D... Names     DO... Names     DOW... Names     Welcome Home

DOWNE o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2006-07-15 published
THOMPSON/THOMSON/TOMPSON/TOMSON, Juanita▲ Wildrose▲ Emack▲
Died July 14, 2006 at her home in London in her 102nd year. She was the beloved wife of Walter Albert for 68 years, until his death in 1996. Born in Wichita, Kansas, raised on a farm in Texas County, Missouri, she was educated at Drury College and the University of Michigan. She came to Canada in 1930 with Walter and raised four children - Susan DOWNE (Charles▲ MacKENZIE,) John (Ana,▲) Molly Eynon (who predeceased her,) and Ann THOMPSON/THOMSON/TOMPSON/TOMSON. Her grandchildren number twelve - Peter, Lise, Bret, and Bill DOWNE, Nana▲ TIROLESE, Andrew and Ian THOMPSON/THOMSON/TOMPSON/TOMSON, Susan▲ CARLYLE, Robert and Patrick EYNON, and Forrest and Brook SCHNIEDER/SNIDER/SNYDER. She▲ was blessed with fourteen greatgrandchildren - Julia and Conor DOWNE, Tristan▲ DOWNE- DEWDNEY, Jordan and Maya DOWNE, Mackenzie Genevieve DOWNE, Nadia Grace and Stefan TIROLESE, Cole and Riley THOMPSON/THOMSON/TOMPSON/TOMSON, Shaelyn▲ THOMPSON/THOMSON/TOMPSON/TOMSON, Jamie CHRISTIAN, Nicholas and Thomas SOUTHEN. All▲ her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren knew her as a scholar, botanist, weaver, and dictionary-hound. She was always interested and interesting, not only to her family but to her many Friends and faithful caregivers. We are grateful for the exemplary care given her by Vivian MANDALINA and Nicola MEMO, who made it possible for her to live in the house she shared with Walter and where her children were raised, until she died. A memorial service is planned for later this summer in Bayfield, Ontario. Memorial contributions to the Walter Thompson Alumni Fellowship, Richard Ivey School of Business, 1151 Richmond Street, London N6A 3K7 would be gratefully acknowledged. James A. Harris Funeral Home London

  D... Names     DO... Names     DOW... Names     Welcome Home

DOWNE - All Categories in OGSPI

DOWNER o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2006-10-11 published
PORTER, Doctor Charles Jack
Born February 13, 1919 in Port Arthur (now Thunder Bay), Ontario, died October 6, 2006 at Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario at the age of 87. He was the son of Thomas George PORTER and Mildred DOWNER. He graduated from the University of Toronto in 1953 with a PhD in Biochemistry. In September 1957, Doctor Murray YOUNG recommended that Doctor C.J. PORTER head the biochemistry department at the Toronto General Hospital. He had already acquired considerable experience in biochemical research during seven years of work as a researcher at two major drug houses. Concurrently he also took on an assistant professorship at the University of Toronto, and taught biochemistry to medical students there. He continued to run the clinical chemistry department at Toronto General Hospital until 1985 when he retired, having created a world renowned laboratory. After retirement he continued his involvement into his 80's as a director of the Hospitals In Common Laboratory in Toronto. Jack loved the outdoors and was an accomplished classical pianist who also played jazz by ear. He will be missed by his wife Dorothy Mildred (DE CAMPS) and his four sons Robert, Chris, Jim and John; their wives, Yvonne, Marlene, Marion and Cora his brother William (Bill) Lloyd and wife Anne; his brother Beverly George (wife Eunice -- deceased); and his grandchildren, Stephanie, Gregory, Matthew, Richard, Stephen and Derek. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Toronto General and Western Hospital Foundation, specifying for Alzheimer's research. Funeral service will be held at York Cemetery Visitation, Chapel and Reception Centre, 160 Beecroft Road, Toronto, 416-221-3404 on Thursday, October 12, 2006 at 1: 00 p.m. Interment and reception to follow.

  D... Names     DO... Names     DOW... Names     Welcome Home

DOWNER o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.toronto_star 2006-02-03 published
DOWNER, Eric de Courcy
(Fighter Pilot World War 2, avid golfer and curler, member of Scarboro Golf Club and Tam Heather)
Suddenly on Wednesday, February 1, 2006 at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre with his family by his side. Loving husband of Vera for 60 years. Loved father of Lesley BRIDGER (Barry,) Robert E., and Lori ADDERLEY (Jim.) Devoted grandfather of Jason (Tara) and Brad BRIDGER, Megan and Vicki ADDERLEY. Great-grandfather to Maia BRIDGER. Survived by his sister Elsie BEARG. Friends may call at the "Scarborough Chapel" of McDougall and Brown, 2900 Kingston Road (east of St. Clair Ave. E.) on Sunday, February 5 from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Funeral service will be held in the chapel on Monday, February 6, 2006 at 1 p.m. Interment Pine Hills Cemetery. In memory of Eric, donations may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society.

  D... Names     DO... Names     DOW... Names     Welcome Home

DOWNER o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.toronto_star 2006-04-01 published
MAGI, Marcelle Elizabeth (née NICHOLAS)
Born November 28, 1928 - Died unexpectedly March 27, 2006. Predeceased by her parents Albert and Rita NICHOLAS (née TAILOR/TAYLOR,) brothers Austin, Godfrey and Bobby, sisters Madge and Therese (Terry HALGE.) Will be lovingly remembered and missed by niece Deborah MILLS (née HALGE,) Peter MILLS, Samantha and Laura, Margot DOWNER (nee NICHOLAS) (niece and lifelong friend,) nieces Patricia ROBINSON, Jacquie SMITH (godchild,) Gillian NEWMAN, Jenny SKULLY, and their families, cousins Kaye GERNON, Rita Helen BECK, Tony GERNON and their families, Hazel NICHOLAS (Bobby's wife,) Des HALGE (Terry's husband), and dear Friends at Willowdale Manor, where Marcelle resided for many years. The care given by the staff is greatly appreciated. A Funeral Mass will be held on Monday April 3, 2006 at 10 a.m. at St. Gabriel's Roman Catholic Church (650 Sheppard Avenue East). Condolences www.rskane.ca.

  D... Names     DO... Names     DOW... Names     Welcome Home

DOWNER - All Categories in OGSPI

DOWNEY o@ca.on.grey_county.owen_sound.the_sun_times 2006-03-31 published
GUNN, Gordon McDonald
Peacefully, with his family by his side, at the Grey Bruce Health Services in Owen Sound, on Wednesday, March 29th, 2006. Gordon McDonald GUNN, of R.R.#8, Owen Sound, in his 76th year. Dearly beloved husband for fifty-three years of Betty GUNN (née LONG.) Loving father of Linda BUMSTEAD (Gary), Susan DOWNEY (Brian KING), Brad GUNN (Suzanne,) all of Owen Sound and Donna CLARK (Dan,) of London. Proud grandfather of Kevin, Jeff, Michael, Mercedes, Kirby, Justin, Cally, Brittney and Tori. Gordon will be sadly missed by his two brothers, Roy GUNN (Elsie) and Allan GUNN (Leone) and his sister, Marian KYLE (Lorne.) Predeceased by his parents, Hector and Millie GUNN; his brothers, Hector and Howard GUNN his sisters, Elsie HURLBUT and Doreen NESBITT. Friends may call at the Brian E. Wood Funeral Home, 250 - 14th Street West, Owen Sound (376-7492) on Friday from 2: 00 to 4:00 and 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. A Funeral Service for Gordon GUNN will be held in the Funeral Home Chapel on Saturday, April 1st, 2006 at 1: 30 p.m. with Doctor Brad CLARK officiating. Interment in Annan Cemetery. If so desired, the family would appreciate donations to the charity of your choice as your expression of sympathy
Page B4

  D... Names     DO... Names     DOW... Names     Welcome Home

DOWNEY o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2006-02-10 published
DOWNEY, Anne
At Seaforth Community Hospital on Thursday, February 9, 2006, Anne DOWNEY of Seaforth, in her 86th year. Beloved sister of Joseph DOWNEY and Richard DOWNEY and his wife Clara, all of Seaforth. Dear aunt of six nieces and nephews. Predeceased by her parents Joseph and Mary (DOYLE) DOWNEY and three sisters, Mary and her husband Ray CARTER, and Genevieve and Marguerite, both in infancy. Family will receive Friends at the Whitney-Ribey Funeral Home, 87 Goderich Street West, Seaforth on Friday from 7-9 p.m. Prayers will be held at the funeral home on Friday at 9 p.m. Mass of the Christian Burial will be held at St. James Roman Catholic Church, Seaforth on Saturday, February 11 at 11: 00 a.m. Fr. Chris GILLESPIE will officiate. Interment St. Columban Cemetery. Donations may be directed to the Crones and Colitis Foundation or the Canadian Cancer Society. Condolences at www.whitneyribeyfuneralhome.com

  D... Names     DO... Names     DOW... Names     Welcome Home

DOWNEY o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2006-04-22 published
UNCER, John " Jack" Henry
Peacefully at Woodstock General Hospital surrounded by his family, on Thursday, April 20, 2006, John "Jack" Henry UNCER of Innerkip and formerly of Huntingford, in his 80th year. Loving husband for 31 years of June Carlotta UNCER. Dear father of Wayne UNCER (Jane) of Innerkip, Ruth Ann "Rudy" LONSBERRY of Woodstock, Nancy VAN DE LAAR (Harry) of Beachville, Linda POSTMA of Winnipeg, Beverly LIVELY (John) of Woodstock and the late Christine UNCER (1995). Lovingly remembered by 15 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. Brother of Violet REED of Essex and the late Frances LONGFIELD, Florence NEAVE, Doris KISH, Gordon UNCER, Lawrence UNCER, and Billy UNCER, and brother-in-law of Jean UNCER of Ingersoll and Jean DINSMORE (Robert) of Paris. Also loving remembered by many nieces and nephews. Jack was the groundskeeper at Christ Church and Cemetery in Huntingford for many years, and a lover of bluegrass and country music. Friends will be received at the Smith-LeRoy Funeral Home, 69 Wellington Street North, Woodstock on Tuesday, 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Funeral Service in the chapel on Wednesday, April 26th, at 11 a.m. with Rev. Christine DOWNEY officiating. Interment at Christ Church Anglican Cemetery, Huntingford. If desired, memorial donations to Sunshine Dreams for Kids would be appreciated. Smith-LeRoy 519-537-3611. Personal condolences may be sent at www.smithleroy.com

  D... Names     DO... Names     DOW... Names     Welcome Home

DOWNEY o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2006-06-03 published
BOSWELL, Dorothy Grace (née STONE)
Passed away peacefully at her residence at Bayfield Lodge in Kemptville, Ontario on Wednesday, May 31, 2006, Dorothy Grace BOSWELL (née STONE) in her 86th year. Dorothy was born in Woodstock and resided there for 80 years. She became a Registered Nurse in 1942 and a Public Health Nurse in 1945. Beloved wife of the late Bruce BOSWELL (2000.) Daughter of Arthur STONE and Gladys STONE (née BROOME,) both deceased, and loving sister to Hazel BAIRD of Woodstock and sister-in-law to Marg SZOLLER of Woodstock. Dorothy's sisters Eileen BOSWELL and Kay FAULKNER also predeceased her. Cherished mother to Douglas and his wife Andrea of Belleville and Rick and his wife Susan of Merrickville, Ontario. Dorothy was very proud of her two grandchildren, Matthew and his wife Michelle and Erin, as well as her great-grandchild Madison. Friends will be received at the Church of the Epiphany, Anglican (formerly New Saint Paul's), Dundas and Wellington Streets, Woodstock on Thursday, June 8, 2006 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. for the funeral service at 11: 00 a.m. with Rev. Christine DOWNEY officiating. Interment to follow at the Anglican Cemetery. As expressions of sympathy, memorial donations to the Canadian Cancer Society or the Parkinson Society of Canada would be appreciated and may be made through the Smith-LeRoy Funeral Home, (519) 537-3611. Personal condolences may be sent at www.smithleroy.com

  D... Names     DO... Names     DOW... Names     Welcome Home

DOWNEY o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2006-06-03 published
KIRWAN, Lloyd Joseph
At Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital on June 2nd, 2006, Lloyd Joseph KIRWAN of Strathroy in his 81st year passed peacefully. Beloved husband of Nancy (SORRELL.) Dear father of Susan ATCHISON and her husband Joe of London, Dianna STARK and her husband Bob of Arkona, Deborah TOPPING and her husband Doug of London and Leslie NAYLOR and her husband Richard of Petrolia. Predeceased by his parents Jessie May DOWNEY, Thomas KIRWAN, beloved step-father James BRENNAN and sister Helen BRAGG. Loved by 8 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. Visitation at Denning Bros. Funeral Home, 32 Metcalfe St. W. Strathroy on Sunday June 4th from 7-9 p.m. Funeral service from Saint_Johns Anglican Church, head St. South, Strathroy on Monday June 5th at 10 a.m. with Rev. Father Willi KAMMERER officiating. Interment Strathroy Cemetery. Donations to Alzheimer Society, Canadian Cancer Society or charity of choice would be appreciated by the family. A tree will be planted as a living memorial to Lloyd.

  D... Names     DO... Names     DOW... Names     Welcome Home

DOWNEY o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2006-06-28 published
SCOTT, James Edward
Surrounded by his loving family, James Edward SCOTT in his 71st year, passed away peacefully at London Health Sciences Centre, University Campus on Tuesday June 26, 2006. Dear father of Anthony, Tim (Tracey) and Trevor, all of London. Fondly remembered by his grandchildren Cody and Thomas SCOTT of London and Jennifer SCOTT of Toronto. Loving brother of Eileen DOWNEY of Alma and Gerald (Dorothy) SCOTT of Listowel. Sadly missed by all his family and Friends, especially his sidekick "Tasha", his black lab. Predeceased by his ex-wife Patricia SCOTT, his parents Edward and Lavina, his sister Margaret DIETRICH and his brother Elmer SCOTT. Kindly remembered by his ex-wife Dorothy LAPONDER and step-daughter Gina ANTILLE. Jim will be remembered for years to come for his love of cars and auctioneering. At his request, cremation has taken place. Interment Milverton Cemetery. Special thanks to Lillie BARLOW, and to the medical staff at London Health Sciences Centre University Campus, 6th floor for their kindness and support. Expressions of sympathy and donations (Canadian Cancer Society) would be appreciated and may be made through London Cremation Services (519) 672-0459 or online at www.londoncremation.com

  D... Names     DO... Names     DOW... Names     Welcome Home

DOWNEY o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2006-04-26 published
MacDOWELL, Frank,▼ B.Arch., O.A.A.
Retired Chief Architect, Canadian National Railway, Montreal, Quebec, Veteran World War 2, former navigator, Royal Canadian Air Force.
Frank passed away peacefully at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 in his 85th year. Formerly of Toronto, Ontario, Pointe Claire, P.Q. and Oakville, Ontario. Greatly loved husband of Claire for 55 years. Loving father of Hugh and his wife Christine, and Paul, all of Oakville and Peter and his wife Kathryn of Vancouver, British Columbia. Devoted grandfather of Andrew, Michael, Sarah, Matthew and Connor. Frank is the son of the late Hugh and Esther MacDOWELL, brother of the late Hugh (Dick) MacDOWELL and his wife Marie.▼ Brother-in-law▼ of Gerard and Edith DOWNEY. Friends▼ may call at the Ward Funeral Home, 109 Reynolds Street, Oakville (905-844-3221), on Thursday from 7-9 p.m. Funeral Mass will be held at St. Andrew's R.C. Church, 47 Reynolds Street, Oakville, on Friday April 28, 2006 at 1: 30 p.m. Interment to follow at Saint Thomas Cemetery, Waterdown Ontario. In memory of Frank, donations may be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

  D... Names     DO... Names     DOW... Names     Welcome Home

DOWNEY o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2006-09-12 published
Herbert WHITTAKER, Theatre Critic And Writer: (1910-2006)
He discovered theatre in London as a boy during the First World War and was forever smitten by a love for the stage
By Alex DOBROTA with files by the late Donn DOWNEY and Jan WONG, Page S9
Toronto -- He imagined himself a war correspondent on a battlefield, writing about costumed soldiers that bled emotions on a stage. But the struggle that Herbert Whittaker documented and supported for almost half a decade was a real one. As The Globe and Mail's emeritus drama critic until 1975, Mr. WHITTAKER found himself on the front lines of the creation of a distinct Canadian theatre.
And much like the war correspondent who sometimes feels compelled to pick up a rifle in the thick of battle, Mr. WHITTAKER never shied away from using his pen to forward the cause he embraced since early childhood.
"Canadian critics tend to be crusaders," he wrote in a 1985 article. "Their very occupation determines this."
Indeed, when Mr. WHITTAKER, a tall and courtly man, started his career at the Montreal Gazette in 1935, theatre was not high on the national agenda. The country had to survive the rest of the Depression and the Second World War before Canadian theatre came of age in 1953 with the Stratford Shakespearian Festival.
It opened in a big tent and Mr. WHITTAKER was there on behalf of The Globe. He had been with the paper for just four years. "The most exciting night in the history of Canadian theatre," he wrote after the festival's first production, Richard III.
His enthusiasm did not diminish over the years. When he retired, Mr. WHITTAKER was invited to Stratford to accept a gift from the festival. He was offered a prop from any of its productions and, in a rare moment of practicality, he chose the sword used by Alec Guinness, who appeared as Richard in 1953. "I knew his sword, being a hard object, was likely in good repair," Mr. WHITTAKER said. He also wanted something that was closely associated with the event.
Some said Mr. WHITTAKER's reviews were too kind -- less than satisfactory for the theatregoer who wanted to know if a play was worth the price of a ticket. But Toronto readers had the advantage of placing his review alongside the one in The Toronto Star. Its critics, most notably Nathan COHEN, had the reputation of being cold and analytical, and the intelligent reader learned how to strike a balance between the two.
Mr. WHITTAKER offered further reasons to explain the differences. The Star was then an afternoon paper so it could not echo The Globe's review, which appeared in the morning. And Mr. WHITTAKER tended to put positive impressions in his first paragraphs. The Star tended to do the reverse. "I was trying to build up Canadian theatre," Mr. WHITTAKER said in a 1999 interview.
He covered drama with the zeal of an evangelist, showing up at The Globe in the early afternoon to write a chatty, name-dropping column or a weekend feature. He would then return in the evening, Sundays included, to write a thoughtful review for a deadline usually less than an hour away.
The computer had not come of age and his typewritten copy looked like a crossword puzzle with unreadable inserts scribbled in by hand. The reviews were the dismay of the copy editors but represented, given the time constraints, a minor journalistic miracle.
While he covered the theatrical mainstream, he paid equal attention to the smaller theatres, where he would see untried, but promising, Canadian performers and, quite frequently, a play that was making its Canadian debut. He also drew no distinction between amateur and professional performances. "In certain instances, some of the best work is done by amateurs," he said.
Herbert WHITTAKER fell under the spell of stage performance as a boy growing up in London, England. With his family, he moved there before the outbreak of the First World War and events had transpired to keep them on the wrong side of the Atlantic until peace returned. Pantomime fascinated him, as did the antics of Elsie Janis, the musical comedy star who entertained British troops.
After the war, Mr. WHITTAKER's family returned to Montreal, where the theatre scene offered little or no Canadian content and most productions were imported from England or the U.S. With great delight, Mr. WHITTAKER discovered John Martin-Harvey's rendition of Hamlet, an experience that would leave an indelible mark on the rest of his life.
"Young as he was, these experiences shaped his critical standards throughout his career and it is remarkable how often his reviews harken back to Martin-Harvey…" Anton Wagner wrote in Establishing Our Boundaries -- English-Canadian Theatre Criticism.
But for all his love of drama, Mr. WHITTAKER shunned the stage, opting instead for positions as speech writer and art director during his school years at Strathcona Academy in the Outremont neighbourhood of Montreal. As a boy growing up in Outremount, he once played the Toff, a crime solver, in a performance staged in the hall of a local church -- an experience he qualified as the peak of his acting career. He was never seen on a theatre stage again. "I was too shy," he said. "Then I got tall and gangly and started wearing these glasses."
He dropped out of school around the age of 16 to help his family make a living during the harsh years of the Depression. He took up a job as an office clerk with the Canadian Pacific Railway in Montreal's Windsor Station.
But his fascination with theatre never subsided.
"I'm afraid I cheated the Canadian Pacific Railway, for I eventually discovered that by going down to the stacks to search out invoices, I could find time to design costumes for church plays," he would later write in a book about the Montreal theatre scene.
He quit his job in 1935. That same year, he started working at the Gazette as a junior critic who was responsible for just about everything.
And by the late 1930s, he was directing plays in Montreal, taking some of them to the Dominion Drama Festival. He was also designing sets for Montreal productions.
When the Second World War broke out, the army rejected him for military service, mainly because of his less-than-perfect eyesight and because of his somewhat frail physical condition,
"As WHITTAKER recalls, he was rejected for military service," University of Waterloo English professor Rota LISTER once wrote. "[He] did not much care whether it was because he had diminished eye sight, a weak heart or varicose veins; he was simply relieved and let his soldier brother defend the values of civilization while he battled on for Canadian theatrical culture."
For all that, he viewed his work as a theatre critic for The Gazette as a contribution to the war effort. He praised the verve of two Canadian troop shows meant to entertain Allied soldiers, Meet the Navy and Army Show. "His wartime reviews do not seem out of place in The Gazette of the time, rubbing shoulders with news flashes from the front and wartime propaganda," Mr. Wagner wrote.
In 1949, Mr. WHITTAKER joined The Globe as its theatre and film critic and began his long association with the University of Toronto as a director and designer.
At times, he reviewed the plays he directed. In 1950, for instance, he worked on the set design for Going Home, a play written by Morley Callaghan and performed by the New Play Society. He later reviewed the performance for The Globe and Mail. The article's last line read: "The settings were adequate."
He might have chosen either critic or designer as a career but thoughts of a regular pay cheque decided the issue. The remuneration for a designer or director was, at best, a modest honorarium, while newspapers put their contributors on a payroll -- $35 a week to start, in Mr. WHITTAKER's case.
His salary must have improved over the years because when he arrived in Toronto he discovered there were few restaurants that matched what he had grown accustomed to in Montreal. Winston's was one of the few exceptions and Mr. WHITTAKER adopted it. The actors who were appearing at the Royal Alexandra Theatre down the street followed suit and it became the restaurant of the celebrities.
The names of the theatrical giants fell easily from his lips. He said the actor Sir John Gielgud helped him get the job with The Globe by describing Mr. WHITTAKER as "the only intelligent theatre critic in Canada." The favourable notice from Sir John came after Mr. WHITTAKER had bestowed a favourable notice for one of Sir John's performances.
In 1961, Mr. WHITTAKER designed the sets for the 1961-62 season of the Canadian Players, an offshoot of the festival that toured Canada with the classics and provided winter work for some Stratford performers.
King Lear was included in the company's season and Mr. WHITTAKER, who had designed Lear productions twice before, decided to move the play out of ancient Britain into a Far North setting. The set design was serviceable, a bare-bones portable affair that relied on colour to match the mood of the play.
Over the years, Mr. WHITTAKER's name was attached to countless productions as either the director or designer. He had a separate career as an adjudicator with the Dominion Drama Festival's regional festivals and other productions. The Encyclopedia Britannica and the Encyclopedia Americana both asked him for special articles which he supplied.
He was also a frequent recipient of theatrical awards and picked up honorary doctorate degrees in arts from York University and McGill University in Montreal.
In 1976, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. The accompanying citation read: "actor, adjudicator, director and drama critic, whose contributions to the theatre in Canada are legion."!
Long after he retired, Mr. WHITTAKER continued writing theatre reviews and other various articles for The Globe and Mail, The New York Times and the Herald Tribune. He also authored or co-authored as many as six books, including one about Winston's, the restaurant he so often frequented.
And, in the early 1980s, he shouldered the task of founding the Theatre Museum of Canada. "Nobody could talk to him for more than 30 seconds without talking about the theatre museum," recalled Kate Barris, now the museum's president.
The museum was established in 1992 and, over the following years, Mr. WHITTAKER would donate much of his memorabilia collection hundreds of items that included play bills, portraits of artists and even Alec Guinness's sword.
"Theatre was his life," said Kate Barris, the museum's president. "He had many Friends but his main love was the theatre."
In 1999, Mr. WHITTAKER wrote Setting the Stage, which documents Montreal English theatre from 1920 to 1949. The book opens with a sentence that could very well encapsulate the driving force behind its author's career: "In many countries, no matter how thinly populated, no matter how widely scattered across a continent, people must eventually produce their own theatre, as objects on a landscape must produce their own shadows."
But for all his love for Canadian theatre, Mr. WHITTAKER also enjoyed Western European productions. In his free time, he travelled to England, France and Spain in search of the local flavour producers and theatres bring to classical plays there. In one 1978 adventure unrelated to theatre, he visited China at a time when outsiders were seldom seen. His experiences left him somewhat rueful: "A much-travelled man may be a well-travelled man but not necessarily a man who travels well," he later wrote in an article in The Globe that appeared under the headline "What went wrong."
Herb WHITTAKER never married. Before he moved into a retirement home in 2003, he spent two years at Toronto's Performing Arts Lodge on The Esplanade, where married couples are allocated to two bed-room apartments. Mr. WHITTAKER was hoping for an extra room to use as his study. He argued his case, telling staff that he was married to his work. "He only got one bedroom," said Ms. Barris. "It didn't work."
And, as Mr. WHITTAKER's living quarters shrank, the museum's collection swelled with his donations. He kept his typewriter, though, which often clanked away in his room as he crafted letters to Friends and acquaintances the world over.
Well into his 90s, Mr. WHITTAKER continued to attend theatre performances. He was a familiar sight at Toronto premieres and at theatre festivals in Stratford and Niagara.
In 2002, when he attended a Chekhov play at SoulPepper Theatre Company, director Albert Shultz led the crowd in a standing ovation to mark Mr. WHITTAKER's 91st birthday.
"He was quite moved," Ms. Barris said.
By all accounts, he last saw a play the following year when he watched Richard McMillan perform in Through the Eyes at The Factory Theatre Company. Soon thereafter, his frail health confined him to his retirement home on St. George Street, where he continued reading theatre reviews.
"Herb's passing really marks the end of a certain generation in Canadian theatre," Phillip SILVER, Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts of York University wrote in a statement. "He had a view of our history that no one else will ever have. And on top of that all, he was truly a gentleman."
Herbert WHITTAKER was born in Montreal September 20, 1910. He died of natural causes in Toronto on Saturday.

  D... Names     DO... Names     DOW... Names     Welcome Home

DOWNEY o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2006-10-04 published
DINN, Jerome Ronald
Passed away at Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital, Burlington, on Sunday, October 1, 2006, in his 64th year. Beloved husband of Rosemary (née DOWNEY). Loved father of Tammy McLEOD (née DINN) and her husband Brian and Jason DINN, all of Burlington. Loved brother of Doug and Shelley, Bob and Diane, Phillip, Kathy DINN and Colin McDOUGALL and Brian and Krystal. Brother-in-law of Rosalind DIRADO, Barbara and Dan VERIGIN and Debbie and Pat KEANE. Missed also by his many nieces and nephews. Predeceased by his brothers Noël and David, sister Patsy, brother-in-law Leo DOWNEY and sister-in-law Audrey DOWNEY. Jerome's life has touched hundreds of Friends worldwide. He will be greatly missed by all who had the pleasure of his company. Visitation at Smith's Funeral Home, 1167 Guelph Line, (one stoplight north of Queen Elizabeth Way) Burlington (905-632-3333) on Wednesday from 3-5 and 7-9 p.m. and Thursday from 3-5 and 7-9 p.m. Funeral Mass will take place at Saint_John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church, Brant Street (at Blairholm), Burlington on Friday, October 6, 2006 at 10: 30 a.m. Entombment Assumption Cemetery, Mississauga. If desired, expressions of sympathy to the Canadian Cancer Society would be sincerely appreciated by the family. Vigil service Thursday at 3 p.m. at the Funeral Home. www.smithsfh.com

  D... Names     DO... Names     DOW... Names     Welcome Home

DOWNEY o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2006-10-11 published
Ian SCOTT, Lawyer And Politician: (1934-2006)
An Ontario politician with the air of a statesman, he was the social conscience of David Peterson's Liberal cabinet, writes Sandra MARTIN. In 1994, he suffered a devastating stroke that left him paralyzed but unbowed
By Sandra MARTIN with files by the late Donn DOWNEY, Page S9
Lawyer, civil-rights advocate and politician, Ian SCOTT had a silver tongue, a prodigious brain and an encompassing empathy. He also faced enormous hardships: His partner died of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and, six months later, he suffered a devastating stroke that robbed him of mobility and his ability to speak. He refused to accept his infirmity and spent the next dozen years retraining his wayward speaking skills with the same determination that he had exerted pleading cases before the court or arguing public policy around the cabinet table or in the Ontario Legislature.
"He was one of the most eloquent speakers, and that was what made the stroke such a cruel twist of fate," said his old friend, Roy McMURTRY, Chief Justice of Ontario. "But he never gave up and he was an inspiration to all of us."
On the public front, he will be remembered as the Ontario attorney-general who, next to the premier himself, put the Liberal stamp on David PETERSON's government between 1985 and 1990, the years when the party spectacularly won, then lost, the reins of power in Ontario. At the time, it was difficult to find an important provincial initiative that did not carry the odour of Mr. SCOTT's all-too frequent cigarettes.
Ian SCOTT was the social conscience of the Liberal cabinet and emerged immediately as a cabinet leader when the Liberals took office with a minority government in 1985. Long before his election as a Liberal, he had had ties with the New Democratic Party, and he combined this with his powers of persuasion to negotiate a deal with the New Democrats that formally ended 43 years of Tory rule in Ontario.
Mr. SCOTT, Mr. PETERSON, Robert Nixon (treasurer) and Sean Conway (education minister) became known as the four horsemen of what started out to be a reform government. He spearheaded the attack on doctors to end extra billing and was the government's counsel against the free-trade agreement. After a period of soul searching, he came out in favour of the Meech Lake constitutional deal, although he was among the first to warn of its weaknesses.
"He was a colossus of provincial politics," said Mr. PETERSON. "He had an intellectual cachet and wit, an advocacy that was second to none, a capacity for very hard work, and he was cunning. He knew how to get what he wanted."
Mr. SCOTT was a superb counsel, one of the best of his generation, said Judge McMURTRY. "He had a marvellous career as a lawyer and contributed greatly politically." Commenting on Mr. SCOTT's accomplishments as attorney- general, Mr. McMURTRY mentioned the merger of county, district and high courts, the process for appointing provincial court judges and his respect for individual and human rights.
During his tenure as attorney-general, Mr. SCOTT "utterly transformed Ontario's justice system, and played an indispensable role in constitutional talks, and otherwise, in the life of his government," current Attorney-General Michael Bryant said in a statement yesterday. "He introduced Ontario's first Freedom of Information Act, brought in North America's first pay equity legislation and created an independent panel to recommend judicial appointments to ensure only the most qualified candidates were appointed to the bench. Mr. SCOTT also amended the Ontario Human Rights Code to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation."
George Smitherman, Ontario Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, had a more personal observation. "I loved Ian SCOTT. As a politically active gay man coming out in the mid-'80s, he was an inspiration to me. I'll miss being his member of provincial parliament, and I am resigned to never quite filling his shoes. I have lost a friend and it makes me profoundly sad."
Ian Gilmour SCOTT came from a distinguished Irish Catholic family of lawyers and politicians, including Sir Richard SCOTT, a proponent of separate school legislation, a speaker of the Legislative Assembly in Ontario and a cabinet minister in the governments of Edward Blake and Alexander Mackenzie and an influential senator during the Manitoba school debate in the 1890s. The eldest of six children of Ottawa lawyer Cuthbert SCOTT and his wife, Audrey (née GILMOUR,) Mr. SCOTT was born in the middle of the Depression. He went to Holy Cross convent, then Ashbury College.
His younger sister, Martha SCOTT, a fundraising consultant for the private sector, says he always knew he was gay. He never came out to his parents, but she says they probably suspected his sexual orientation. "They adored him, unreservedly," she said yesterday. Nevertheless, Mr. SCOTT admitted in a 1997 interview with Steve Paikin on TVOntario that his homosexuality had forced him to "compartmentalize" his personal and professional lives.
A gifted student, Mr. SCOTT entered Saint Michael's College at the University of Toronto at 17 and graduated with an honours degree in 1955. It was at university, probably in 1951, that he met Roy McMURTRY. "We spent the summer of 1955 working in Quebec City and living with two francophone families, hoping to master the French language," Judge McMURTRY recalled yesterday. "I don't know if either of us achieved our goal, but I think we developed a sensitivity and respect for the cultural and linguistic aspirations of our Québécois Friends, which influenced our future political careers." (In 1975, Roy McMURTRY, as attorney-general, committed Ontario to a bilingual court system; a decade later, Mr. SCOTT "tied up the loose ends" to complete the process.)
Mr. SCOTT graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1959, then articled with William HOWLAND, who was later appointed chief justice of Ontario. A labour lawyer, he formed his own law firm, Cameron, Brewin and Scott, in Toronto and was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 1973. He also taught law at Queen's University (where he earned a masters of law degree), McGill University, the Law Society of Upper Canada and the U of T.
Bob Rae, who followed Mr. PETERSON as premier of Ontario, was Mr. SCOTT's student in a public-sector labour-relations course at the University of Toronto in 1976. "He was funny and engaging as a teacher," Mr. Rae said. "Then I knew him a little bit as a colleague, because we were both labour lawyers and he supported me financially when I ran federally in 1978."
Despite not being with a long-established Bay Street firm, Mr. SCOTT assembled an impressive list of clients, including the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. He was also the counsel for several high-profile public inquiries, acting for the Hospital for Sick Children during the Grange inquiry and counsel to the Commission of Inquiry into Certain Disturbances at Kingston Penitentiary, the Attorney-General's Task Force on Legal Aid and the royal commission into development of the Mackenzie Valley.
In 1981, he ran for the provincial Liberals against Margaret Scrivener in the riding of St. David, losing by just over 1,000 votes. He ran again in 1985 in a marquee contest against Julian Porter, a libel lawyer, chairman of the Toronto Transit Commission and scion of a prominent legal and political family in Ontario. This time, Mr. SCOTT won, the first Liberal to be elected in St. David in almost 50 years.
Mr. PETERSON, who had won the election with only 37.9 per cent of the vote, forged an alliance with Mr. Rae's New Democrats (which had received 23.8 per cent) to form what was called the Accord government. Mr. SCOTT served as attorney-general (succeeding Roy McMURTRY, who had held the post from 1975 to 1985 during William Davis's tenure as Conservative premier) until the Liberals were defeated by the New Democratic Party in 1990.
"He had consummate confidence in his own skills and abilities to persuade people to do what he wanted them to do, only because he was one of the greatest lawyers in the country," said Mr. PETERSON. "He could talk you into anything." He also liked the tension of public life, according to Mr. PETERSON, and he was steeped in a tradition of public service.
"To run a government," Mr. PETERSON said, "you need three guys a premier, a treasurer and an attorney-general." Mr. SCOTT, he said, "had an awful lot of influence" because of "his ability to speak, his advocacy, his passion, his Friendship with me." He "had his nose into every corner of that government because he was passionately interested in the policy issues and he was up to speed and he made contributions. He was a key guy at the cabinet table. People didn't trifle with him."
Sunday shopping, freedom of information, welfare changes and auto insurance all passed before Mr. SCOTT's tortoise-shell bifocals. Many New Democratic Party reforms, including changes to the court system, family law, native government and employment equity, were initiated under Mr. SCOTT's tenure as attorney-general. His portfolio also included responsibility for native affairs and women's issues, but he kept abreast of laws being drafted in all ministries, arguing that the province's chief law officer had to know the legal ramifications of any particular piece of legislation. One of his roles was to argue successfully before the Supreme Court in favour of protecting separate schools, in much the same way that his ancestor, Sir Richard, had done in the 19th century.
"He was a wonderful colleague, he was interested in everything, he was into everything," said Mr. Conway, a former cabinet colleague. "He was an outstanding attorney-general because he was an outstanding lawyer. He had a unique combination of sparkling intelligence and a wonderful curiosity."
Mr. SCOTT held on to his seat in the 1990 provincial election, but he didn't relish the opposition benches. He resigned in September of 1992 and returned to practising law at Gowling, Strathy and Henderson. Martha, his sister, said "he went into politics with an agenda, including law reform, and when he had accomplished that, he got out."
A confirmed smoker who had tried to kick the habit many times, he finally succeeded by wearing a nicotine patch. His partner, Kim YAKABUSKI, died of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome in 1993. In 1994, Mr. SCOTT suffered a devastating stroke that left him paralyzed on his right side and suffering from severe aphasia. The medical experts thought he would end up in an institution, but "he wasn't interested in that life," said his sister.
He insisted on going home, persuaded his cleaning woman to come every day to get him dressed, and worked doggedly with speech therapist Bonnie BERESKIN, who not only taught him how to speak again but trained a key group of his legal colleagues and cronies (including Stephen Goudge, Ian Rolland and Chris Paliare) to work with him every day on his speaking skills. He recovered about 20 per cent of his speech and expanded his communication skills to include facial expressions, hisses, nods and telling looks.
"Here was a guy who had absolutely everything -- school was a snap and work was a snap," said Martha SCOTT. " You don't really imagine a person who has everything would have the resilience to deal with that kind off bad luck." Her brother, she said, was determined to reclaim as much of his life as possible. "I worked my ass off," he once said about his post-stroke recovery in a sentence remarkable for its length and its passion.
"Our Friendship grew after his stroke," Mr. Rae said. "He had a lot of guts and determination and he lived his live with panache right to the end. The greatest affliction that you can imagine for an advocate and an orator like Ian is losing the capacity of speech, but even then he had a way of communicating that was totally disarming. Occasionally, he would only be able to say yes or no, but he could take in everything and he used his eyebrows and his sense of humour [to communicate]."
Mr. SCOTT collaborated with Neil McCORMICK on a memoir, To Make A Difference, in 2001. He continued to have lunch with Friends in restaurants, using a scooter to get about town, and to attend the symphony. But, in the past couple of years, his health problems increased and he finally decided to let nature take its inevitable course.
Ian Gilmour SCOTT was born in Ottawa on July 13, 1934. He died in his sleep in Toronto yesterday after refusing treatment for a variety of illnesses, including cancer. He was 72. Predeceased by his partner, Kim YAKABUSKI, he leaves his five siblings and their families. The funeral will be held at Saint Michael's Cathedral in Toronto at 10: 30 a.m. on Friday.

  D... Names     DO... Names     DOW... Names     Welcome Home

DOWNEY o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2006-11-11 published
KRASS, Jean Bernice (née WILEY)
In her 83rd year, Jean passed away peacefully in her home on November 10, 2006. Predeceased by her husband Daniel Dell KRASS. Mother of Sandra and Katharin, grandmother of Adam, Matthew and Brooke and great-grandmother of Austin, Sierra, Grace, Charley and Elliot. Jean is also survived by her two brothers and their wives, Ken and Helen WILEY and Don and Billie-Jean WILEY. Jean's extended family also includes her son-in-laws Martin WOOD, Doug COWAN and Craig DOWNEY. Friends and family can remember Jean at a Memorial Service on Monday, November 13 at the Morse and son Chapel of the Morgan Funeral Homes, 5917 Main Street, at 2 o'clock. A reception will follow at Jean's home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice Niagara, the Heart and Stroke Foundation or Wellspring Niagara Regional Cancer Support Centre. Online guest register at www.morganfuneral.com

  D... Names     DO... Names     DOW... Names     Welcome Home

DOWNEY o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2006-12-20 published
DUNN, William Joseph " Bill" (1928-2006)
Finally played out the 18th hole on December 19, 2006 at the Toronto Rehab Institute. He died peacefully in his family's arms. Cared for by his constant and loving wife, Sonja (née SEROTIUK) and his devoted sons Paul and Kevin (Lisa). He is survived by sisters Mary McTEAGUE (late Frank) and Helen DOWNEY (Ken,) brother Michael (Janet,) and the late Ron SEROTIUK (Ann,) and grandchildren Brian, Kaitlin, Colleen, Sam and Molly. Bill was an honourable, gentle, kind and generous man. His great passions were his family, golf, hockey, locomotives and automobiles. A former Saint Michael's boy, he played hockey for St. Mike's and later for the Oshawa Generals. Past member of Idylwylde Country Club, Sudbury, Ontario Lansbrook Golf Club, Palm Harbour, Florida and Markland Wood Golf and Country Club, Toronto. Special thanks to Doctor Harve PASTERNAK, Dr. Ray BERRY, Nurse Debbie DRIVER and the exemplary and compassionate team of nurses at T.R.I. Friends may call at the Turner and Porter Butler Chapel, 4933 Dundas Street West, Etobicoke, (between Islington and Kipling Avenues), on Thursday from 2-4 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. A Service of Remembrance will be held in the Chapel on Friday, December 22, 2006 at 1 o'clock. For those who wish, donations may be made to Saint_Joseph's Hospital, Princess Margaret Hospital or Toronto Rehabilitation Services. We will always remember his good example, unwavering support, superb sense of humour and quick wit. rose petals drop our hearts as he leave. ©S.D.

  D... Names     DO... Names     DOW... Names     Welcome Home

DOWNEY o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.toronto_star 2006-01-09 published
GRIEVE, Donald Norman
Passed away peacefully, at Oshawa General Hospital, on Saturday, January 7, 2006. Don will be dearly missed by his wife Eileen, and his loyal Friends Glen and Fran BOURNE and Bob and Marian DOWNEY. The family will receive Friends at the Ogden Funeral Home, 4164 Sheppard Ave. East, Agincourt (east of Kennedy Rd.), on Wednesday from 10 - 11 a.m. Funeral Service to follow in the Ogden Chapel at 11 a.m. Private interment. If desired, in remembrance of Don, donations may be made to the Alzheimer Society.

  D... Names     DO... Names     DOW... Names     Welcome Home

DOWNEY o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.toronto_star 2006-01-26 published
ESTABROOKS, Marjorie Evelyn
With incredible peace and grace Marjorie (née DOWNEY) passed away early Wednesday, January 25, 2006. Marjorie was the loving wife and best friend of Ernie. Loving mother to Susan SMITH (Brian) and David (Marilyn). She was the most dear and loving Nana to Stephanie, Allison, Michael and Jeffrey. Devoted daughter to the late Charles and Evelyn DOWNEY, as well as a caring sister to the late Robert DOWNEY. Friends▲▼ may call at the Turner and Porter Butler Chapel, 4933 Dundas St. W. (between Islington and Kipling Aves.) on Friday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Funeral Service at Martin Grove Baptist Church, 35 Hedges Blvd. (Princess Margaret and Martin Grove) on Saturday, January 28, 2006 at 2 o'clock. Private family interment at Park Lawn Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made in memory of Marjorie to the Canadian Cancer Society or the Trillium Health Centre Foundation.

  D... Names     DO... Names     DOW... Names     Welcome Home

DOWNEY o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.toronto_star 2006-04-03 published
MacKAY, Ellen Agnes
In her 94th year, Ellen Mackay passed away, on March 31, 2006, in the Palliative Care Unit at Toronto East General Hospital. Beloved wife of the late Angus MacKAY, loving mother of Jean MacDONALD and Grace WANNAN. Lovingly remembered by her grandchildren Alison MacDONALD, Lesley MacDONALD (Dan DOWNEY), Daphne DONAHUE (Brian,) David WANNAN (Tracey ROBERTSON,) Kate SIRETT (Ken,) and Blair WANNAN. Loving great-grandmother of Antonia and Elly MacDONALD, Eryn and Emma DOWNEY, Grace DONAHUE and Makenzie WANNAN. A special thank you to the staff at the Palliative Care Unit. A Service for the family was held Sunday, April 2nd. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Palliative Care Unit at Toronto East General Hospital or the Cancer Society.

  D... Names     DO... Names     DOW... Names     Welcome Home

DOWNEY o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.toronto_star 2006-04-25 published
HORAN, Mary
At Toronto East General Hospital on Sunday, April 23, 2006. Mary, beloved wife of the late John. Dear sister of Catherine McGONIGLE (Ireland) and Patrick GOAN. Loving aunt of Elizabeth SNOW, Patricia McCABE, Noelle DOWNEY, Geraldine BUCKLEY and Francis McGONIGLE. She will be lovingly remembered by all her relatives and Friends. Resting at the Paul O'Conner Funeral Home, 1939 Lawrence Ave. E. (between Pharmacy and Warden) from 3-5 and 7-9 p.m. Wednesday. Funeral Mass on Thursday morning at 10 a.m. in Immaculate Heart of Mary Church (Birchmount and Danforth Ave.). Interment Holy Cross Cemetery (Yonge Street, south of Hwy. 7). Donations to the Canadian Cancer Society would be appreciated.

  D... Names     DO... Names     DOW... Names     Welcome Home

DOWNEY o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.toronto_star 2006-04-26 published
MacDOWELL, Frank,▲ B.Arch., O.A.A.
Retired Chief Architect, Canadian National Railway, Montreal, Quebec, Veteran World War 2, former Navigator, Royal Canadian Air Force. Frank passed away peacefully at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital on Tuesday, April 25, 2006 in his 85th year. Formerly of Toronto, Ontario, Pointe Claire, P.Q., and Oakville, Ontario. Greatly loved husband of Claire for 55 years. Loving father of Hugh and his wife Christine, and Paul, all of Oakville and Peter and his wife Kathryn of Vancouver, British Columbia. Devoted grandfather of Andrew, Michael, Sarah, Matthew and Connor. Frank is the son of the late Hugh and Esther MacDOWELL, brother of the late Hugh (Dick) MacDOWELL and his wife Marie.▲ Brother-in-law▲ of Gerard and Edith DOWNEY. Friends▲ may call at the Ward Funeral Home, 109 Reynolds Street, Oakville, 905-844-3221, on Thursday from 7-9 p.m. Funeral Mass will be held at St. Andrew's Roman Catholic Church, 47 Reynolds Street, Oakville on Friday, April 28, 2006 at 1: 30 p.m. Interment to follow at Saint Thomas Cemetery, Waterdown, Ontario. In memory of Frank, donations may be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

  D... Names     DO... Names     DOW... Names     Welcome Home

DOWNEY - All Categories in OGSPI

DOW surnames continued to 06dow004.htm