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FITCH o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2007-11-30 published
KELLY, Jewel Theresa (née ELLEMENT)
Passed away after a sudden illness in Toronto on November 27, 2007, at age 77, surrounded by family and her special friend Bev Smart FITCH. She will be sadly missed by her daughter Debbie, sons David and Daniel and daughter-in-law Susan. She was predeceased by her youngest daughter, Colleen. Proud and loving grandmother to Stephen FREITAG, Angela KELLY, Christina WHITE/WHYTE, Jennifer WHITE/WHYTE, and Kendra KELLY. Youngest sister of Nadine and Jacqueline, who both predeceased her. She was born in Hornepayne, Ontario to John and Mary (née FREEMAN) ELLEMENT, and subsequent to her own mother's death at age 3, she and her sisters were cared for by Aunt Melda SWAN in Ottawa. She attended Maxwell P.S. and Nepean H.S. Her caring nature led her to aspire to be a physiotherapist, however circumstances did not allow for that dream to be pursued at that time. She returned to a railway town in Northern Ontario as a bride of Howard, where her four children were born. The children spent their early years in Capreol, where she was a tireless volunteer in her adopted church and community. At age 37, she returned to Ottawa, to be closer to her sisters, with her 4 children, and embarked on a new career as a single mother, learned a new profession and resumed her work in the community. She had a long career with Royal Insurance, where in the latter years, both in Ottawa, and after a promotion to head office in Toronto, she was a compassionate advocate for head and spinal cord injury victims ensuring they received equitable treatment and rehabilitation. Jewel was a committed proponent of the introduction of the graduated drivers licensing in Ontario, to reduce grievous injury and tragic mortality amongst the young. Jewel campaigned passionately, for many decades, for availability of reasonable housing for the working poor and single parent families by volunteering with both the Ontario and Ottawa Housing Authorities. She served on the Social Planning Council for many years, and contributed her skills with many other support groups, and election campaigns. She was an avid fan of traveling and the outdoors, a skilled photographer and pianist, a wonderful cook and an amazing baker, an expert seamstress, a patient practitioner of the art and skill of knitting and crocheting, and an accomplished green thumb. The family will receive Friends at the Tubman Funeral Home, 403 Richmond Rd, (at Roosevelt), Ottawa, 613-722-6559, from 2-5 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. on Monday, December 3. Service will be held in the chapel on Tuesday December 4 at 11: 00 a.m. with internment at Capital Memorial Gardens, following the service. Reception to follow. The family and Friends are grateful to the compassionate and skilful staff at Scarborough Grace Hospital, especially the gentle and empathetic nurses and doctors of the Intensive Care Unit. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made as an expression of sympathy to the Scarborough Grace Hospital, 3050 Lawrence Ave. E., Scarborough, M1P 2J5. Condolences, tributes or donations may be made at www.tubmanfuneralhomes.com.

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FITCHETT o@ca.on.grey_county.owen_sound.the_sun_times 2007-08-18 published
HOLMES, Joseph Fred
At Central Place Nursing Home, Owen Sound on Friday August 17, 2007, in his 74th year. Beloved husband of Bertha (née MORRIS.) Loving father to Jim and his wife Kaye of Keady, Penny and her husband Ron FITCHETT of Orillia, and Debbie and her husband Peter FORD of Owen Sound. Grandfather of John (Sheena,) Jeremy and Renee, Lisa (Ryan), and Josh (Jenn) HOLMES, Jason and Stacey DERHAK, Elizabeth and Chris MAYNARD, Jeffery and Jennifer FORD. Great-grandfather to Talya and Tanner HOLMES and Tristan MAYNARD. Survived by his brothers Merv and his wife Addie HOLMES, Wilfred and his wife Linda HOLMES, and by his sister Ellen WRIGHT. Predeceased by brothers Bill, Roy, Al, Mel, and Ron, and sisters Marion and Betty. Friends are invited to the Tannahill Funeral Home for visiting on Monday 1 hour prior to service time, 12 o'clock to 1 o'clock. A private family service will be conducted in the chapel on Monday, August 20th, at 1 o'clock, with Doctor Brad CLARK officiating. Interment Mount Pleasant Cemetery. As Expressions of sympathy, the family would appreciate donations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, or the Liver Foundation.

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FITCHETT o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2007-11-06 published
GARRETT, Cyril▼ "Cy"
National Research Council (Ret'd)
Peacefully on November 4, 2007 in his 87th year. Beloved husband and loving companion of Diana for 36 years. Cy leaves behind three much loved and loving children; his son Daniel (Judith) of Kitchener, Ontario, his daughter Jane SILLS (Daniel▼) of Waterloo, Ontario, and his step-son John FITCHETT of Vancouver, British Columbia. Also surviving are five very special grandchildren and one great-grandchild; Meagan and Ryan GARRETT, Laura▼ CHARLTON (Darcy,) Heather and Jennifer SILLS, and Shea GARRETT. After▼ a long and successful career at the National Research Council - first as head of the X-Rays and Nuclear Radiation Section and finally as head of National Research Council's Industrial Research Assistance Program, Cy embraced "Freedom 60" and the joys of 26 years of happy retirement. Following Cy's wishes, there will be no visitation or funeral service. The family would like to express their gratitude to the staff of the Garry J. Armstrong Residence, Ottawa, for the excellent care Cy received. In particular heartfelt thanks to Cathy WHITTAL, R.N. and all the other wonderful nurses and caregivers on the 2nd floor of the Residence for their exceptional care, kindness, understanding and support during Cy's last 18 months of life. A very special thank you goes to Darlene and Susan who through their loving care and thoughtfulness made a sad situation easier to bear for both Cy and his family. Friends wishing to make a donation in remembrance of Cy might like to consider two of his favourite organizations, The University of Ottawa Heart Institute, 40 Ruskin Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, K1Y 4W7 and the Ottawa Branch of the Salvation Army, 306-383 Parkdale Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, K1Y 4R4.
Condolences/Donations at www.mcgarryfamily.ca

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FITCHETT o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2007-11-09 published
GARRETT, Cyril▲ "Cy"
National Research Council (Ret'd)
Peacefully on November 4, 2007 in his 87th year. Beloved husband and loving companion of Diana for 36 years. Cy leaves behind three much loved and loving children; his son Daniel (Judith) of Kitchener, Ontario, his daughter Jane SILLS (Daniel▲) of Waterloo, Ontario, and his step-son John FITCHETT of Vancouver, British Columbia. Also surviving are five very special grandchildren and one great-grandchild; Meagan and Ryan GARRETT, Laura▲ CHARLTON (Darcy,) Heather and Jennifer SILLS, and Shea GARRETT. After▲ a long and successful career at the National Research Council - first as head of the X-Rays and Nuclear Radiation Section and finally as head of National Research Council's Industrial Research Assistance Program, Cy embraced "Freedom 60" and the joys of 26 years of happy retirement. Following Cy's wishes, there will be no visitation or funeral service. The family would like to express their gratitude to the staff of the Garry J. Armstrong Residence, Ottawa, for the excellent care Cy received. In particular heartfelt thanks to Cathy WHITTAL, R.N. and all the other wonderful nurses and caregivers on the 2nd floor of the Residence for their exceptional care, kindness, understanding and support during Cy's last 18 months of life. A very special thank you goes to Darlene and Susan who through their loving care and thoughtfulness made a sad situation easier to bear for both Cy and his family. Friends wishing to make a donation in remembrance of Cy might like to consider two of his favourite organizations, The University of Ottawa Heart Institute, 40 Ruskin Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, K1Y 4W7 and the Ottawa Branch of the Salvation Army, 306-383 Parkdale Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, K1Y 4R4.
Condolences/Donations at www.mcgarryfamily.ca

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FITTER o@ca.on.grey_county.owen_sound.the_sun_times 2007-09-01 published
MacDONNELL, Mary Lou (ALLISON)
Peacefully with her family by her side at the Grey Bruce Health Services in Owen Sound Thursday evening August 30, 2007. The former Mary Lou ALLISON of R.R.#5, Owen Sound in her 67th year. Loved wife of Gary MacDONNELL. Loving mother of Mary Jo BOISVERT and her husband Guy of R.R.#3, Chatsworth and Steve and his wife Deb of R.R.#2, Shallow Lake. Lovingly remembered by her two grandchildren Starr BOISVERT and Ernie MacDONNELL. Dear daughter of Isabel ALLISON of Owen Sound. Dear sister of Patricia FITTER of Owen Sound, Donna GOLLERT and her husband Colin of Toronto and John ALLISON and his wife Marilyn of Owen Sound. Dear sister-in-law of Donald MacDONNELL and his wife Freda of Meaford and Robert MacDONNELL and his wife Marjorie of R.R.#2, Allenford. Also survived by several nephews and nieces. Predeceased by her daughter Christine Louise, father John ALLISON, grand_son Darquis BOISVERT and brother-in-law Dave FITTER. Friends may call at the Downs and son Funeral Home Hepworth Tuesday September 4 from 2: 00 to 4:00 and 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Funeral Service will be conducted from the Shallow Lake United Church Wednesday morning September 5 at 11: 00 a.m. with Rev. Jack TWEDDLE officiating. Interment Hillcest Cemetery, Tara. If so desired, expression of remembrance to the Cancer Society, St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, Allenford or the Shallow Lake United Church would be appreciated. Messages of condolence for the family are welcome at www.downsandsonfuneralhome.com. A tree will be planted in the Memorial Forest of the Grey Sauble Conservation Foundation in Memory of Mary Lou by the Downs and son Funeral Home.

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FITTERER o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2007-09-15 published
HORGAN, Patricia Elizabeth Jane (née BROWNE)
Suddenly but peacefully in her sleep at age 84, on Wednesday September 12, 2007. Pat was predeceased by her beloved husband, Jim in 2002. She was the proud and loving mother of Janet HENSHALL, Susan TURCOT (John), Drew (Sonya FITTERER), and Ann MacKENZIE (Bill MAGILL.) She found joy in sharing in the lives of Gillian HENSHALL, Kevin TURCOT, Victoria MacKENZIE, William and Melanie MAGILL and Peter CECIL as grandmother and in the lives of Aaron and Katelyn as "Big Grandma." Pat leaves her sister, Kathy RICHARDSON (Jim) and their family. Born in 1923, Pat was the daughter of Charles Holden BROWNE and Pauline Olive MINTERN. She was a proud member of the W.R.C.N.S. and served in Motor Transport in World War 2 at H.M.C.S. York and Esquimault. Her many stories reveal treasured memories of early years with her family in North York, at Earl Haig Collegiate, young people's at Saint_John's York Mills and the Wrens. Pat created an engaging home for her family, firstly in Willowdale, then in Swansea and at Catchacoma. She was involved in her community, belonging to the Study Group, St. Olave's Anglican Church Women groups, and Swansea Historical Society. She was active in the early days of the CAC consumer group and was coordinator of Meals on Wheels in the west end for several years. Pat enjoyed developing new relationships while maintaining her treasured Friendships. Friends may call at the Turner and Porter Yorke Chapel, 2357 Bloor St. W., at Windermere, east of the Jane subway on Monday from 7-9 p.m. and Tuesday 2-4 p.m. followed by a service to celebrate Patricia's life in the Chapel on Tuesday, September 18, 2007 at 4 p.m. If desired, donations made be made to ALS Research, c/o Dr. Lorne ZINMAN, Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Room UG26, Toronto, M4N 3M5.
Sweet dreams. We love you.

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FITTERMAN o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2007-09-27 published
Music director reached highest echelons
In a life steeped in music and dance, he juggled opera, ballet and a host of languages
By Lisa FITTERMAN, Special▼ to The Globe and Mail, Page S8
George CRUM had thick, expressive eyebrows that stood him in good stead for his beloved jokes and stories. Up and down they moved, punctuation to the punch lines that helped him dispel tension before and after performances by the National Ballet of Canada, where he served as founding music director and conductor for 33 years.
Once, Mr. CRUM was forced to use only his eyebrows to cue performers on stage as to when the music would start, stop, slow to a stately adagio or rise to a peak. It was a matinee performance of Giselle in a tiny hall in Fredericton, with principal dancer Karen Kain performing the title role.
"I'll never forget it," Ms. Kain said. "Usually, we followed the movement of George's baton, up, down, swoosh, but this time, all we could see was the top half of his head sticking up through a hole in the stage."
His life was steeped in dance and music, and he believed that they should be accessible to everyone, even in tiny town halls. Tall, with dark hair and a pugilist's nose (he was a Golden Gloves boxer in his teens), he was an inveterate prankster with a sunny nature and a disarming manner. Nothing got him down - not holes drilled through stages, not having to travel on tour along bumpy roads in a bus and certainly not getting caught in a rainstorm on the way to the National Ballet's first performance at Toronto's Eaton Auditorium in 1951, with him as conductor.
As Mr. CRUM often told the story, the rain was coming down so hard that the car sputtered, then shorted out - not what he wanted on one of the biggest nights of his professional life. But there he was, cheerfully hitchhiking with his trousers rolled up to his knees in a futile bid to keep them dry. "And wouldn't you know it, but the elegantly dressed couple who stopped to help were also on their way to the ballet. They said they'd take us, but that we'd probably be late," he said with a wicked grin. "I said, 'Don't worry. I can guarantee that you won't be late.'"
An avid linguist - he spoke fluent German, French, Spanish and Latin, in addition to English - Mr. CRUM fit into any situation, or made it fit him. Jean Verch, a flutist who joined the ballet company in 1963, said that during a Mexican tour, several of them hired a car for the day in the capital. "George was sitting in front and speaking Spanish with the driver, then turning around to translate for us. And the driver asked him where he'd learned to speak English!"
He also tried to impart his love of food on others, insisting that people try things they didn't like three times a year until they developed a taste for it. "I did," laughed Ms. Verch, now the orchestra's administrator. "But despite all of George's gargantuan efforts, I still don't like large snails and boiled parsnips."
George CRUM was born in Rhode Island, the son of George Sr., who worked in the insurance business, and Muriel, an unconventional housewife whom Ms. Verch described as a "grand dame." When her son was grown and travelling on tour, Mrs. CRUM had a habit of turning up in the strangest places. In Podunk, Iowa, he was startled to feel a tap on his shoulder as he walked amid applause to his spot in the orchestra pit. He turned to see his mother, who admonished him: "Georgie, did you wear your rubbers today? It's raining!"
Another time, he was checking into a Quebec City hotel when the desk clerk remarked, 'Oh, Mr. CRUM, your wife is already here and I've taken the liberty of giving you adjoining rooms." Mr. CRUM, who knew that his wife was most definitely not travelling with him, found the connecting door open, and there was his mother, acting as if her visit had been planned for ages.
The CRUM family moved to Toronto when George was 3. He showed an early aptitude for music, and at 12, began to seriously study piano and organ under Edmund COHU, organist and choirmaster of Trinity College School in Port Hope, Ontario After Trinity, he continued to study piano with instructor Mona BATES, making his Toronto debut at the age of 16. Soon, he was a regular recitalist on Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Radio.
He studied musical orchestration under Barbara Pentland and late Ettore Mazzoleni, becoming so fascinated and inspired by opera and lieder music that he would later spend time in Europe working to further his knowledge. One of his hosts, a German music professor, spoke no English while Mr. CRUM spoke only rudimentary German at the time. They communicated in Latin, the only language they had in common.
When he was 22, Mr. CRUM made his professional debut as one of the conductors for the Royal Conservatory Opera, later known as the Canadian Opera Company. Besides conducting, he served as the first chorus master. During this period, he also spent two seasons in Guatemala as an assistant conductor of the National Opera of Central America.
In 1951, two things happened that would change his life: He married Patricia SNELL, a soprano with whom he later had two daughters, and he was approached by Celia FRANCA, the English-born founder of the National Ballet (obituary February 20, 2007). She asked whether he'd join the fledgling company as its music director and conductor and he agreed, setting in motion a professional relationship that would guide the troupe into the highest echelons of the dance world.
For a number of years, he juggled his opera and ballet careers, and even found time to guest conduct for Canadian Broadcasting Corporation opera telecasts and opera and symphony performances across North America, Japan and Europe. Eventually, though, the heavy performance schedule took its toll: He gave up his commitment to the Conservatory Opera to devote himself to what was quickly becoming a tour de force in the world of international dance.
Over the years, he provided the orchestrations and arrangements for works in the ballet company's repertoire including Pas de Deux Romantique (1959-1960), Princess Aurora (1960-1961), One in Five (1961-1962), Melodie (1966-1967), Giselle (1969-1970), Les Sylphides (1973-1974) and Offenbach in the Underworld (1975-1976). But he still took on guest conducting jobs, including an appearance in Mexico for the inauguration of president Miguel de la Madrid and the official opening in 1969 of the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, where an electrical glitch during the second night's performance of Romeo and Juliet caused a third of the orchestra to rise above the stage just as Ms. FRANCA, in the role of Lady Capulet, was commanding Lord Capulet to his knees.
Veronica Tennant, who was dancing the role of Juliet that night, described the scene for The Globe and Mail in 2004: "Gamely, [George] continued waving his baton, ascending until he and his nucleus of musicians were peering down at us aghast - as he said, "the only time I ever looked down on Celia FRANCA."
In 1972, Mr. CRUM received the Celia Award in recognition of his services to ballet in Canada. He officially retired from the ballet in 1984 but was named music director emeritus and appeared as guest conductor at 25th anniversary gala performances and in 1989 for Ms. Tennant's farewell performance of Sergei Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet.
Even in retirement, Mr. CRUM didn't remain still. He bought a snooker parlour in Thornhill, Ontario, and became an avid clockmaker and wood carver, winning a contest for a carving of a toad - a gift for one of his daughters, who collected such amphibious paraphernalia.
"He was always creative and a mentor. He is one of the pioneers who created our company. He was on the bus all day, performing at night, going across the Prairies, travelling in freezing temperatures and in sweltering heat," Ms. Kain said. "In effect, we're standing on his shoulders."
George CRUM was born October 26, 1926, in Rhode Island. He died in Toronto on September 8, 2007, of cancer-related causes. He was 80. He leaves wife Patricia, daughters Jennie and Angie, and seven grandchildren.

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FITTERMAN o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2007-11-17 published
Pianist was the 'Chopin of Ragtime' and a master of all musical genres
As a composer, his music was heard on Polka Dot Door as well as daily on Morningside. As a performer, he made more than 60 albums. 'He was one of those naturals'
By Lisa FITTERMAN, Special▲▼ to The Globe and Mail, Page S11
By all rights and the laws of human physiology, John ARPIN should never have been a pianist. His hands seemed too small, with short, delicate fingers that somehow spanned not only octaves but whole musical genres, from classical and opera to Broadway, the Beatles and ragtime.
Couple those hands with an encyclopedic general knowledge of music, add the gift of the gab, and you had a consummate entertainer who, over the course of half a century, released no less than 67 recordings and often engaged his audiences in impromptu history lessons about what he would play.
"You really felt you were part of a John Arpin performance, rather than just an observer," said Howard CABLE, who gave the pianist one of his earliest professional gigs back in 1956 as part of a band playing at the General Motors show at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto.
"I hired him as a sub but soon realized that I'd better keep him on full-time because he was terrific," Mr. CABLE recalled. "He may have been young but he was confident beyond his years. I don't know how he was so confident. I remember asking him where he was from. When he said 'Port McNicoll,' well, I said that I didn't think anyone came from there. But he was one of those naturals, I guess, destined to become a star."
Georgian Bay Boyhood
John ARPIN grew up in Port McNicoll, Ontario, where he was the second of Elie and Marie ARPIN's two sons. His parents ran a general store in the little Georgian Bay town that was once known as "the Chicago of Canada" for its shipping and grain-handling facilities, and instilled in their children both their devout Catholic faith (his mother attended church every day) and their love of music.
Mr. ARPIN often spoke of a gift his parents gave him for Christmas when he was a teenager: a recording of a Puccini opera. At first, he looked on the gift askance. Opera? For him? To make his parents happy, or at least keep them at bay, he played it. It wasn't half-finished before he was crying like a baby and asking for more.
His introduction to piano was through his brother, Leo, who was 10 years older and started to take lessons when his sibling was still a toddler. As Leo banged out chords and scales, little John mimicked the sounds. Soon, he was picking out tunes, displaying an innate musicality, a perfect pitch and the sense of storytelling that would help him to become one of the most beloved and admired pianists of his generation.
By the time he was a teenager, he'd learned everything he could from the few piano teachers in the region, and his mother began accompanying him on long weekly bus trips to Toronto so that he could continue his studies at the Royal Conservatory of Music.
"It couldn't have been easy on her," remarked Mr. ARPIN's wife, Mary Jane ESPLEN. " John's mother had a sensitive stomach and apparently, she would be sick all the way down and all the way back. But she was devoted and believed in her son's talent."
Indeed, when her son expressed an interest in becoming a doctor and even insisted on studying medicine for a short time, his mother was dead set against it. "You're too emotional to do that," she told him repeatedly. "You're too sensitive."
In a way, she was right, for Mr. ARPIN was not the kind of man to keep things bottled up inside. He was the opposite of stoic, and had a tendency to cry at the drop of a hat. "He didn't have to maintain a strong outer front," continued Dr. ESPLEN, a clinician and scientist at the University of Toronto. "He loved a lot of things that most men wouldn't be caught dead doing, things such as picking out flowers, shopping for groceries and even for clothes for me. And he listened. Oh, how he listened.
"You know, he would have made a wonderful psychiatrist."
Conservatory Graduation
At 16, Mr. ARPIN graduated from the conservatory, continuing his studies at University of Toronto before embarking on a career during which the American jazz great Eubie Blake called him "the Chopin of Ragtime." After his stint with Mr. CABLE's band, he began in the 1960s to perform with his trio and as a soloist in Toronto bars and hotel lounges; bespectacled and with a Prince Valiant haircut, he entertained patrons with a repertoire that - besides ragtime - featured classics, stride piano, bebop, traditional jazz and film and stage tunes.
In the late 1960s, he joined CTV as the network's music director, and in 1976, he became the first Canadian to make a "direct-to-disc" recording, then a new kind of album where the entire side was cut in one take. RCA producer Jack Feeney explained at the time that such recordings required musicians who performed perfectly, and that Mr. ARPIN was the perfect choice - "a definitive pianist, one who plays crisply and with very few mistakes."
Throughout the 1970s, his composition Jogging Along was the theme song for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation radio program Morningside, while "John Arpin Sundays" at the McMichael Gallery in Kleinberg, Ontario, were much-anticipated weekly events over a period of 20 years.
In 1984, he moved to TVOntario as writer, director and performer for the station's beloved children's program Polka Dot Door. On camera, he was a natural, interacting with the stuffed animal characters Humpty, Dumpty, Marigold and Bear with a childlike wonder, zest and curiosity.
He was always a fixture at concerts and summer festivals throughout Southern Ontario, and he toured the rest of the world whenever time allowed, building an international reputation as a consummate professional who always put his own spin on whatever he was playing.
'Know The Lyrics'
"Know the lyrics," he was wont to say to artists he mentored. In other words, they had to understand and tease out the story of a piece of music through the language of cadence and melody, whether or not there were actual lyrics to follow.
Alongside his own prolific concert and recording career, Mr. ARPIN served as music director and accompanist to both Canadian contralto Maureen Forrester and to actress-singer Louise Pitre, who made an international splash in her 2001 Broadway debut as Donna Sheridan in Mamma Mia! At times, he also acted as music arranger for artists such as Tommy Hunter and Roy Payne.
His recordings ranged the gamut from ragtime through to the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, honky-tonk, spirituals and tango. He did three albums with Ms. Forrester, an instrumental album that featured the music of singer-composer Gordon Lightfoot, another of ARPIN at the Opera, The Complete Piano Works of Scott Joplin and seven linked CDs of popular nostalgic tunes.
Throughout his career, he garnered two Juno nominations, won the 1998 Scott Joplin Award from a Missouri foundation dedicated to the preservation of ragtime and was awarded first prize out of 450 entrants in the Yamaha Second International Original Concert Series in Tokyo, this for his composition Lyric Suite for Piano, Strings and Percussion.
Mr. ARPIN parlayed his indefatigable energy into his personal life, too. An avid collector of sheet music and Nippon china, he often "You'd never not know that John was in the room for he was always working it, asking questions and entertaining," said Dr. ESPLEN, whom he married in 1990 in New Orleans. "It didn't matter what walk of life you were from. He was such an authentic presence."
The couple first met in 1986 at a piano lounge in Toronto, when Dr. ESPLEN asked him to play several obscure Scott Joplin songs. Their Friendship gradually turned to love and in 1990, they married - he for the third time - at their good friend Al Rose's home in New Orleans. As Mr. Rose, the noted jazz historian and impresario, escorted the bride down the aisle, Mr. ARPIN played An Affair to Remember on the piano.
Dr. ESPLEN, whose parents owned an antique store, got her husband interested in collecting Nippon china. He took to it so eagerly that she sometimes regretted not encouraging him to collect stamps, which would have been easier to store. "Let me just say that after say the third or fourth new china cabinet I began to get a little worried," she wrote in her blog. "Over the years, we moved on beyond cocoa sets to tea sets and plates, and humidors, and nut sets and juice sets and platters and celery sets… need I say more?"
She was the family accountant, keeping track of purchases and finances because Mr. ARPIN wasn't terribly interested in such things. "He was a real live-for-today kind of guy," she remarked.
He was a loving father to his three surviving children from his first two marriages, while his deep faith got him through the tragedy of the death of a son from sudden infant death syndrome and his own diagnosis a number of years ago of a rare, inoperable and slow-acting form of intestinal cancer.
For Mr. ARPIN, life itself was music, in all its terrible beauty. And he was listening to it right up until the end, including his own Blue Gardenia album of Latin tempo songs and one of his all-time favourites, Sammy Fain and Irving Kahal's I'll Be Seeing You.
John Francis Oscar ARPIN was born on December 3, 1936, in Port McNicoll, Ontario He died at home on November 8, 2007, after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 70. He leaves his brother, Leo ARPIN, his wife, Mary Jane ESPLEN, and his children Bob, Jennifer and Nadine. He also leaves grandchildren Alexander, Nicole, Kurt and Brianna.

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FITTERMAN o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2007-12-31 published
Pilot survived Swiss internment to start his own aerospace company
Community-minded manufacturer who gave up being a test pilot and band leader served as mayor of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, and launched a successful campaign to save a local hospital
By Lisa FITTERMAN, Special▲ to The Globe and Mail, Page S10
Montreal -- Gerald WOOLL used silence to both disarm people and make them squirm. It was just his curmudgeonly way, especially when he was being introduced to one of his three daughters' Friends. He'd go "Hmm," waggle his thick eyebrows and wait an inordinately long time before asking "Where are you from?" Then, he'd revert back to being silent.
"He could make knees quake but, underneath, he was such a softie," said his daughter, Susan WOOLL. "He never did verbalize his emotions a lot."
Instead, Mr. WOOLL, a community-minded aerospace entrepreneur whose illustrious curriculum vitae includes a stint in the early 1960s as mayor of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, wrote letters, employing them as if they were actual conversations, however one-sided. It didn't matter if the person he was writing to was in the next room or halfway across the world. Many a time, said his daughter, there'd be a knock on her door and she'd find her father on the doorstep, holding an envelope that he'd simply hand her before turning around to walk back home. It might have contained a thought he just wanted to get down on paper before he forgot it or a plea to reconsider what he thought a rash course of action. Confrontation wasn't his way. Better, he thought, to have something tangible that could be read over and over, something that would give perspective and blessed distance.
Ms. WOOLL recalled that once, after she'd informed her parents she was engaged to a man she'd been dating for six months -- a man they hadn't yet met because they'd been on an extended vacation -- her father wrote her a letter that began with the observation that perhaps it wasn't his place to say anything. "But there's nothing wrong with long engagements," it continued. "Think long and hard about what you are going to do because marriage is one of the most important steps you take in life and the current divorce rate shows that all too many people are not taking that into account."
In the end, Ms. WOOLL didn't go through with the nuptials and she thanked her father for his not-so-subtle but gentle prompting. "He expected you to take his letters away with you and read them. If you wanted to talk about it, fine. If not, he'd never raise it again."
Gerry WOOLL grew up in Peterborough, Ontario, where he was the middle child of three born to Charles and Effie WOOLL. He experienced a strict upbringing that revolved around the precepts of the Presbyterian Church: playing cards or music was not allowed on Sundays, alcohol was forbidden, period, and the motto to live by was "service above self." That's not to say life couldn't be fun. A life-long fan of such big-band jazz musicians as Glen Miller and Duke Ellington, he learned to play the clarinet. By the time the Second World War broke out he was fronting Gerry Wooll and His Orchestra throughout the Peterborough area.
With the start of the war, he knew he had to combine that expectation of service to others with another life-long interest -- this one in airplanes. He decided to join the Royal Air Force and in late 1939 he shipped out (with his clarinet) for England to begin combat pilot training.
Over the course of the bloody conflict, he flew no less than 85 missions, with his last one, on August 24, 1942, ending in near disaster. Mr. WOOLL and his navigator, Jack Fielden, had been assigned to surreptitiously photograph the construction of two enemy cruisers in Italian seaports along the Adriatic. They'd just flown over Reims in northern France and were approaching the Swiss border when they noticed an increase in the temperature of the port engine. Emergency measures didn't help. Soon, glycol fumes were spewing out of the overflow vent, followed by paint peeling off the starboard engine cowlings, indicating a fire. With one engine failing and the other aflame, they knew they had to make a landing, no matter that they were already violating Swiss neutrality and would in all likelihood have to face the consequences once they were on the ground.
After landing in a field near Bern, the two men found themselves surrounded by about 50 Swiss soldiers who'd been conducting manoeuvres nearby, and they spent the next four months in an internment camp near Lausanne. It was a stressful time, and cold -- Mr. WOOLL always maintained that the winter coat he was given by the International Red Cross had belonged to the actor Douglas Fairbanks.
Finally, the Allies arranged for them to be freed in a swap for three German pilots who had been interned in Britain. Before leaving the camp, Mr. WOOLL took down the names and addresses of every one of the 100 or so remaining internees (British soldiers, all) so he could make contact with their families and send all the prisoners assuring, newsy and uncensored letters when he got back to England. True to his nature, he did just that.
After the war, the Royal Canadian Air Force seconded Mr. WOOLL to the de Havilland Aircraft Company outside Toronto to work as a test pilot. But he wanted to go into business for himself so in 1951 he purchased a hangar at Niagara District Airport that still houses the aerospace parts company he founded, Genaire Inc.
He and his wife, Audrey (whom he married in 1942), settled into a historic home in Niagara-on-the-Lake and raised their three daughters according to the strict church principles with which he'd grown up. He set a high bar, compiling a record of service that, besides his term as mayor, included serving on the town's Hydro Commission, the Public Library Board, the Police Commission, Brock University's Board of Trustees and as an elder at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church.
Through his long-time involvement with the Rotary Club, he helped raise millions of dollars to combat polio. And when he was well into his 80s, he led the charge to save the local hospital from being closed.
"The government was reorganizing, which meant that if people in Niagara-on-the-Lake needed a hospital, they would have had to go to St. Catharines," recalled Ms. WOOLL. " Our father said, 'No, this is not going to happen.' When he was told it was beyond him to change things, he said 'Just watch me.' "
He came up with the slogan, "Save Our Sick" (SOS), started a petition and, sure enough, the hospital is still open today.
Even when his wife died in 1995, he didn't slow down, continuing to go into the office until as late as last year, smoking one cigar each evening and concentrating on his grandchildren.
"We have so many pictures of him teaching them to skate. He looks so joyful," said Ms. WOOLL. " You know, once I asked him why he hadn't expanded the company and he replied that he'd made a perfectly comfortable living that allowed him the time to do other things in his life -- that was him all over."
Gerald Ray WOOLL was born on September 15, 1913, in Peterborough, Ontario He died on December 14, 2007, after suffering a series of strokes. He was 94. He leaves his daughters Lorraine, Mary and Susan and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

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FITTING o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2007-07-30 published
LAMPERT, Sylvia Ruth
On Saturday, July 28, 2007, at home. Sylvia Ruth LAMPERT, beloved wife of the late Philip LAMPERT. Loving mother of Barbara LAMPERT and Peter FITTING, and David LAMPERT and Mimi BECK. Dear sister and sister-in-law of the late Frances and Isadore SHAPIRO, and the late Ellie and Mervin WEISS. Devoted grandmother of Miriam FITTING. Special thanks to caregiver Jessica SEGUNDO. A graveside service will be held on Monday, July 30th at Holy Blossom Memorial Park (40 Brimley Road, south of Eglinton), at 1: 00 p.m. For shiva details please call Benjamin's Park Memorial Chapel, 416-663-9060. Memorial donations may be made to the Mount Sinai Hospital 416-586-8290 or to the charity of your choice.

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FITZELLE o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2007-01-05 published
GRANT, Nancy G.F.
Peacefully on Wednesday, January 3rd, 2007. Nancy G.F. GRANT (FITZELLE) of London in her 75th year. Wife of the late Paul GRANT. Dear mother of Colleen FITZELLE of King City, Richard FITZELLE of London and Nancy FITZELLE of London, Erin SMITH (Rick) of Aylmer and Julie FITZELLE (Rhonda WARDROP) of Toronto. Loving grandmother of 10 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren. Cremation has taken place. A memorial service will be held at Saint Anne's Anglican Church, 1344 Commissioners Road West Byron on Saturday January 6, 2007 at 11: 00 a.m. Expression of sympathy and donations (World Vision) would be appreciated and may be made through London Cremation Services (519) 672-0459 or online at www.londoncremation.com

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FITZGERALD o@ca.on.grey_county.owen_sound.the_sun_times 2007-08-31 published
FITZGERALD, George Patrick
At Summit Place Nursing Home on Thursday, August 30th 2007. George FITZGERALD of Owen Sound in his 83rd year. Predeceased by his wife Mary SMITH- FITZGERALD. Sadly missed by his stepson Doctor Rudy SMITH of Owen Sound. Also missed by grandchildren Robyn and Dustyn SMITH. Also survived by his brother Austin FITZGERALD, and his sister Mary GRANDY both of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Also missed by his many nieces and nephews. Predeceased by his parents Howard and Rebecca FITZGERALD and his sister Marion SWAINE. George was born in Canso, Nova Scotia, May 24, 1925, and served in World War 2, from 1939-1945. A private family service has been held. Interment Greenwood Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society or to the charity of your choice, and can be made through the Tannahill Funeral Home (519-376-3710).

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FITZGERALD o@ca.on.grey_county.owen_sound.the_sun_times 2007-11-21 published
BURT, Janet (née WRIGLEY)
Of Wiarton passed away peacefully at her residence on Monday, November 19, 2007 in her 88th year. Cherished wife of Arthur for 66 years and dear mother of Diane (Terry) CUTTING of Cambridge, Nancy SOULIERE (Garry WILLIS) of Owen Sound, Faye (Don) SHOULDICE of Cambridge, Sharon BRAY (Greg WILKIE) of Owen Sound and Susan (John) FITZGERALD of Elmira. Special Grandma of Kimberley-Anne, Scott, Andrew, Michael, Brendon and Devin. She will be sadly missed by sister Bertha BARFOOT of Goderich and sister-in-law Orma WRIGLEY of Toronto. Janet was predeceased by her parents John Henry and Louise (PORTER) WRIGLEY, brothers Jack, Earl, and Harold and sisters Hazel WEST, Florence GRAHAM and Irene GUNSON. Visitation will be held at the George Funeral Home, Wiarton on Wednesday, November 21, 2007 from 2: 00 to 4:00 and 7:00 to 9: 00 p.m. The funeral service to celebrate Janet's life will be held at the funeral home on Thursday, November 22, 2007 at 2: 00 p.m. with Rev. David LEGGATT officiating. Interment Bayview Cemetery. Donations made to Saint Paul's Presbyterian Church, Canadian Cancer Society or the charity of your choice would be appreciated by the family as expressions of sympathy. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.georgefuneralhome.com

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FITZGERALD o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2007-01-09 published
FITZGERALD, Clara Roberta (née TINNEY)
Forever in our hearts, Clara Roberta FITZGERALD at the Kingsway Lodge, Saint Marys and formerly of R.R.#3, Ilderton, on January 7, 2007. Beloved wife of the late Richard A. FITZGERALD (1907-2000) for 64½ years. Daughter of the late Robert and Louisa TINNEY of Hay Township. Dear sister of Jack and Peggy TINNEY of Exeter and the late Lolus (1965). Loving mother of Peggy (1938-1955), Joyce and Don DARLING, Richard and Karen and Edward. Dearest grandma of Sean, Adam, Ryan, Becky and Ian. Dearly loved daughter-in-law of the late George and Gertrude FITZGERALD and Aunt Alice. Predeceased by her FITZGERALD relatives - Billie, Stuart, Fred and Ethel and Edna. At her request, cremation has taken place. A service to celebrate her life will be held at the L.A. Ball Funeral Chapel, 7 Water St. N., Saint Marys on Thursday, January 11, 2007 from 1 p.m. until the time of the memorial service at 2 p.m. and a reception will follow. In her memory donations to the charity of choice would be appreciated as expressions of sympathy. Burial in Saint_John's Anglican Cemetery, Arva at a later date. L.A. Ball Tele# 519-284-1480 Fax# 519-284-4661

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FITZGERALD o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2007-01-09 published
LASZLO, Jessica
Peacefully at home, on Saturday, January 6, 2007, Jessica LASZLO of London in her 2nd year. Cherished daughter of Dawn M. FITZGERALD and Zsolt S. LASZLO. Dear sister of Robert H. FITZGERALD. Much loved granddaughter of Mary E. and Norris M. FITZGERALD and MiHaLyne LASZLO. Beloved niece of Aunt Amber D. FITZGERALD and god daughter of Uncle Robert and Aunt Ildiko RACZ. Special thank you to the Victorian Order of Nurses, in particular Ellie KULBABA who was "our rock" through everything. A memorial service will be conducted on Wednesday, January 10th, 2007 at 3: 00 p.m. at the Westview Funeral Chapel, 709 Wonderland Road North, with visitation one hour prior to the service. Cremation, Mount Pleasant Crematorium. Those wishing to make a donation in memory of Jessica are asked to consider the Ronald McDonald House.

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FITZGERALD o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2007-12-30 published
Gentle priest a devoted Maple Leafs fan
By Claire NEARY, Sun Media, Sun., December 30, 2007
Rev. Clarence FITZGERALD, known and loved by many as "Father Fitz," was a quiet, gentle priest, dedicated to his profession, his parishioners -- and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Though he could make it to Toronto for only the occasional Leafs game, FITZGERALD was also a devoted Windsor Spitfires fan and season ticket holder.
For nearly 50 years, he touched the lives of many people across the Roman Catholic Diocese of London in more than a dozen parishes.
FITZGERALD died of cancer, surrounded by his family in Windsor, on December 5, at age 74.
Born in Windsor, FITZGERALD -- known to his family as Father Clare -- was the youngest of five children.
"He was a wonderful brother. My baby brother," said his eldest sister, Margaret MEYER of Brampton.
FITZGERALD always knew he wanted to be a priest and attended Saint Peter's Seminary in London.
He played and enjoyed almost all sports, especially basketball, golf and, of course, hockey.
FITZGERALD was ordained in 1959 and worked in parishes in Delhi, London, Chatham, Woodstock, Saint Marys and Windsor.
He was also the chaplain at Victoria Hospital in London early in his career.
FITZGERALD retired in 2003 but continued to perform weddings, funerals and baptisms as long as he was healthy.
"It was amazing at his funeral to see the number of people from all of the places he'd served," his friend Rev. John COSTELLO said.
"So many people talked about how he'd unknowingly touched their lives."
Above all, Friends said FITZGERALD was a great listener.
"He would never talk much about himself. It was always about the other person," said Mike RICKETTS, a longtime parishioner at St. Alphonsus in Windsor.
"And he always found time, or made time, for the people who needed him."
COSTELLO said many parishioners chose FITZGERALD for confession because he was a kind and gentle listener.
Although he was quiet and sensitive, FITZGERALD was the king of one-liners, his friend Rev. Chris QUINLAN remembered.
"And we always knew never to talk to him during the Leafs games and only to call him in between periods," QUINLAN said, laughing.
He described his friend as a "priest's priest" who loved spending time with his colleagues on the golf course.

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FITZGERALD o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2007-11-12 published
PECK, Marjorie Irene (née HIGNELL)
(May 21, 1922-November 10, 2007)
After a wonderful life, Marjorie PECK passed away in her 86th year. Beloved wife of Gordon PECK for 60 years. Loving mother of Susan ANNAND (Douglas) and Michael PECK (Rosemary FITZGERALD.) Will be greatly missed by granddaughters Jessica and Meghan ANNAND and grand_sons Gordon, Andrew and Thomas PECK. Marjorie was born in Toronto to the late Wilbert and Irene HIGNELL. Predeceased by her sister Blanche MARSHALL. Marjorie lived an active life. After her childrearing years, she owned a card and gift store in Sherway Gardens which she enjoyed immensely. Marjorie was a talented decorator and ran an impeccable home. She loved spending time at Craigleith even when her skiing days were over. Marjorie especially loved the summers at Lake Rosseau and was always ready for a boat ride in the Bluebird. She traveled extensively with Gordon and was able to spend her last birthday on an Alaskan cruise. She will be missed at Lambton Golf and Country Club where she spent many lovely evenings with Gordon. Marjorie spent the last two months at Lakeshore Lodge following a hip fracture in July. Thank you to the health professionals who cared for her in her last few months. Friends and family will be received at the Turner and Porter 'Yorke Chapel', 2357 Bloor Street West, at Windermere, east of the Jane subway, on Tuesday, November 13 from 7-9 p.m. Funeral Service will be held at St. George's on-the-Hill Anglican Church, 4600 Dundas St. W. on Wednesday, November 14 at 11 a.m. Memorial donations may be made to the Dorothy Ley Hospice, 170 Sherway Drive, Suite 3, Toronto, Ontario M9C 4V5. Visitation following the service at the Lambton Golf and Country Club, 100 Scarlet Rd., Toronto

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FITZGERALD o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2007-11-17 published
GEGERIAS, Mary
In Brookline, Massachusetts, with courage and dignity, Mary GEGERIAS, Ph.D. of Chestnut Hill, Professor Emerita of French at Pine Manor College, esteemed cultural ambassador, passed away 13 November 2007. Dr. GEGERIAS was the daughter of the late Panagiota Collias GEGERIAS and John GEGERIAS. A sister, Anna Gegerias KAPELOS, predeceased her. She is survived by her sister, Helen GEGERIAS, her nephews George and John KAPELOS, her niece, Pamela Kapelos FITZGERALD, and many beloved cousins, colleagues, and Friends. The Government of France awarded her the Chevalier de l'ordre national du mérite. An inspiration to generations of women, Mary GEGERIAS was also honored as Officier des arts et lettres and Officier des palmes académiques (France). In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Dr. GEGERIAS may be made to the Mary Gegerias Fund, Pine Manor College, 400 Heath Street, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, 02467.

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