Obituaries

 

A lifetime resident of the area, Paul Wood of Winchester passed away suddenly on Friday, June 1, 2012.  He was 60.

Paul was born in Winchester Township, on April 26, 1952, to his parents Burnice and Thora Wood (nee Robinson).  

He worked at the Dunbar cheese plant for a short time, and then began working at Ault Foods (now Parmalat) in 1972. Paul had many different jobs at the plant over the years, including cheese maker and millwright. This June would have been his 40th year at Parmalat. 

On April 16, 1977, Paul married Debra Stewart and together they had three children Patrick, Kristy and Daniel. The highlight of summer vacations was always taking the family on trips. Paul was a friendly, caring person who loved visiting with friends and family. He was extremely family-oriented and was known for helping others whenever he could. He enjoyed going to car shows – the favourite was always the muscle cars. Paul enjoyed every day and always had a smile on his face. 

Paul is survived by his wife Debbie, his children Patrick of Winchester, Kristy (Patrick) Lavergne of Winchester and Dan of Winchester, his granddaughter Jazmine and his siblings Bert (Edith) of Dunbar, Don of Seeley’s Bay, Earl (Jan) of Morrisburg, Linda (Lee) McCaslin of Iroquois and Gary (Moya) of Rice Lake. 

He was predeceased by his parents Burnice and Thora Wood (nee Robinson) and his sisters Evelyn Wood and Marjorie Barkley.  He is also survived by nieces and nephews.    

Friends called at the Marsden and McLaughlin Funeral Home, Williamsburg, on Tuesday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m.  Funeral service was held at the funeral home on Wednesday, June 6th at 11 a.m., with Rev. Geoff Howard officiating.  

Interment of cremated remains followed at Maple Ridge Cemetery, Chesterville. 

Donations to Winchester Hospital would be gratefully acknowledged by the family.  Online condolences may be made at marsdenmclaughlin.com

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Helena “Lena” Zyp of Iroquois, passed away peacefully on Sunday, May 20, 2012. She was 72. 

Lena was the dearly beloved wife of the late Hendrick “Hank” Zyp who passed away on January 20, 2008. 

Born Helena Petronella Vanderydt on March 2, 1940, in The Netherlands Lena was  the daughter of the late Martinus and Johanna Vanderydt. 

The family immigrated to Canada in 1952, and settled on a farm just outside of Morrisburg. A short time later they moved to a farm in Lancaster  and it was there that Lena met Hank. On October 22, 1960, they were married.

In 1964, Hank and Lena purchased the farm in Morrisburg from Lena’s parents and there they made a life for themselves. In July of 1992, just after Hank’s 60th birthday, the cows were sold and they officially retired. Being all of 52 years old, Lena was a little too young to fully retire, so for a while she worked part time in home care for the Red Cross.

Lena loved the time she spent with her family and friends. She always jumped at the chance to play some cards, or grab a coffee or a meal at a restaurant somewhere. She enjoyed bowling and was a member of a league for a number of years. 

In her quiet time you would find her doing a hobby of some sort. Needlepoint was her favorite, but quilting, crocheting, jigsaw puzzles, her flower garden and television game shows were right up there on her list of fun things.

However, the one thing she enjoyed the most was travelling and sightseeing. Whether it was a one day excursion or a 10 day road trip, a weekend camping or an adventure across the ocean, Hank and Lena were always, either on a trip, or planning their next one. 

And the one thing that always made their trips better was when they travelled with someone. Many people can tell you about the time they spent travelling with Hank and Lena.

Hank drove, but Lena was the road map. It didn’t matter where they were going; she knew how to get there. Hank always relied on her for directions. 

One of her favorite stories to tell was the time she dozed off returning from Cornwall on the 401,  and Hank drove past the Morrisburg exit. She always said it was because, “I wasn’t awake to tell him where to exit.” With a smile he would defend himself saying, “I didn’t miss it, I wanted to go to Iroquois”. I guess we’ll never know the real reason why he drove beyond the exit. 

After Hank passed away, Lena continued to enjoy the chance to travel. She still got away often; however trips now were designed to be spent enjoying extended periods of time with family and friends. 

Whether it was Holland, The Bahamas, England or a road trip through Canada or the USA, it was always the time spent with family and friends that she loved more than anything.

Lena was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She is survived by her three children Kenneth, Susan Lewis (David), and Karen, and by three grandchildren Thomas (Melissa), Tyler (Stephany) and Joshua.

She will be fondly remembered by nine great-grandchildren Arizona, Brodie, Nevaeh, Dawson, Lukas, Cheyenne, Brady, Haylee and Dominick.

She is also survived by seven brothers and three sisters, Ted (Mary), Nell Pilon (Morris), Tina Verhoeven (Harry), Bill (Pat), Jerry (Helen), Martin (Mary), John (Jo-Anne), Peter, Mary Peters (Tony) and Tony (Annette) and many, many nieces, nephews, cousins and in-laws.

She was pre-deceased by her husband Hank (2008), her parents Martinus (2005) and Johanna (1994) and an infant brother Adrian.

Friends called at the Marsden and McLaughlin Funeral Home in Iroquois on Wednesday, May 23, 2012. 

Mass of the Christian Burial was celebrated on Thursday, May 24, 2012, at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Morrisburg.

Pallbearers were her brothers Ted, Jerry, Martin, John, Peter, and Tony Vanderydt. Honourary pallbearer was Bill Vanderydt. Interment was at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Morrisburg.

Memorial donations to Cornwall Hospice, Winchester District Memorial Hospital or the Cancer Society will be gratefully acknowledged by the family.

Online condolences may be made at marsdenmclaughlin.com

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ississauga and a former resident of the Morrisburg area, Audrey Brock passed away on May 29, 2012, at the Credit Valley Hospital in Mississauga. She was 88.

A retired teacher, customs worker and post office worker, Audrey was born on May 23, 1924, in Kitchener, Ontario. She was the daughter of the late Ralph and Olive Brock.

Audrey received her BA from Waterloo University. She was a member of the Eastern Star and the Anglican Church. 

She will be lovingly remembered by her children Rodney (Sandra) Beckstead of Morrisburg, Candice Beckstead of St. Catharines, Victoria MacFayden of Mississauga and Janet (Herbert) Eldridge of Mississauga.

Audrey was predeceased by a son, Thomas Beckstead.

A private family service was held June 2, 2012, in Mississauga.

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A well-known former resident of Morrisburg, Ernest “Ernie” Charles Mabo passed way peacefully at the Rosebridge Manor, in Jasper, Ontario, on Saturday, June 9, 2012. He was in his 87th year.

A native of the Ompah area, Ernie settled in Morrisburg with his wife Alma and his five boys. He was employed by Ontario Hydro and for a number of years worked out of the Winchester office.

He and Alma eventually returned to the Ompah area.

Ernie will be sadly missed by his loving wife, Alma of 66 years and by his five sons: Keith (Elaine), Mick (Yvonne), David (Saralyn), Don (Debbie) and Terry.

Pop will be greatly missed by his grandchildren Randy, Gerry, Lesley, Chris, Tanya, Amanda, Nick and Joel and by his great-grandchildren Aaron, Samantha, Tyler, Cassie, Julenea, Maddison, Ben and T.J.

Following Ernie’s wishes, cremation has taken place with a graveside service to be held at the Ompah United Cemetery at 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 16, 2012.

In remembrance, donations to the Alzheimer’s Society of Lanark County, would be appreciated.

Funeral arrangements were entrusted to the care of the O’Dacre Family Funeral Home in Perth.

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A lifetime resident of the area, Paul Wood of Winchester passed away suddenly on Friday, June 1, 2012.  He was 60.

Paul was born in Winchester Township, on April 26, 1952, to his parents Burnice and Thora Wood (nee Robinson).  

He worked at the Dunbar cheese plant for a short time, and then began working at Ault Foods (now Parmalat) in 1972. Paul had many different jobs at the plant over the years, including cheese maker and millwright. This June would have been his 40th year at Parmalat. 

On April 16, 1977, Paul married Debra Stewart and together they had three children Patrick, Kristy and Daniel. The highlight of summer vacations was always taking the family on trips. Paul was a friendly, caring person who loved visiting with friends and family. He was extremely family-oriented and was known for helping others whenever he could. He enjoyed going to car shows – the favourite was always the muscle cars. Paul enjoyed every day and always had a smile on his face. 

Paul is survived by his wife Debbie, his children Patrick of Winchester, Kristy (Patrick) Lavergne of Winchester and Dan of Winchester, his granddaughter Jazmine and his siblings Bert (Edith) of Dunbar, Don of Seeley’s Bay, Earl (Jan) of Morrisburg, Linda (Lee) McCaslin of Iroquois and Gary (Moya) of Rice Lake. 

He was predeceased by his parents Burnice and Thora Wood (nee Robinson) and his sisters Evelyn Wood and Marjorie Barkley.  He is also survived by nieces and nephews.    

Friends called at the Marsden and McLaughlin Funeral Home, Williamsburg, on Tuesday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m.  Funeral service was held at the funeral home on Wednesday, June 6th at 11 a.m., with Rev. Geoff Howard officiating.  

Interment of cremated remains followed at Maple Ridge Cemetery, Chesterville. 

Donations to Winchester Hospital would be gratefully acknowledged by the family.  Online condolences may be made at marsdenmclaughlin.com

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George Baker, a longtime resident of Morrisburg, passed away peacefully at Dundas Manor, Winchester on Wednesday, May 23, 2012. He was in his 96th year.  

George was born on the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory outside Belleville and shared early life with a sister Mary and a brother Jack. On the death of their mother, they were adopted by separate families and were reunited later in life. 

George was adopted by William Samuel Baker and Ethel Mae (nee Browe) Baker in the Aultsville area.  

It was there he met and married Violet Shaver on April 8, 1948, in Williamsburg.  George and Violet loved each other dearly and spent little time apart.  They were very supportive parents to sons Ken and Garth and his family. 

Although tough times in the 30’s made it impossible for George to continue in school, he had the personal drive to become a self educated man.  He did well under the tutoring of Violet, first to get his license and later to take the examination to become a TV repairman.  George worked at RCA in Prescott and with hydro during the construction of the Seaway.  Even in retirement he pumped gas at the garage.  

George was an agile athletic person who loved to tell stories of how he played hockey with Sears catalogues for knee pads.  He enjoyed fishing, playing darts and bowling.  His trophy case was filled with recognition of these achievements.  

Remaining active in later years, he and Violet played shuffleboard and organized the competition for the Ontario Senior Games when they were held in Morrisburg.  

George was a member of Lakeshore Drive United Church.  Those who knew George would remark about his sense of humour, his light heartedness and that twinkle and wave.  He cared deeply for his family, worked hard and enjoyed the simple, most precious aspects of life.

George was predeceased by his wife Violet (Shaver) Baker (2010). He leaves to mourn his sons Ken of Cornwall and Garth (Faye) of Morrisburg, his grandchild Jennifer (Mark Elson) Baker of Pickering and his great-grandchild Benjamin Collins of Pickering.  He was predeceased by his sister Mary Wood and brother Jack Flewell. 

Friends were received at the Parker Funeral Home, in Morrisburg on Friday May 25, 2012. The funeral service was held in the chapel. 

Pallbearers were Wayne Hutt, Dale Hutt, Mark Elson, Ricky Shaver, Randy Shaver and Brad Shaver.  Interment was at Fairview Cemetery, Mariatown.  Memorial donations to Winchester Hospital would be gratefully acknowledged.  Condolences and donations may be made at www.parkerofmorrisburg.com

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Donald Frederick “Fred” Brouse died peacefully at his home in Iroquois, on Saturday, May 12, 2012. He was 76. 

Born September 29, 1935, in Prescott, to the late George and Agnes Brouse, Fred was an only child.  He was raised on a dairy farm at Iroquois where he attended public and high school. 

Fred graduated from Ryerson University in Toronto in 1959, and went to work for Automatic Electric in Brockville starting in 1961. At Automatic Electric, he was shop foreman for 33 years before retiring. 

In 1959, Fred met Carole Caloren, and five years later they were married in the Presbyterian Church in Iroquois. Fred and Carole would have celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary this September 5, 2012.  

Fred and Carole loved people. 

Fred and his father were great carpenters and together they built boats that Fred would race.  Fred raced hydroplane boats  across Canada and the United States.  He was Canadian Champ for seven years and  was inducted into the Hall of  Fame for Hydroplane racing in 1989.  

After racing, Fred decided to slow it down. He purchased a cruiser,  and he and Carole travelled far and wide creating great memories of the river.

Fred leaves to mourn his wife of 48 years, Carole Brouse and his mother-in-law Donalda Banford. He was dear brother-in-law to Marilyn and Neil Coir of Canton, N.Y., and David Barton and the late Judy Barton of Sorrento, BC. 

Fred will be sadly missed by his nieces and nephews Jennifer and Doug Collins of Boston, Greg and Alex Coir of Newbury Port, MA, Marc and Melanie Price of Kelowna, BC and Michael and Monica Hammerton of BC.

Friends called at the Marsden  and McLaughlin Funeral Home Iroquois, on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. 

Funeral service took place at Knox Presbyterian Church in Iroquois on Thursday, May 17 at 11 a.m. Interment was at Iroquois Point Cemetery. 

Donations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Winchester Hospital were gratefully acknowledged by the family.

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John Bernard “Bernie” Bucking died peacefully at Winchester District Memorial Hospital on Friday, May 18, 2012, with his loving family by his side. 

Born on July 28, 1944, in the Netherlands to the late Willem and Margaretha Bucking,  Bernie was one of seven children. When Bernie was eight years old, he moved to Canada from Holland with his family. 

The farming family reached the shores of Canada via the Halifax harbor. They moved through Valleyfield to Timmins, and then to Iroquois where they laid roots that have run deep.  

The “farm” as the family called it, was not just where Bernie grew up, but a place that he loved to return to visit, and weekly trips were made back to the “farm” to get milk, and have a visit.  

Even though Bernie moved to Canada at the tender age of eight, he was very proud of his roots and heritage. He loved to discuss the old days, and reminisce about life in Holland.  

Bernie grew up farming, in a busy household of five sisters, and a brother.  Bernie could be a bit of a tease so you can imagine the teasing his sisters’ received; apparently it started at a young age.  He was also known on occasion to miss the morning wake up call for chores which meant his sisters had to fill in. 

Even after a day of farming, he must have had some energy left because in 1965, he met Sharon Grue at a country dance at Algonquin Hall and on July 1st, 1967, they were married. To this day you can see the love Sharon has for Bernie.

Bernie and Sharon have enjoyed children, grandchildren, and many memories with friends and family that they both cherish dearly.   This July first would have marked 45 years of marriage an incredible accomplishment, and a milestone representing a wonderful life together.  

They have many friends that they have cherished memories with of dances, cards, trips, and car rallies.  

Bernie has held many roles throughout his lifetime, driving transport was the foundation, even owning his own haulage company at one time.  He was always proud of his big rigs, and as kids we were always excited to get to hop in for a ride.  He worked hard, and was away a lot, leaving very early in the morning, and returning late at night.

Eventually, Bernie moved out of the driver’s seat and into a dispatcher position at Canada Starch.  As tough as it was to leave the road behind, he really enjoyed the dispatcher role. He was a detailed man and could see a situation from many different angles, while at the same time always respecting what it is like in the shoes of the other person.  This is what made him a great supervisor, or manager. 

Bernie enjoyed the remainder of his time at Canada Starch moving into a production supervisor role.He constantly upgraded his skills and knowledge to be able to stay in the game with the young lads that were working with him.  He was a manager that was firm but fair.  

Ironically the skills and abilities that brought him success throughout his career, were the exact skills he would need to embark on his post retirement career of driving bus, which was one of his most rewarding jobs. 

He managed the kids on his bus, as he did before at work.  Be firm, but fair, respect the other person, and have fun.  These simple attributes gained Bernie many young fans and he was selected driver of the year by the children. It was an award he was very proud of. Bernie truly cared about the kids on his bus.  

Incredible as well for all of the parents,  that when you know your children like their driver what a relief it is to know your child is safe and cared for, such a ripple effect.  

Bernie was a good provider to his family. They never wanted for anything.  He worked hard and strived for what he wanted.  His words were the law in the family home. 

The most important thing that he had was his family. Though he may never have said it out loud he was really proud of his children’s accomplishments, and they are who they are now because they had a father like him. 

Bernie was also a responsible contributing member of the community. He served on the fire department, the Knights of Columbus and most recently the Iroquois-Matilda Lion’s club.  He enjoyed volunteering and was always eager to give back to the community, and be involved. 

Bernie’s hobbies included golf, fishing, Nascar, and of course camping at Pleasure Park. For the Nascar trips, apparently what went to the track stayed at the track.  Bernie loved those trips with his Nascar buddies. A race was never just a race, it was a great time with great friends. Bernie loved camping and he and Sharon had recently purchased a new camper.  The two had many great times around the camp fire singing laughing and joking with great friends. 

Bernie enjoyed fishing, and often took the green machine out on stump lake, or the boat out trolling for perch, and with any luck Johnny will keep that love of fishing alive.

Bernie served as mentor, role model, and true friend.  More than anything else he was a Dad.  His son Bill stated it so well when he said: anyone can be a Father, it takes an incredible man to be a Dad.    

The legacy Bernie leaves is value of family, hard work, and a love of life and community.  Strength is sometimes defined as how well you hide the pain, but even when we carried him he was the strongest man I know.  

Bernie leaves to mourn his loving wife of 45 years, the former Sharon Grue, and his children Bill of Belleville, Kim and her husband Justin Lavender of Wellington and Linda Testerink of Iroquois.

He is survived by his sisters Corrie Byvelds (Tony) of Williamsburg, Adelaide Lindsay (Al) of Stittsville and Mary Coreau (Dave) of Arnprior, by his brother Otto (Nancy) of Prescott and by his brothers-in-law Ben Albers and Pierre Blais. 

He will be lovingly remembered by his grandchildren Emma Bucking, Johnny Testerink, Chase and Cole Lavender and by his great-grandchildren Annabelle and Elizabeth along with many nieces and nephews.  

Bernie was predeceased by two sisters Margaret Albers and Siny Blais.  

Friends called at the Marsden and McLaughlin Funeral Home Iroquois on Monday, May 21, 2012, from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m.  A Lions service was held at the funeral home on Monday evening at 6:45 p.m. Mass of the Christian Burial was at St. Cecilia’s R.C. Church on Tuesday, May 22, 2012, at 11a.m.

Donations to Winchester District Memorial Hospital or the Cancer Society would be gratefully acknowledged by the family. 

Online condolences may be made at marsdenmclaughlin.com.

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After a brief and valiant fight with cancer, Christopher (Chris) Gleeson PhD., P.Eng. passed away as he lived, with courage, dignity and grace.

 Chris was born in Ottawa, August 13, 1931, to Denis and Norah Gleeson, (Tipperary, Ireland). The family moved to Montreal where he studied at Loyola High School and went on to receive his BSc from Loyola College in 1953. 

Chris pursued postgraduate studies at McGill University. In 1956, he earned an MSc in Geology, and in 1960, he was awarded his PhD in Economic Geology and Applied Geochemistry. 

This was the beginning of his remarkable 60-year career as a distinguished scientist, explorer, pioneer and innovator. 

After working with the GSC, SOQUEM and privately held exploration companies, Chris formed C.F. Gleeson and Associates Ltd. In the following decades mineral exploration projects and international development work took him to Burkina Faso, Algeria, Cameroon, Botswana, Guinea, Jamaica, Zambia, Slovakia, Spain, Malaysia, Ireland, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, Columbia and Brazil as well as Canada and the United States.   

In 1984, he co-founded Kinbauri Gold Corporation. His extensive experience in applied heavy mineral studies of precious minerals have led to significant discoveries in gold and diamond deposits here in Canada, Spain and West Africa. 

He was the recipient of two Barlow Gold Medals from the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.  

Chris was a founding member and Fellow of the Association of Exploration Geochemists; Life Member of: Society of Economic Geologists, Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, and Prospectors and Developers Association.  

He aimed for excellence in all aspects of his life. This was evident in his passion for gardening. Each year his ‘plot’, the size of a small hobby farm, produced a cornucopia of vegetables, fruit from his carefully tended trees, and flowers. A harvest enjoyed by all.  

With equal intensity, at 65, Chris rekindled his boyhood passion for golf. He walked the course at Upper Canada Golf Club rain or shine, and had an enviable handicap which he topped it off with two holes in one.

Chris is survived by Marion (Seagram), his loving wife and partner of 55 years. Together they had four children, Chris (Karen Urqhart), Timothy (Alice Beatson), Erin, and Darcy.  

He will be greatly missed by grandchildren Tara-Lynn, Angela, Emily, Samantha, Ryan, Flint and Fiona and daughter-in-law Allison. 

Chris was predeceased by his sister Johanna Marciniak and brother Dennis.  Remaining and much saddened by their loss are brothers Danny (Monique Graham), Kevin (Patricia Truman), Monica Foley (Brian), sister-in-law Eleanor (Gleeson) and Chris’s many nieces and nephews. 

Chris received superb care and much kindness from Dr. Wayne Domanko and the nursing staff at Winchester District Memorial Hospital. 

Visitation was held Tuesday, May 22 from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. at Marsden and McLaughlin Funeral Home in Iroquois. 

Mass of the Christian Burial was celebrated Wednesday, May 23 at 1:30 p.m. at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Morrisburg.  

Donations to Winchester District Memorial Hospital would be welcome.  Online condolences may be made at marsdenmclaughlin.com

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A lifetime resident of the Iroquois area, Shirley Gibson passed away at the Queensway Carleton Hospital in Ottawa on Saturday, May 12, 2012, following a lengthy illness. 

Shirley was born in Winchester on October 8, 1938, to her parents Connell and Pearl Wyatt (nee Sears).

Shirley was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. 

She loved to play cards, knit and crochet, and she enjoyed spending time with her family.  She liked to bowl when she was younger, and she was a lifetime member of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 370 Ladies Auxiliary.  

In recent years, Shirley enjoyed playing cards online, and she made many internet friends from all over the world.  

Shirley is survived by her son Carl (Bonnie) of Iroquois, her brother Lawrence Wyatt of Kemptville, her granddaughters Stacey Pergunas and Melisa Gibson and her great-grandchildren Maleigh and Gavin.  

She was predeceased by her husband Floyd and several brothers and sisters. She is also survived by nieces and nephews.

Friends called at the Marsden McLaughlin Funeral Home in Iroquois, on Wednesday from 9:30-11:30 a.m. A graveside funeral service was held at South Gower cemetery on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. with Rev. Janet Evans officiating. 

Donations to a charity of choice would be appreciated by the family. Online condolences may be made at marsdenmclaughlin.com. 

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