Jerry Paul Jones

A retired Ontario Hydro employee, Elwin Thomas Brown passed away peacefully on Tuesday, March 27, 2012, at the Arbour Heights Nursing Home in Kingston.

Born in 1924, Elwin was the son of the late Thomas and Maria (nee Perkins) of Waterville, Quebec. He was a member of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #560 in Kingston.

Elwin was the beloved husband of 67 years of Katherine (nee Smith).

He was loving father of Judy Skirrow (Jerry) and Thomas Elwin and proud grandfather of Allan Shaw (Joan) of Calgary and Jeff Shaw (Letitia) of Pakenham.

Elwin was cherished great-grandfather of Jesse, Ethan, David and Devan.

He is survived by his brother Russell (Irene) of Beebe, Quebec, James (Ruby) of Oshawa, William of Montreal and Gloria of British Columbia.

He was predeceased by his grandson Dale Thomas Shaw in 2002, and by an infant daughter, Donna Marie, in 1953.

He will be sadly missed by his nieces and nephews.

Friends were received at the Gordon F. Tompkins Funeral Home-Central Chapel at 49 Colborne Street, on Thursday, March 29, from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. A Royal Canadian Legion service was held at the home at 7 p.m.

Visitation preceded the funeral service held at St. Paul’s Church, at 137 Queen Street on Friday, March 30 at 11 a.m. Rev. Kris Michaelson officiated at the service with Rev. Jack Bennett assisting.

Interment followed at Glenhaven Memorial Gardens.

Memorial donations to the Leprosy Mission of Canada or St. Paul’s Church-Building Fund would be appreciated.

Arrangements were entrusted to Gordon F. Tompkins Funeral Home.

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A resident of Williamsburg for the past 63 years, Gerry Byvelds passed away suddenly at home on Wednesday, April 27, 2015.  He was 86.

Gerry was born in Keldonk, The Netherlands, on April 10, 1929, one of 10 children born to his parents Johannus and Anna Byvelds (nee Vandommelen).  

He worked from an early age on the family farm, other farms, and in the bush cutting lumber.  At the age of 22 he came with brothers Bill and John to Canada, settling in New Brunswick for a while, earning money here and there and getting things started in the new country.  

They eventually followed their hearts to Ontario and found a nice farm in Boucks Hill where the rest of the family could join them. 

Gerry worked for many years as a bricklayer with his little brother Tony and brother in law Jack Van Hoof.  When he retired from bricklaying he worked as a groundskeeper at the Morrisburg Golf Course for several years.  During his time at the golf course, Gerry fine-tuned his lawn care skills for the house in Williamsburg. 

Gerry married Nolda on September 30, 1983, 32 years ago.  They soon became Opa and Oma, but for the rest of the family they were known as Uncle Gerry and Tante Nolda, and they were in charge of everything having to do with a Van Moorsel or a Byvelds.   

Gerry worked hard. His hands belong in the Smithsonian as a testament to hard work… rugged, weathered, and absent of fingerprints from the years of bricklaying.  Cuts on his hands and bruised fingernails were the norm. Vise grips were used to remove supersized slivers. There were never enough bandages in the house.   

Ever busy, Gerry was constantly working on the house and the yard.  If something was found in disrepair, it instantly called for a trip to the farm at Boucks Hill to see if there was some piece of used milking equipment that could fix it instead of the proper solution available at the store.   

Gerry genuinely enjoyed the challenge of finding creative solutions to building and fixing things.

He had an extensive collection of power tools, and not one had the cord intact, severed by its own doing. Gerry would run to the breaker panel to see why the saw stopped, and later realize that he cut through the cord.  This did not happen once.  Looking now at his tool collection, it was routine. 

In the moments between work and sleep, it was pretty much a guarantee that Gerry was in front of the TV watching sports.  

Probably 100 baseball games in the summer and 80 hockey games in winter, but also soccer, curling and football.  He would wear out his lazy boy chairs leaning over to help the home team score.  His legs would almost reach the ceiling when there was a great play developing.  

He cheered hardest for Canada in the Olympics, with The Netherlands running a distant second.

Gerry loved animals, keeping the local cats and bunnies fed and comfortable in re-purposed calf hutches and feeders.  Family pets could count on him for treats from the table, a ball to throw and a lap to lay on.    

For many of his later years, he loved to bike around the county, typically to his brothers’ farms in Boucks Hill, Chesterville and Brinston. 

As enjoyable as this was in the moment, it likely also made him feel like a young boy back in the Old Country. 

He adored his family and took great pride in his grandchildren and more recently his four great -grandchildren.  Nothing got him out of his lazy boy faster than the arrival of a young family member. 

All along, Gerry held Nolda high on a pedestal, doing everything he could to make sure she was comfortable and happy. Furniture, flower beds, whatever. 

Gerry and Nolda also enjoyed playing cards together and bowling with their friends at the Chesterville Lanes.  He was also blessed to have great neighbours always looking out for him. 

Gerry always had cool cars and was everyone’s cool uncle. He will be sadly missed. 

Gerry is survived by his wife Nolda; his stepchildren Pat (Christie) of Williamsburg, Margie Byvelds (Pete Wilson) of Listowel, Reta Byvelds of Stratford and Ed (Catherine) of San Francisco; his siblings his twin brother Martin (Johanna) of Boucks Hill, John A. (Toni) of Williamsburg, Anthony (Corrie) of Williamsburg, Toni Van Hoof of  Morrisburg, and Catherine Van Moorsel of Williamsburg.

Opa will be fondly remembered by seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.  

He was predeceased by his brothers Arnold, Albert, Bill and Johannus.  He is also survived by many nieces and nephews.   

Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, Morrisburg, on Friday, May 1st at 11:30 a.m., with Father Chisholm officiating.   Interment followed at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Morrisburg.  

Pallbearers were his nephews Peter Byvelds, Steven Byvelds, John Byvelds, Robert Byvelds, Mike Byvelds, David Van Moorsel, Jeff Van Moorsel and Donald Van Hoof.  

Donations to Winchester Hospital would be gratefully acknowledged by the family.  

Arrangements were entrusted to the Marsden and McLaughlin Funeral Home, Williamsburg.  Online condolences may be made at marsdenmclaughlin.com.  

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Keith Weston “Herbie” Servage of Ingleside, formerly of Chesterville, passed away peacefully in Ottawa, at the Ottawa Civic Hospital ICU, on December 6, 2016 at the age of 74. Son of the late Marie Jeanne […]