born May 19, 1924 to Ernest Hall and the former Eva Smith, he was raised and educated in Brockville.
He joined the army during the Second World War and served in England, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium and Holland.
On March 13, 1945 he married the former Pauline Ida Coville.
He worked at Phillips Cables for 41 years, retiring in 1987. He and his brother, Donnie Hall, also ran an autobody shop, D&H; Body Shop, from his family home on Highway 29.
A member of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 96, Brockville, he enjoyed playing cards and darts.
He had a summer home on the St. Lawrence River at Narrows Lane for some 40 years, where family and friends would gather every Sunday for food and boating. He even built a houseboat with a friend.
Mr. Hall is survived by his wife Pauline; sons Larry and wife Rose, David, Timmy and wife Anita, and Paul and wife Tina; daughters Mary Kenny and husband Don and Cindy Byron and husband Geoff; 13 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Also surviving are his brothers Floyd and wife Helen, Donnie and wife Dorothy, and Eddie and wife Sandra, as well as several nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by a daughter, Sandra, son-in-law George Gifford, daughters-in-law Elaine and Wendy Hall, sister Vivian Jacobs and brothers Doug and Arthur Hall, as well as his cousins and best friends Arnie and Donelda Smith.
Friends called at the Irvine Funeral Home on June 27 where on June 27 the funeral was held, with Rev. Allan Bennett officiating. Eulogies were given by granddaughter Megan Gifford, daughter Mary Kenny, and Hugh and Shirley McClintock. Burial followed at Oakland Cemetery, just west of Brockville.
The pallbearers were grandsons Richard Hall, Ian Gifford, Mike Hall, Kevin Commerford and Christopher Hall and nephew Christopher Hall. The honorary pallbearer was Vern Hall, a cousin.
Memorial donations were directed to the Canadian Diabetes Association and the Cancer Society as well as a burn centre in Ottawa.
Charles 'Chick' Kirkby, 78
PRESCOTT -- Charles William "Chick" Kirkby, 78, of RR 3, Prescott, died June 24, 2004 at Brockville General Hospital.
He was born September 6, 1925 in Prescott to Roy Seymour Kirkby and the former Mary Anna Hall.
At age 18 he joined the U.S. Army and served a period of time in occupied Japan. After returning home, he married Erma "Bobbe" Poaps on July 22, 1950 at St. Mark's rectory, Prescott.
He enjoyed working on the river. For 11 years he worked on the Canadian Pacific Railway car ferry from Prescott to Ogdensburg. He also worked on the St. Lawrence Seaway for a number of years and was a 23-year employee of the Canadian Coast Guard at its Prescott base.
His passion in life was sports, particularly hockey and baseball. He served as unofficial groundskeeper at the Prescott ball diamonds and was very proud of his own "Field of Dreams, " the Chick Kirkby Little League Ballpark, built in his honour.
He coached numerous baseball and softball teams in the area and was a very proficient player in his earlier days.
In 1993 he was recognized for his contributions over the years when, at the rebirth of the Brockville and Area Sports Hall of Fame, he and his brother-in-law Leo Boivin were among the first inductees in the newly reopened hall.
A final tribute was given him as his funeral procession passed the Chick Kirkby ballpark when members of the Prescott Pirates formed an honour guard, holding up baseball bats and hockey sticks to salute his life and contribution to sports.
His family and home on the St. Lawrence River were very important to him. His newest adventures were gardening and playing stick hockey and baseball with his great-grandchildren.
Mr. Kirkby is survived by his wife Erma Kirkby; two sons, Mark Kirkby and his wife Laurie and Dean Kirkby; grandchildren Ryan, Justin, Josh, Nicole and Jennifer; and two great-grandchildren, Tyson and Kennedy.
He was predeceased by his parents, two daughters and one son, brothers Lorne, Ken, Art, Bern and Carl Kirkby and sisters Jean, Marg and Patsy.
Friends called at the Chris Slater Funeral Home, Prescott, on June 25. The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated by Father John Appelman on June 26 at St. Mark Catholic Church, Prescott. Burial followed at St. Mark Cemetery, Prescott.
The pallbearers were sons Mark and Dean, grandsons Ryan, Justin and Josh Kirkby, nephew Paul Stethem and family friend Steve Tzaferis. The honorary pallbearers were the Johnstown Ladies Softball coach Les McAllister and ballplayers Debbie Gray, Marilyn Rupert Scott, Shauna Ward and Pattie Robinson Boswall.
Memorial donations were directed to the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Grenville-Prescott Little League.
