HOY o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-01-08 published
Photographer, reporter and royal press attaché
After years at The Globe and Mail, he went on to craft speeches
for William
DAVIS and to co-ordinate royal tours
By Allison
LAWLOR
Wednesday,
January 8, 2003, Page R5
John GILLIES, a former reporter at The Globe and Mail, who later
served as press attaché for the royal tours in the 1970s, died
recently at his home in Mississauga, Ontario He was 74.
Known as "a two-way man," Mr.
GILLIES was both a reporter and
photographer at The Globe throughout the 1960s. He travelled
extensively around Ontario, covering everything from fires and
train derailments to inquests and trials.
Reporting was in his blood, said Rudy
PLATIEL, a fellow two-way
man who worked with Mr.
GILLIES at The Globe.
He loved digging up stories and talking to people, Mr.
PLATIEL
recalled.
"For John, the worst time was when nothing was panning out, and
he didn't get a story.
"We were sort of the generalists in the sense that we were ready
to take on any story," Mr.
PLATIEL added. "I think he enjoyed
not knowing what was coming up next."
After more than a decade at The Globe and Mail, Mr.
GILLIES left
the paper for a job with the Ontario government.
Working as a communications officer in the Ministry of Education,
his job, among others, was to field media calls and write speeches.
He frequently wrote them for William
DAVIS -- who would later
become the Premier of Ontario -- when Mr.
DAVIS was the education
minister. Mr.
GILLIES spent 20 years working for the government
before retiring in the late 1980s.
Of all the press officers at Queen's Park at the time, Mr.
GILLIES
was the most up-front, said Rod
GOODMAN, a former ombudsman of
The Toronto Star.
"If he knew something, he would tell you," Mr.
GOODMAN said.
"He was very straight and very honest."
During the 1970s, on leaves from the Ministry of Education, Mr.
GILLIES served as press co-ordinator for the royal tours to Canada.
He would ride on the press bus, following the Royal Family on
their visits to various parts of the country, arranging interviews
and ensuring that things ran smoothly for the press.
"Several times, he got to meet the Queen," said his daughter,
Laurie SWINTON. "He always said Prince Philip was a real card."
Her father was not known for his impeccable style: Ms.
SWINTON
recalls a photo taken of him standing with the Queen, wearing
a rumpled $29 suit from a local department store. It was not
uncommon for Mr.
GILLIES to be seen with a crooked tie and untucked
shirt. "He was probably one of the only guys at Queen's Park
that dressed worse than me," said author and broadcaster Claire
HOY.
John GILLIES was born in Toronto on March 4, 1928, the only son
of George and Sarah
GILLIES.
The family lived in a tiny row house
in the city's west end. His father worked in the rail yards,
and his mother in a chocolate factory, often bringing home boxes
of candy for her only son.
Not fond of school, Mr.
GILLIES dropped out in Grade 10.
Later, in search of work, he walked into the office of the weekly
newspaper in Port Credit (now a part of Mississauga), telling
them he needed a job and would do anything. It just so happened
that they required a sports editor and hired him.
"He just sort of fell into writing," Ms.
SWINTON said.
In 1954, when Hurricane Hazel ripped through Toronto, killing
81 people, Mr.
GILLIES's instinct was not to seek shelter in
the basement of his home, but to hit the streets to talk to people
and gather stories.
When Mr. GILLIES reached an area of the city where a number of
new townhouses had been wiped out, a police roadblock met him,
recalled his son, Ken
GILLIES. A friend who was with him at the
time pulled a badge from his coat pocket and flashed it at the
officer. After police let the pair through, Mr.
GILLIES turned
to his friend and asked where he got the badge. "From my kid's
Cheerios box this morning," his friend replied.
An avid golfer, it was on the greens in Port Credit that Mr.
GILLIES met Frances
SMITH, a woman who shared his passion for
golf.
The couple married in 1954, and later had three children. Ms.
GILLIES died of cancer in 1984.
A helpless optimist when it came to golf, Mr.
GILLIES was known
to go out under the most dire conditions. He would look at a
dark, looming sky and declare that it was clearing, Ken
GILLIES
recalled. By contrast, said Mr.
HOY, the task of getting Mr.
GILLIES on the greens when he hadn't scheduled a golf game was
next to impossible.
"I don't know anyone else who was that structured," Mr.
HOY added,
noting that his golfing buddy stuck to his weekly schedule, where
each day was dedicated to a particular task. For example, shopping
was done not on Thursday but on Saturday. "He had this one little
idiosyncrasy," Mr.
HOY joked.
A good-hearted man who was also a big lover of dogs, Mr.
GILLIES
was known to carry a stash of dog biscuits on his daily walks
to give to the neighbourhood pooches. "He was a very simple guy,"
said his son Ken. "He didn't like a lot of ceremony and fanfare."
Mr. GILLIES leaves his three children, Don, Ken and Laurie, and
two grandchildren, Corey and Grace.
John GILLIES, reporter / photographer, communications officer
born in Toronto on March 4, 1928; died in Mississauga, Ontario
on December 4, 2002.
H... Names HO... Names HOY... Names Welcome Home
HOY o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-07-26 published
FOLLETT,
Michael
Peacefully, at the Freeport Health Centre of Grand River Hospital,
surrounded by the love of his family, Michael died on Thursday,
July 24, 2003. He was 59 years of age.
Beloved husband of Sheila; loving father of Amanda and Andrea
FOLLETT; step-father of Christa and Jodie
HOY,
Grant,
Carolyn
and Susie PARKS.
Pappy to Roelien and Danielle
PARKS. Brother
of Peter (Lisa), and stepsister Lynne (Sandy).
He was predeceased by his wife
Mary
(LEVOIR,)
August 12, 1996,
his parents John and Margaret
(TAILOR/TAYLOR)
FOLLETT and stepmother
Peggy FOLLETT.
Mike was well known in the business community. He was Past President
of Kitchener-Waterloo and Area Chamber of Commerce, a member of
The Conservative Business Association and the Kitchener-Conestoga
Rotary Club and served on the board of the K-W Art Gallery. Mike
is a member of St. George's of Forest Hill Anglican Church. He
founded and operated Michael Follett Consulting Inc.
Friends are invited to share their memories of Mike with his
family at the Edward R. Good Funeral Home, 171 King Street South,
Waterloo from 2-4 and 7-9pm on Sunday. A service to celebrate Mike's
life will be held at St. George's of Forest Hill Anglican Church,
321 Fischer Hallman Road East, Kitchener on Monday, July 28,
2003 at 1pm. with Reverend Mark
GLADDING officiating. A private family
interment will be held at a later date.
In Mike's memory, donations to the Grand River Regional Cancer
Centre would be appreciated and can be arranged through the funeral
home, phone (519)745-8445 or www.edwardrgood.com
H... Names HO... Names HOY... Names Welcome Home
HOYT o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-08-02 published
James Edward
FRASER
April 1, 1929 - July 29, 2003
(Former Executive Director Track 3 Ski Association and in retirement
tour escort for Golden Escapes Travel) Jim died peacefully after
a short but feisty battle with cancer. Loving husband for 50
years to Virginia
FAGE
(Ginny.)
Jim's zest for life and love
of family is treasured by his daughters, Leslie (Ken
HOYT,)
Meredith
(Ed YAWNEY) and Leah (Steven
SPENCER.)
Proud
Grandpa of nine
grandchildren, Meghan, Jenna, Taryn, Andrew and Owen
HOYT,
Tyler
and Jennifer
YAWNEY and Stephanie and Scott
SPENCER.
Jim was
well known for his optimism and sense of humour which continued
throughout his illness. His love of travel, good food (he especially
enjoyed cooking for his family and Friends), music, theatre,
dancing and skiing will be remembered by his family who will
carry on his favourite tradition of all camping together. Jim
was predeceased by his parents Judge Allan and Margaret
FRASER
and his brother John
FRASER. He will be missed by his sisters
Molly (Jack
BOYD) and Diane (Michael
McCORMACK) all of Ottawa.
In accordance with Jim's wishes there will be no visitation.
There will be a private family service and interment at Beechwood
Cemetery in Ottawa. A celebration of Jim's life will take place
in Toronto on September 13, 1-4 p.m. at the Old Mill Garden Room.
The family wishes to thank the staff at Sunnybrook Hospital and
Cancer Centre who were so kind and caring to both Jim and his
family. If desired, donations in his memory may be made to Sunnybrook
Regional Cancer Centre or The Lions Foundation of Canada (a facility
for training guide and helper dogs) (905)842-2891. Condolences
and inquiries regarding the celebration may be sent to jimandginny13@hotmail.com
H... Names HO... Names HOY... Names Welcome Home
HOYT - All Categories in OGSPI