A Tribute To Ron: Forever Young

A Eulogy by Pat G.

It has been an honour to know Ron. I am going to read a small poem which a friend sent me when my Father passed away. I think it is very appropriate.

Remembering a Special Man
“Because of Him our own small world will never be the same, And all
Our hearts are filled with love when people speak His name.
But though His face may not be seen among us here today, His love is
Felt in all the hearts he changed along the way.”

We will miss you Ron. We will miss your smile and we will especially miss those wonderful hugs. Thank you Ron for letting us be in your life.
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A Eulogy by Jim W.

This Eulogy was presented at the funeral service by Ron and Pat's longtime friend Jim W.

When Pat invited me to offer a few personal thoughts about Ron, my initial reaction was to decline. This was largely due to the fact that there would be many people here today who in recent years, have become much closer to Ron than myself and who are certainly equally entitled to be speaking to you right now.

But - on thinking further about Pat’s invitation and recognizing that neither Pat or Ron have any family this side of the Atlantic Ocean and that if their friends have indeed become their family, it is perhaps appropriate that the following comments should be offered to you as being generally representative of the thoughts of all of their friends.

I am at least fairly comfortable with the knowledge that I have been a friend of both Pat and Ron for a period longer than anyone who would be here today.

“Having said that I discovered a few moments ago just before entering the chapel then a friend of Ron’s has just arrived here from Toronto and who went to school with Ron at about age ten or eleven and is sitting here with us right now.”

You likely already know that somehow, Ron was able to persuade Pat to marry him almost 59 years ago. That was after what we would probably call today, a whirlwind courtship!

A few short years following that event, they decided to try their luck at seeking their fortune and further building their life together in Canada .

And so – it was on Sunday, March 31, 1957 just a little ironic perhaps that Mother’s Day was being recognized in England on that date, that they departed from the dock in Southampton and set sail for Canadian shores.

It was during that ghastly voyage, which is a whole ‘nother story in itself, that they met and became friendly with a group of fellow travelers who had previously been quite unknown to them. Those friendships continued to mature over the ensuing years and remain intact to the current day. This is in testimony to Pat and Ron’s affable and socially optimistic outlook on life and their view of the importance of friendships.

So - what then of Ron within all of this? Well I was one of those fortunate few who sailed from Southampton back in 1957 - that group now being humorously referred to within their household as “The Boat People” - and it was then later in 1962 - in the process of relocating from Hamilton to London with my family that Ron came to my rescue.

My wife Nancy, new baby Peter and soon to be born second son Michael, together with somewhat limited financial resources, were quickly faced with the problem of some serious car problems of a mechanical nature. At that time, Ron was working a six day week as a Mechanic with a London car dealership but he found his way to set aside some of his limited free time during the evenings and weekends to carry out the repairs to our car, thereby avoiding costly repair bills that would have been an unwelcome burden at the time.

Ron has always appeared to me as being very thoughtful towards others and by way of example - as recently even less than two weeks ago and clearly most unwell - he never failed to inquire about the welfare of my two sons and their own families.

Ron is seen as being a quiet, patient and practical individual with a special appreciation and understanding of things mechanical. In addition he was a skilled woodworker and knowledgeable organic gardener. He also developed an appreciation for some of the arts - classical music and opera in particular. Self education and the opportunity to learn new things were always on his horizon together with an interest in helping others which for a time, included a period of teaching at the Community College level.

Never satisfied with working at half measure, Ron would approach all projects in a similar manner, namely: thinking carefully, planning the best approach: is it safe for the environment: for self and others? And - might there be an easier and more efficient way to get the job done? He was not known to leap haphazardly into action without attention to detail and he certainly always played by their rules, especially in the workplace environment. The last comment may raise a few smiles from some of his former work colleagues who might be here today because although sticking to the rules, he may not always have agreed with those rules, the result being that the rules would invariably undergo change fairly soon thereafter.

About sixteen months ago when Pat and Ron were preparing to move from their longtime residence on Silverdale Crescent , I was looking over a few of his remaining tools in the garage and noticed a small tool that I did not recognize. Ron readily explained that he used it to shave selected pieces of wood to create a smooth and completely flat finish. I sheepishly asked; “why not simply use sandpaper and get the same effect?” I ought not to have asked! I am joking of course - but as a result of the ensuing explanation from Ron, I learned something new about working with wood.

Other than myself, all of the other previously mentioned Boat People, longtime friends of Ron, now live on our west coast and because of the suddenness of recent events plus other circumstances, none of them can be here today to say goodbye in person to their long time friend, but be assured that they are here with us in spirit.

The following are some of their own personal memories of Ron as forwarded to me by e-mail and I quote verbatim from their messages:

“I have a bi- fold closet door in my hallway which for me, has always been difficult to close. When Ron was visiting here a while ago, he showed me how I should hold half of the door while closing the other half. Ron could do it perfectly and now so can I! Every time that I now close that door I say to myself: is that OK Ron? I have lots of happy memories of our good times together, thanks Ron.

Here’s another quote:

The first thing that comes to mind when I think if you Ron is “Broad Beans” what is so strange about that?

Here is another memory about Ron - avid gardener and chef extraordinare:

“Ron enjoyed his garden and was so precise when doing it. The bulbs, including onions and seeds etc. had to be planted exactly, just so much a part from each other, and I can see him pacing out the distance to get it just right. This patience was also shown in later years when he took a fancy to cooking. He could really handle a knife and did a great job of carving a roast. I recall in our kitchen here when they visited, he did a great job of boning some halibut chunks into fillets and he proceeded to cut the potatoes into chips which looked as though he had used a tape measure to get them just perfect, tossed them in oil and made the best chips ever.”

Finally, here is another memory from a friend:

“How much Ron loved dogs is reflected by the suggestion in the obituary for a donation to the Humane Society. At one time, Ron owned two dogs at once, Pip the beagle and Sally the terrier. This came about when Pip, as beagles will do, followed her nose and wandered off and got lost, probably in the ravine behind the house, and was missing for quite a long time, this in spite of advertising, etc.; Pat and Ron eventually went to the Humane Society and picked out Sally, who turned out to be a lovely little pat. Then, after some time, someone contacted them and lo and behold, they had Pip there in some rural area of the 401 highway. The happy ending was that the Cooper family then grew to four, Ron and his three girls, Pip, Sally and Pat! There is an interesting characteristic anecdote to this incident, this being that, seeing the children of the family that temporarily fostered Pip being so very upset to lose their new found pet, so Ron quietly went off to the Humane Society again, purchased yet another dog and gave it to Pip’s foster family.

This is just the briefest of reviews of the legacy of warm memories that Ron has left behind for his “Family of Friends” to fondly remember him by.

A loving and faithful husband

A thoughtful and valued friend

A reliable workplace colleague

An exemplary citizen of Canada

Friend of all creatures and conservationist of the water and soil which supports us all.

Thank you, Ron.

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