BECHTEL
BECK
BECKER
BECKERMAN
BECKETT
BECKMAN
BECHTEL o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-04-03 published
Valetta May
ROSE
By Jim PATTERSON
Thursday,
April 3, 2003 - Page A22
Valetta May
ROSE
Domestic worker, farmer and comic writer's muse. Born in Warsaw,
Ontario, January 9, 1912. Died January 16, in Toronto, of a stroke,
aged 91.
On January 16, 2003, Valetta
ROSE, 91, spoke with her brother,
Ken DRAIN, and her niece, Dora
BARR, by phone from her home in
Norwood, Ontario Then she got into a limousine to go to a large
family party in Toronto, to celebrate her nephew David
PATTERSON's
birthday. On the way, she sat with her great-nephew Paul, his
partner Cathy and their six-week-old daughter, Kira, and was
delighted to have the baby beside her for the trip.
There were more than 100 people at the party, but Valetta held
court, greeting family members. Then, at 7 p.m., she suffered
a stroke, and died instantly in her daughter Beattie's arms.
Born on January 9, 1912, Valetta was the second child of David
DRAIN and Christina
EDWARDS, who farmed near Warsaw, Ontario
The DRAIN household was full of fiddle, piano and song; people
arrived by horse and sled for music in the parlour, food in the
kitchen and children everywhere. When Valetta's mother went into
labour to deliver her sister Cora, Valetta's older brother Ivan
was told to take his 20-month-old sister to grandma's house.
Ivan was 3 and the house was two kilometres away -- but those
were different times. Off the pair toddled, perfectly capable
and perfectly safe.
As teenagers, Valetta and Cora set off for Toronto to work as
domestics, eventually earning a respectable $25 per month plus
room and board.
In 1943, Valetta married the love of her life, Ted
ROSE.
They
farmed together outside Warsaw for 32 years. One night just after
they were married, they went to Peterborough to see a movie.
Afterward, walking up George Street, Valetta mused aloud about
how lovely it would be to own a bedroom suite like the one in
a store's display window. The next day, Ted came home with the
furniture. Valetta never did discover how he'd afforded it.
In 1975, Ted and Valetta sold the farm and retired to Norwood.
Ted died in 1987.
Last year, Valetta set off for Scotland with her daughters Beattie
and Judy, their husbands, Bob
BECHTEL and David
GORDON, and Judy
and David's two sons, Ian and Paul. Valetta announced, "On this
trip, I just want to enjoy being all together." For three weeks,
they drove around staying at bed and breakfasts and exploring
the islands off the north coast. She was planning another trip
this year -- to Judy's home in Vancouver.
For 40 years, Valetta followed the advice of one Dr.
JARVIS,
whose book Folk Medicine taught the benefits of lecithin, and
she followed his prescription for a daily teaspoon of apple cider
vinegar mixed with honey in a half glass of water to keep herself
free from the worst of arthritis and other afflictions. Valetta
knew that the secret of caring for others was simply to enjoy
their company and, as the family "Information Central," loved
to share stories of their successes.
She had her own place in Canadian cultural history. Filmmaker
Norman JEWISON, a cousin, mentioned Valetta to writer Don
HARRON,
who immediately claimed her for use as the wife of his fictional
character Charlie
FARQUHARSON.
Soon
Valetta was credited with
writing down Charlie's Hist'ry of Canada on those days when it
was "too wet to plough." A highlight of Valetta's 90th birthday
party was a card and framed photo from her "second husband."
Valetta made the best of every minute. She spent her last night
on the bed that Ted had bought for her so many years before.
Her spirit will delight family and Friends for years to come.
Jim PATTERSON is Valetta's sister Cora's youngest son. He was
helped by Beattie, Ken, Cora
HENDREN and Stephen
PATTERSON.
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BECK o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-08-06 published
Linda STEARNS: 1937-2003
As ballet mistress and artistic director of the esteemed Montreal
company, she nurtured personality, flair and a risk-taking approach
to dance
By Paula CITRON
Wednesday,
August 6, 2003 - Page R5
In the cutthroat, competitive world of dance, Linda
STEARNS was
an anomaly. As artistic director of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens,
she never played games or held grudges. Whether good or bad news,
she bluntly told her dancers what they had to hear, and in return,
her open-door policy allowed them to vent their own feelings.
National
Ballet of Canada artistic director James
KUDELKA, who
spent almost a decade as a member of Les Grands Ballets, likens
her approach to wearing an invisible raincoat upon which unhappy
dancers spewed their venom. At the end of their tirades, she
would serenely remove the garment and say, "Now let's talk."
Linda STEARNS died at her home in Toronto on July 4, at age 65.
She was born into privilege on October 22, 1937. Her father,
Marshal, was an investment broker; her mother, Helen, was heavily
involved in charity work. The family lived in the posh Poplar
Plains area of central Toronto, where Ms.
STEARNS attended Branksome
Hall.
Despite their wealth, the
STEARNS children (Linda, Nora and Marshal)
were expected to earn their own livings. Helen
STEARNS had studied
dance in her youth, but a career was never an option. When eldest
daughter Linda showed a strong talent, history might have repeated
itself had not Marshal Sr. set aside his reservations after seeing
his daughter perform.
After graduating from high school, Ms.
STEARNS went to London
and New York for advanced training. It was the great Alexandra
Danilova, one of Ms.
STEARNS's
New
York teachers, who pointed
the young dancer in the direction of the upstart Les Grands Ballets
Canadiens. Ms.
STEARNS joined Les Grands in 1961, and was promoted
to soloist in 1964. In a Who's Who of Entertainment entry, Ms.
STEARNS was once listed as joining the company in 1861, and she
liked to joke that, at 103 years, she held the record for the
longest time spent in the corps de ballet. In fact, one of Ms.
STEARNS's hallmarks was her sense of humour, much of it at her
own expense.
Les Grands was known for taking dancers who did not necessarily
have perfect ballet bodies, but had personality and flair, a
policy Ms.
STEARNS continued during her own administration.
Although Ms.
STEARNS had very unballetic, low-arched feet, she
was a fine classical dancer. She excelled, however, in the dramatic
repertoire: Mother Courage in Richard Kuch's The Brood, or the
title role in Brydon Paige's Medea. In later years, while teaching
and coaching, Ms.
STEARNS wore high heels to conceal her hated
low arches -- while showing off her attractive ankles.
Her performing career was cut short in 1966 when artistic director
Ludmilla CHIRIAEFF recognized that Ms.
STEARNS would make a brilliant
ballet mistress, and by 1969, Ms.
STEARNS was exclusively in
the studio. In fact, giving up performing was one of the great
disappointments of her life, although she did in time acknowledge
that she had found her true destiny. Ms.
STEARNS's astonishingly
keen eye allowed her to single out, in a corps de ballet of moving
bodies, every limb that was out of position. She could also sing
every piece of music, which saved a lot of time, because she
didn't have to keep putting on the tape recorder. Because of
her intense musicality, Ms.
STEARNS also insisted that the dancers
not just be on the count, but fill every note with movement.
Ms. STEARNS loved playing with words -- she was a crossword-puzzle
addict, for example -- and gave the dancers nicknames, whether
they liked them or not. Catherine
LAFORTUNE was Katrink, Kathy
BIEVER was Little Frog, Rosemary
NEVILLE was Rosie Posie, Betsy
BARON was Boops, and Benjamin
HATCHER was Benjamino, to name
but a few. One who escaped this fate was Gioconda
BARBUTO, simply
because Ms.
STEARNS loved rolling out the word "G-I-O-C-O-N-D-A"
in its full Italian glory. The dancers, in turn, called her Lulubelle,
Mme. Gozonga and
La Stearnova or, if they were feeling tired,
cranky and hostile -- and were out of earshot -- Spoons (for
her non-arched feet) and even less flattering names. As reluctantly
as she became ballet mistress, Ms.
STEARNS became artistic director,
first as one of a triumvirate in 1978 with Danny
JACKSON and
Colin McINTYRE (when Les Grands and Brian
MacDONALD came to an
abrupt parting of the ways;) then with Jeanne
RENAUD in 1985
and finally on her own in 1987. She retired from Les Grands in
1989. Both Mr.
JACKSON and Mr.
McINTRYE still refer to Ms.
STEARNS
as the company's backbone.
These were the famous creative years that included the works
of Mr. KUDELKA, Paul Taylor, Lar Lubovitch, Nacho Duato and George
Balanchine. Les Grands toured the world performing one of the
most exciting and eclectic repertoires in ballet. It was a company
that nurtured dancers and choreographers, many of whom reflected
Ms. STEARNS's risk-taking, innovative esthetic.
She also had time to mentor choreographers outside the company,
including acclaimed solo artist Margie
GILLIS.
Her post-Grands
career included writing assessments for the Canada Council, setting
works on ballet companies, coaching figure skating, and most
recently, becoming ballet mistress for the Toronto-based Ballet
Jörgen. When she was diagnosed with both ovarian and breast cancer
two years ago, she continued her obligations to Ballet Jörgen
until she was no longer able, never letting the dancers know
how ill she was.
Ms. STEARNS loved huge dogs -- or what Ms.
GILLIS refers to as
mountains with fur -- and always had at least two. Her gardens
were magnificent, as was her cooking. Her generosity was legendary,
whether inviting 20 people for Christmas dinner, or hosting the
wedding reception for dancers Andrea
BOARDMAN and Jean-Hugues
ROCHETTE at her tastefully decorated Westmount home. After leaving
Montreal, whether, first, at her horse farm in Harrow, Ontario,
or at the one-room schoolhouse she lovingly renovated near Campbellville,
northwest of Toronto, former colleagues were always welcome.
She continued to keep in touch with her dancers, sending notes
in her beautiful, distinctive handwriting. Her love of sports
never left her, and after a hard day in the studio, she would
relax watching the hockey game. Religion also filled her postdance
life, with Toronto's Anglican Grace-Church-on-the-Hill at its
epicentre. Ms.
STEARNS was very discreet in her private life,
although another disappointment is that neither of two long relationships
resulted in marriage or children.
Ms. STEARNS was always ruthlessly self-critical, always striving
for perfection, never convinced she had rehearsed a work to its
full potential. As a result, she never made herself the centre
of her own story. Her homes, for example, did not contain photographs
glorifying the career of Linda
STEARNS.
Only at the end of her
days, as she faced death with the same grace with which she had
faced life, was she finally able to appreciate how many lives
she had touched, and accept her outstanding achievements with
Les
Grands
Ballets. Linde
HOWE-
BECK, former dance critic for
the Montreal Gazette, sums up Ms.
STEARNS perfectly when she
says that she was all about love -- for her Friends and family,
for life, but most of all, for dance.
Paula CITRON is dance critic for The Globe and Mail.
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BECK o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-09-24 published
COBLENTZ,
Harry
Stagg
Born in London, England, June 12, 1926 and died on Saturday,
September 20, 2003. He dearly loved, and was dearly loved by,
his wife Josephine
(Craig) and his children, Linda (Bernard
BECK,)
Jenny (Edmund
STELMACHER,)
Craig
(Bonnie
CAMERON,) and Eliza
(Michael KENDRICK.) He will be greatly missed and lovingly remembered
by his grandchildren, Amy (Warren
STEVENS,)
Andrew,
Aaron,
Bianca,
Ailish, Maggie, Hunter, Parkes, and Rennie, and great-grand_sons
Sajen and Cannon.
He was educated at King's College, Durham University and University
of North Carolina. He worked in the Planning profession in London,
England, Toronto Township, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Albuquerque,
New Mexico, and Phoenix, Arizona. He was professor of planning
at Waterloo, Arizona State, and Pennsylvania State Universities.
Friends and family will gather to celebrate his beautiful life
at Saint John's Anglican Church in Elora, Friday, September 26
at 3: 30 p.m. In memory of his lifelong passion for learning,
teaching, and books, remembrances to the Waterloo Region Library,
Elmira Branch, Children's Department, would be greatly appreciated
by his family.
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BECK o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-12-27 published
DEVEAU,
Robert
Died suddenly on December 21, 2003. Husband of Trixie; father
of Damien, Kylie and Jordana;
son of Adele (deceased) and Adolph
brother of Jerry and Diane of Connecticut; uncle of Paul and
Nicholas BECK,
Toronto and E.J., Elizabeth and Christopher, U.S.A.
A larger than life personality, a passion for his work with art,
especially carpets, drew us into his world, which will be sadly
diminished by his absence. A service will be held at St. James
Chapel, Cabbagetown, 635 Parliament Street, on Monday, December
29, 2003 at 11 a.m. All Friends are invited. In lieu of flowers,
donations may be made to a Memorial Fund at the Board of Trade,
Woodbridge, in his honour.
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BECKER o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-03-22 published
Died
This
Day -- Abigail
BECKER, 1905
Saturday, March 22, 2003 - Page F11
Farmer and homemaker born in Frontenac County, Upper Canada,
on March 14, 1830; in 1848, settled on Long Point, Lake Erie
in November, 1848, rescued crew of schooner aground in storm
crew clung to frozen rigging all night, not daring to enter the
raging surf; waded shoulder-high into water and helped seven
men reach shore; cook refused and remained lashed to the rigging
until next day; awarded medals for heroism; received $350 collected
by grateful people of Buffalo, New York, and a handwritten letter
from Queen Victoria accompanied by £50; in later years, aided
six other shipwrecked sailors and saved a boy from a deep well
raised 17 children; died at Walsingham Centre, Ontario; "Heroine
of Long Point" commemorated by plaque in Port Rowan, Ontario,
and by the Abigail Becker Conservation area.
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BECKERMAN o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-06-21 published
WALLACE,
Matthew
Maurice ''Mo'' (Long term Confederation Life
Employee, World War 2 Veteran, avid bridge player)
Died peacefully, on June 19, 2003, in his 81st year, at the Toronto
East General Hospital. Loving husband of 55 years to Hazel and
much loved father of Sean, Tony and his fiancée Barb
SECKER,
Erin WALLACE and her husband Steve
BROWN, and Laura
WALLACE.
Cherished Grand-Dad and ''Zaide'' of Naomi and Colin
BROWN, and
Sarah and Rachel
BECKERMAN.
Sadly missed brother of Virginia
WALLACE and predeceased by his dear sister Barbara. Fondly remembered
Godfather of Jeanne
SHEMILT and her family. ''Mo'' will always
be remembered by his many Friends and relatives. As he wished,
his body has been donated to the Division of Anatomy at the University
of Toronto. Mo's family will receive Friends at the Sherrin Funeral
Home, 873 Kingston Road (west of Victoria Park Avenue), Toronto
(416) 698-2861, on Sunday, June 22, 2003 from 4 - 6 p.m. We will
celebrate a life lived well in the funeral home chapel on Monday
at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Anne Frank House,
would be appreciated by the family.
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BECKETT o@ca.on.manitoulin.howland.little_current.manitoulin_expositor 2003-01-22 published
James Athey
BECKETT
At Chelsey Park Nursing Home, London on Sunday, January 19, 2003
James Athey Beckett of London, formerly of Kitchener and born in
Sunrise Kentucky, in his 88th year. Beloved husband of Ruth
(MILLSON)
BECKETT. Dear father of Ruth Ann
BASTERT and Nancy
BELL of
Sheguiandah, Manitoulin Island, Mary Lou
BECKETT and Chuck
EBERLEY of
Ottawa,
Sandy
Lee
BECKETT of London. Dear grandfather of Peggy,
Shawn, Ian and Wendy, Matthew and Aaron. Also survived by nine
great-grandchildren. Predeceased by brothers John and Bud and a
sister Suzanna. Friends called at the C. Haskett and son Funeral
Home, 223 Main Street, Lucan on Monday, January 20 where the funeral
service was held on Tuesday, January 21 with Reverend Fred
McKINNON
officiating. Cremation with interment St. James Cemetery,
Clandeboye. Condolences may be forwarded through www.haskettfh.com
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BECKETT o@ca.on.manitoulin.howland.little_current.manitoulin_expositor 2003-05-07 published
Ruby WILLSON
In loving memory of Ruby
WILLSON,
May 15, 1937 to April 30, 2003.
Ruby WILLSON, a resident of Ice Lake, died at the Mindemoya Hospital
on Wednesday, April 30, 2003 at the age of 65 years. She was born in
Kagawong, daughter of the late Nelson and Lillian
(TRUDEAU)
PIERCE.
Ruby was an "Adventuress" and enjoyed life to its fullest. She had
worked as a hostess at Harbour Island as well as being a navigator on
sail boats, and had sailed many places, including the open seas. She
enjoyed many things, such as needlework, baking, reading and
especially loved to entertain and host people. Her favourite place
was Harbour Island. A loving wife, mother and grandmother, she will
be sadly missed, but many happy memories will be cherished.
Dearly loved wife and best friend of Chuc
WILLSON.
Loving and loved
mother of Dennis
BECKETT and Deanna
BENOIT both of Kagawong, Rob
BECKETT of Pefferlaw and Juanda
GEORGE of Espanola. Proud
grandmother of James, Charles, Kevin, Crestienne, Aaron, Brandon and
Sheldon.
Also survived by Lake
WILSON and his daughter Jasmine.
Dear sister of Sandra
JAMES.
Predeceased by husbands Robert
BECKETT,
Carl REINGUETTE and John
PETRIE and brother Reynold
PIERCE.
A private family funeral service will be conducted at the Culgin
Funeral Home, followed by cremation. A public memorial service will
be conducted at Lyons Memorial United Church on Thursday, May 15,
2003 at 11: 00 a.m. with Pastor Maxine
McVEY officiating. If so
desired, donations may be made to Strawberry Point Christian Camp or
the Mindemoya Hospital Auxiliary. Culgin Funeral Home 282-2270.
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BECKETT o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-09-06 published
BECKETT,
Charlotte
Mae
(Died
April 28, 2003)
BECKETT,
John ''Jack'' (Died July 27, 2003)
A graveside service for both Charlotte and Jack
BECKETT will
be held on Saturday, September 13, 2003 at 2 o'clock at Wilfrid
Cemetery, Wilfrid, Ontario -- near Pefferlaw, Ontario. The family
wish to thank everyone for their expression of sympathy and show
of condolence during their time of sorrow.
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BECKMAN o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-11-15 published
GENSER,
Bonnie
It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our mother,
grandmother, and great-grandmother, Bonnie
GENSER, who died on
Sunday, November 29th, 2003. She died peacefully, without pain,
with her family by her side. She was predeceased by her husband
Harold GENSER who died in 1980, and her siblings Rebecca
JAUVOISH,
Lottie BECKMAN, Bessie
MELEMADE, David
LEVIN, Rosie
LEVIN, Esther
POLLOCK and Harry
LEVIN.
She leaves to grieve her death and celebrate
her life, three daughters, Naomi
COHEN
(Jared
SABLE,) Toronto,
Barbara BUTLER, Winnipeg, Susan
STARR (Don
STARR), Toronto, London,
six grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren. In addition to her
immediate family, she is remembered by her sisters-in-law Esther
Genser KAPLAN,
Myrna
LEVIN, Beverley
LEVIN and Marion Vaisley
GENSER, and many nieces and nephews.
Bonnie served in a leadership capacity in various areas of the
community; president of the Bride's group, National Council of
Jewish Women, president of Lillian Frieman Chapter of Hadassah,
founder of the Shaarey Zedek Girl Guides, and later as a commissioner
of the Manitoba Girl Guides. During her many visits to Israel
she served as a volunteer in areas of agriculture, education,
archaelogy, and social services.
She lived life to the fullest, and will be remembered for her
dynamic personality, wit, charm, generosity, and infectious smile
which made everyone feel special.
We wish to thank Vangie, Claire, Amy, and Ruth for their loving
care.
Pallbearers were her grand_sons Scott
COHEN,
Paul
RAYBURN, Josh
BUTLER,
Sheldon
POTTER, granddaughters Hally and Misha
STARR,
and nephews Michael and Daniel
LEVIN.
Honorary pallbearers were
Don STARR,
Jared
SABLE, Perry
RAYBURN, and Mayer
LAWEE.
Rabbi Allan
GREEN officiated and her granddaughter Leanne
POTTER
spoke on behalf of the family. Donations in Bonnie's memory may
be made to The Bonnie Genser Fund in the Women's Endowment Fund
of the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba, C-400-123 Doncaster Street,
Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3N 2B2, (204) 477-7525 or www.jewishfoundation.org
or the charity of your choice.
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