KISS o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-11-05 published
'Nobody beats Arthur'
Victoria native left mark on Ottawa's business scene, while setting
swimming records when he was over 70
By Randy RAY,
Special to The Globe and Mail Wednesday, November
5, 2003 - Page R7
Ottawa -- When Arthur
INGLIS moved to Ottawa from Victoria in
the late 1960s, his goal was to leave his mark on the nation's
capital. By all accounts, he succeeded, both in the world of
business and in the swimming pool.
"When he arrived he thought he could make a difference," said
his partner of 20 years Kimberly
CROSS. "
The place was a wasteland
back then, but he did manage to leave an imprint."
Mr. INGLIS, who as recently as May set a world swimming record,
died on September 1. He as 71.
After moving to Ottawa, Mr.
INGLIS, who was born in Victoria
on March 28, 1932, worked as director of store design for Hudson's
Bay Co. and redesigned a handful of department stores purchased
from their local owner by the Bay.
In 1976, he started two Vanilla Boutique clothing stores and
later operated the Ecco Restaurant in downtown Ottawa. He founded
the Mags and Fags newsstand that same year after he realized Ottawa
didn't have an outlet with the variety of magazines and newspapers
available in New York or London. The business also included Immigration
and Naturalization Service News Service, which distributes newspapers
and magazines to Ottawa's business and government sectors.
With a reputation as an innovative member of Ottawa's business
community, Mr.
INGLIS and a partner built Mags and Fags into one
of the biggest newsstands in Canada, said Mr.
CROSS, who added
that local media individuals often visited the Elgin Street shop.
During the early 1980s, Mr.
INGLIS and a business partner designed
a bar named Shannon's in honour of Shannon
TWEED,
Miss
Ottawa
Valley of 1977 and Playboy Magazine's 1982 Playmate of the Year.
TWEED, partner of Gene
SIMMONS, bassist for rock band
KISS, named
her dog Vanilla after Mr.
INGLIS's women's fashion shops.
His boutiques carried innovative lines of clothing from France
and Italy that couldn't be found elsewhere in Ottawa. His Ecco
restaurant and club was a downtown hotspot known for its elegant
yet homey setting.
"It was hot, hot, hot with a library and outdoor terrace on the
second floor, like something you'd find on 3rd Avenue in New
York," Mr.
CROSS said. "It was the place where all of the city's
movers and shakers went, real estate people, fashion people --
you name it."
Mr. INGLIS and a partner also designed and introduced several
Ottawa shopping centres to the sales kiosks that are now commonplace
in most malls.
In 2000, when Mr.
INGLIS was 68 and still operating the newsstand,
his life took a dramatic turn because of cholesterol and blood-pressure
problems. His doctors placed him on medication but instead of
relying on pills, he quit drinking, adopted a healthier diet
and started swimming and weight-training.
In 2002, he sold his share in Mags and Fags to concentrate on travel
and competitive swimming, which he had excelled at as youngster
and into his teens.
Mr. INGLIS's athletic prowess in his younger days also included
skating with the Ice Capades, touring North America with his
sister May in the 1950s.
To pursue his interest in swimming and to improve his fitness,
Mr. INGLIS joined the Technosport masters swim and triathlon
team in Ottawa and was soon setting Canadian and world swimming
records in the 70-and-over age group. As his health problems
eased, he challenged the best in the world in masters swimming
in various locales, including New Zealand and Hawaii.
When he died, he held 17 Canadian or Ontario records in backstroke,
breaststroke, freestyle and individual medley, including all
Canadian backstroke records in all distances in the 70 to 74
age group, said teammate Pat
NIBLETT, who keeps track of records
set by members of the Technosport team. Mr.
INGLIS was also a
member of an Ontario swim relay team that set a world record
in New Zealand in 2002.
Ms. NIBLETT, who often travelled to swim meets with Mr.
INGLIS,
remembers her teammate as a "tall slim man with the twinkling
eyes and wonderful sense of humour. I only had the privilege
of knowing Arthur for three short years. I felt as if I had known
him for a lifetime. There is a saying in our house that 'nobody
beats Arthur.' This is true of everything that Arthur did."
At the Canadian National Masters Swim Championships in Montreal
in May, Mr.
INGLIS broke his own 200-metre backstroke record
and set Canadian records in the 100 and 200 individual medley
events.
Technosport coach Duane
JONES, who was among those shocked by
the incredibly fit Mr.
INGLIS's death, said the swimmer worked
out about five times a week.
"When we first met, he was 30 pounds overweight, he was not a
healthy eater and he was lethargic. But soon after, he was setting
records; when he was 71-years-old he had the body of a 35-year-old.
He paid attention to detail and did his workouts, swimming, biking
and weight-training consistently.
"The first time he dove into the water I could not believe how
beautiful his strokes cut the water. I've coached more than 6,000
athletes during the past 35 years and have never seen a guy like
Arthur INGLIS."
Ramona FIEBIG, manager of Mags and Fags for more than 14 years,
said Mr. INGLIS was a dedicated businessman who did his best
to ensure the newsstand had the best selection of titles in the
city. He often showed up for work on weekends as early as 3 a.m.
"There are thousands of titles in the store. It was no small
chore to keep on top of what was new, to find new magazines and
locate suppliers."
To the day he died, Mr.
INGLIS was an innovator, Mr.
CROSS said,
adding that as his health deteriorated, he wanted to try a novel
drug treatment to prolong his life.
"After his stroke, the options were paralysis on his left side
or trying a new drug," Mr.
CROSS said, adding that the side effect
was a 16-per-cent chance he would suffer massive bleeding in
his brain. "His feeling was that if he didn't survive, the next
person who came down the shoot might have a better chance."
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KISSICK o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-12-27 published
KISSICK,
John
Gardiner
Canning
(Jack)
Died peacefully, on Christmas Eve, with his family by his side,
after a short stay at Lakeshore Lodge, Etobicoke, in his 102nd
year. Predeceased by his first wife, Margaret and second wife
Flossie. He will be remembered with great love and many fond
memories by his son, William (Sarah), grand_sons, David (Cindy),
Douglas (Lisa) and Andrew; great-grandchildren, Matthew and Sara
step-daughter, Elsie (Alf
THOMAS;) grandchildren, Lynda and Randy
great-grandchildren, Alan and Michael; step-son, Bob
WILSON
(Edie)
grand_son, Stephen. John was a member of The Temple, R.B.P. 292,
Tobermore L.O.L. 2391; Sons and Daughters of Ireland; Apprentice
Boys of Derry; and Morningside-High Park Presbyterian Church,
where Jack was an Elder. Jack was very committed to helping others
and will be remembered fondly by his neighbours and wide circle
of Friends. He could be seen from morning to dusk in his garden
which gave him much pleasure. Special thanks to home caregivers,
Susan and Margaret, and to Lakeshore Lodge. Friends may call
at the Turner and Porter Yorke Chapel, 2357 Bloor Street West,
at Windermere, east of the Jane subway, on Monday from 2-4 and
7-9 p.m. Funeral Service to be held in the Chapel on Tuesday,
December 30 at 1 p.m. Interment Park Lawn Cemetery. For those
who wish, memorial donations may be made to the charity of your
choice.
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KISSOCK o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-04-17 published
Sylvia Mary
KISSOCK
By Conrad ALEXANDROWICZ
Thursday,
April 17, 2003 - Page A22
Mother, friend, meteorologist. Born January 9, 1919, in London,
England. Died July 13, 2002, in Victoria, British Columbia, of
heart failure, aged 83.
My mother was the first child born to William Henry
KISSOCK and
Catherine IRENE, née
SHARPE.
Her father was a wacky Scot, originally
named MacKISSOCK, who worked as a marine engineer. Her mother
came from a large family whose parents were wealthy brewers.
When my mother was 5, the family moved to Australia, near Adelaide.
Here she spent some of the happiest years of her life, excelling
at dancing and acrobatics, and spending much time on the beach
with many Friends.
Then the Depression hit and my grandfather lost his job. They
returned to cold, grey, out-of-work England, and the family,
like many others, had a very hard go of things. (By this time
sister Marian, nine years Sylvia's junior, had joined the family.)
My mother took after her father: she seems to have inherited
his irreverent sense of humour, native optimism, great generosity,
love of adventure, and talent for dancing. She had always wanted
to be a performer, but her mother vetoed that idea, and insisted
that Sylvia take secretarial courses at Pitman's College; my
mother became a first-rate secretary and administrator.
During the Second World War, Sylvia joined the Women's Auxiliary
Air Force and worked as a meteorologist. She met my Polish father,
Adam ALEXANDROWICZ, in London after the war. He swept her off
her feet with his dashing good looks and continental manners.
The couple emigrated to Canada, eventually settling in Ottawa,
where he worked for the federal government. Because of her asthma,
Ottawa winters were a great trial for her. They had three sons:
older brother Stefan, myself, and Adam junior.
Life with my father was mostly very hard; he suffered from bipolar
disorder, and he never really recovered from the Second World
War. In 1975, she left him, taking most of the furniture with
her: she had paid for it out of her meagre salary.
When she retired in 1984, she moved to Victoria, a city where
she had only one old friend. But moving there was an adventure
that she undertook with anticipation and pleasure.
She enjoyed keenly her retirement there. She loved the swarms
of robins in February, the stunning rhododendrons, the cherry
blossoms, and the daffodils. But heart disease (she'd had a heart
attack back in Ottawa in 1975) was stalking her relentlessly.
Despite her devotion to health food, the right fats, a positive
attitude, and lots of exercise, the effects of arteriosclerosis
continued to accumulate.
My mother suffered much from various ailments of the physical
body, but she never let them get her down. She had very few material
or financial resources and never met another man after leaving
my father, but she never lapsed into bitterness or self-pity.
She made the most of life with her energy, enthusiasm, a great
sense of humour, and passion for the causes of feminism and environmental
activism.
Mum must have had an extra portion of luck from somewhere, since
she survived so many health crises. But in the last few months
she took what she herself recognized as the last turn with the
onset of congestive heart failure. Always independent, she had
no wish to languish at home or to be parked in a long-term care
facility. So, sometime during her afternoon nap, she just left.
She used to say to me, "You know, I always wanted to go out with
a massive heart attack, not slowly fall apart." It seems she
got what she wanted.
If anything can be said to exemplify my mother's life, it's the
concept of triumph over adversity. She had a hard life, but she
lived well. Sylvia was a woman of great integrity and principle
a dedicated mother and a loyal friend.
Conrad ALEXANDROWICZ is Sylvia's son.
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