1960 - 2020
 
Surrounded by family and friends, Marian passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, June 30, 2020.
 
She will be sadly missed by her husband Alex G. Kalmar, son Alex S. Kalmar  and daughter -in-law Nicole and granddaughter Abigail, daughter Amy-Marie Kalmar and son-in-law Brennan Clarkson and granddaughters Keira & Braelyn. We will forever remember her beautiful smile that would light up a room and her infectious laugh that always caught everyone's attention.
 
Many thanks to the home care nurses, PSW's and Palliative doctors for their care and compassion during recent months.
 
At Marian's request, there will be no funeral services and cremation will take place. Celebration of life will be held at a later date. As an expression of sympathy, donations to the Kitchener Humane Society would be appreciated. 
 
Messages and condolences may be left for the family at www.tricitycremations.com or 519.772.1237. 

Gone to be with the Lord on Friday June 26, 2020 at Fairview Mennonite Home, Cambridge, at the age of 77 years.

Dianne was a very loving soul who loved to paint, horse back riding in her younger days, cooking family feasts, and most of all praising God and bringing souls to know her Saviour, Jesus.

Beloved mother of Kathleen Joy (Woodworth) Hoffman.  Cherished grandmother of Alexis Lee Hoffman and her children Katie, and Kabree, and great great granddaughter Carmen. Dear sister of Kathryn Pozniak of Alberta; Stephen Woodworth of Kitchener; Gwendolyn Woodworth of Wellesley; Mike Relf of Windsor; Margaret Vance of Windsor; and Marsha Meyers of St. Thomas. Missed dearly by many cousins, nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, and especially by niece Andrea (Woodworth) Wiebe of Wellesley who regarded Dianne as her grandmother. Dianne had numerous friends who meant the world to her, especially Rhonda and Bill Cressman of Kitchener and Geraldine Ruttan of Kitchener.

Predeceased by her parents Hector and Lillian Woodworth, and husbands Peter Kinzie and Jerry Miller.

Cremation has taken place. In lieu of flowers, Dianne would prefer donations to The Gathering Place Ministries, in Kitchener (519.748.4448), or the KW Humane Society.  

Please read Dianne's favourite poem, “Miss Me But Let Me Go” below.  Messages and condolences may be left for the family at www.tricitycremations.com or by calling 519-772-1237.

Miss Me But Let Me Go

When I come to the end of the road
And the sun has set for me
I want no rites in a gloom-filled room
Why cry for a soul set free?

Miss me a little-but not too long
And not with your head bowed low
Remember the love that we once shared
Miss me-but let me go

For this is a journey that we all must take
And each must go alone.
It's all part of the Master's plan
A step on the road to home

When you are lonely and sick of heart
Go to the friends we know
And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds
Miss me but let me go.

January 16, 1948 – June 12, 2020

Passed away peacefully on June 12, 2020 at the age of 72. John was born on January 16, 1948 in Shawinigan, Quebec.

He is survived by his children David Stevens Bonn (Cindy), and Brandey Bonn (Glenn). Proud grandfather of 21 grandchildren, and Great-grandfather of 16. Loving brother of Mike, and Murray. Predeceased by his parents Donald Bonn and Helen Campbell McColloch Bonn, his wife Constance (Connie) Bonn, his son Douglas Bonn, his Sister Darlene, his Brother Dennis, and his grandson Darien Bonn.

Remember Me

Don’t remember me with sadness,
Don’t remember me with tears,
Remember all the laughter,
We’ve shared throughout the years.
Now I am contented
That my life it was worthwhile,
 Knowing that I passed along the way
I made somebody smile.
When you are walking down the street
And you’ve got me on your mind,
I’m walking in your footsteps
Only half a step behind.
So please don’t be unhappy
Just because I’m out of sight,
Remember that I’m with you
Each morning, noon, and night.

Please visit John's obituary notice on Facebook.

Passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family on June 8, 2020 at the age of 70.
 
Born September 2, 1949 in Bell Island, Newfoundland, she was the daughter of the Late Jim and Margaret Kavanagh.
 
Linda enjoyed Sunday dinners with her family, having fun with her sisters and brothers, a good garage sale or two, travelling back home to Newfoundland with her husband and her holidays down south.
 
Linda is survived by her loving husband of 52 years, Kevin Murphy Sr., her sons Kevin Murphy Jr. (Dana), Jason Murphy (Helen), and her grandsons Tristan Murphy and Ethan. Sisters Mary Howard, Evelyn Weinreich (Walter), Sarah Dwyer, Peggy Hunt (Wayne), Loraine Kent and brothers Alexander Kavanagh (Charlotte), James Kavanagh (Glen) and Walter Kavanagh. Linda was also predeceased by her brothers Patrick and Martin Kavanagh. She will be missed by her many nieces, nephews and friends.
 
A special thank you to Ram, who was Linda’s palliative care nurse, Donna Gill and Dr. Hungian.
 
As expressions of sympathy, donations can be made to a charity of your choice.
 
A funeral or memorial service will not be held to respect Linda’s wishes. Please visit Linda's obituary notice on Facebook.

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Ron at Lanark Heights, Kitchener on Monday, June 8, 2020 in his 89th year.
 
Originally from Scarborough, Ron retired after 34 years as a machinist at IBM. He was an avid boater and fisherman and spent many hours on Lakes Simcoe and Couchiching.
 
Beloved husband of the late Grace Catherine Hayward. Loving father of Lou Anne Bevan and Janice Lee Dixon (Mike). Cherished Papa of Carrie & Paul (Shannon) Bevan and Craig & Bryan (Kelly) Dixon. Cherished brother of Edward (predeceased October 2019), Joyce (Manning) and Kathleen (Tolliver). He will be greatly missed by Dave Bevan and the Tauvette family.
 
Cremation has taken place. Due to the recent pandemic, there will not be a service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made directly to the Alzheimer Society as an expression of sympathy.
 
Messages and condolences may be left for the family at www.tricitycremations.com or 519-772-1237. Please visit Ron's obituary notice on Facebook.

Sisu is an invisible badge that all Finnish people wear to describe their national character of grit and bravery in the face of adversity. With Finnish blood coursing through her veins, Leila Duke (nee Pera) embodied sisu at the start, at the end, and at all points in between in her life.

At 6:50 PM, on June 7, 2020, Leila passed away in her 87th year in her Waterloo, Ontario home in the company of her daughter Carol Duke, son Brian (and Alice) Duke, son Bob (and Gertie) Duke, and son Bill Duke (by phone, comforted by his wife Maggie). Leila was predeceased by her treasured husband of 42 years, William (“Bill”) Duke, by her parents, Vera and Aarne Pera, and by her brother Pentii Pera. ”Mema”/“Meme” leaves behind her adoring grandchildren, Kirstie Duke, Keith Duke, and Andrew (“Drew”) McMurtry, as well as several step-grandchildren, and best friend Sheila Nummelin. In a tiny blessing due to COVID, Leila was able to remain in her home during her illness and was comforted by a fully stocked freezer of traditional Finnish delights provided on her  final birthday by her son Bob.

Leila’s parents immigrated to Canada from Finland. In 1939, the family returned to Finland
for a visit and were entangled in the Winter War. Aarne, still a Finnish citizen, was enlisted in the
Finnish Army to fight the Winter War, a conflict that began when the Soviet Union invaded Finland three months after the outbreak of WWII. It ended after only three-and-a-half months because the Finns outsmarted (and outskied) the Russians, which remains a source of national pride for Finns. Leila survived a harrowing separation from her parents during the Winter War, and the family returned to Canada when she was 15. She endured a rough ocean voyage on the Queen Mary that turned her off boat travel nearly forever. She settled in Toronto where she met her future husband Bill Duke at his brother’s wedding where they were both members of the bridal party. She forged a lifelong friendship with Harold Nummelin (that later also included his dear wife Sheila). This friendship began following visits to Harold’s family cottage on Lake Simcoe. The Nummelin and Pera families were best friends, and although the parents had dreams about the perfect Finnish coupling between their children, Harold and Leila had other ideas and each set eyes on Irish mates as their chosen partners.

Bill absolutely adored Leila and tried hard to give her what she wanted (as soon as he figured out what that was). To celebrate Leila’s 35th birthday, Bill planned a surprise party. As a ruse to get her out of the house for the party setup and guest arrival, Bill took her and the kids to visit Nanny and Grampa. After the visit, Bill was so intent on delivering the honored guest to her party that he refused to stop at Dairy Queen so that the birthday girl could enjoy a sundae. She never forgot that transgression and it became a running family joke in the Duke family.

Despite her miserable experience with ocean travel early on, boats became a recurring theme in Leila’s life, and she learned to get along with them. Her parents purchased a cottage on Little Harris Lake near Parry Sound, where the birch trees and plentiful lakes dotting the land reminded them of Finland. Leila and Bill visited the cottage during the summers when their children were in grade school. Left without a car while Bill returned to work in Toronto during the week, Leila would load her kids into the boat in the morning (with “pillows” safely secured), row to the store, drag the boat up the beach, purchase groceries, and then return to the cottage by noon, hungry and sweaty from the effort. Later in life, Leila again dismissed her trepidation to visit her son in-law’s cottage, also accessible only by boat (although witnesses say that she white-knuckled the trip!). In 2015, she shared a memorable river boat cruise in Europe with her granddaughter Kirstie to celebrate her graduation from university.

Leila had a knack for a great many things in life. Her cooking skills and appreciation of delicious food (including Finnish staples like pulla and rice pies) were passed down to her children. She was a gifted and self-taught seamstress who whipped up everyday clothes and fancier outfits for her children, and later on, elaborate costumes for her grandchildren. Her creations were described as being more beautiful than most store-bought garments.

A natural extrovert, Leila transitioned easily between places and had a personality that worked like a magnet to attract new friends of all ages and backgrounds no matter where she lived. At age 65, she left everything she knew in Toronto, moved to Waterloo, and became one of the first residents of Luther Village on the Park retirement community. She fell in love with the sunlight spilling in through the apartment’s large wrap-around windows. Her grandson referred to her condominium apartment as “the compartment” and the name stuck.

At Luther Village, she joined the Craft Group and the Cards and More group where she was able to showcase and flex her natural creativity. The dining table was the epicenter of her craft projects and always had to be cleared before any dining could actually occur. A talented crafter, Leila made exquisitely detailed greeting cards that were more like frame-worthy works-of-art than anything Hallmark could ever produce. She was best known for cards featuring delicately embroidered angels with white wings, a gold crown, and pastel-colored sequins; these were special cards given in sympathy to mark the loss of a loved one. She also incorporated pressed flowers into her card designs and intuitively understood which flowers were best suited for this purpose. Her handmade sock monkeys proved immensely popular at a charity auction and as a nod to his Meme, her grandson Drew intends to finish the remaining sock monkey that she didn’t have a chance to  complete. Her daughter Carol will finish off the remaining greeting cards that await a finishing touch.

Dedicated to her family, Leila never forgot birthdays or special days. She always marked these occasions with a gift, a call, a visit, or a card. She acted as pet-sitter for all of her grand-animals and kept biscuits in her pocket “just in case” to treat her beloved dog friends. She enjoyed dining out and made a habit of going on regular outings to restaurants with her family and friends (especially Gayle Kraft, with whom she shared a birthday and Leslie Ormston, who passed just five days before Leila). The scrumptious Mother’s Day brunch feasts at Verses will now hold a special memory.

There’s a Finnish saying that goes, “ Luja tahto vie läpi harmaan kiven ”, which roughly translates to “A strong will takes you through the grey stone” or more commonly in English, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way”. After a lifetime of facing “grey stone” head on and accepting the challenges it presented, Leila can now rest. Her legacy will carry on in the chorus of angels she stitched, the fields of flowers she pressed, in the fond memories of laughter and love shared with those nearest to her heart, and in the sisu that she exemplified and then instilled in her children.

Cremation has already taken place through Tri-City Cremation Services. Leila will be laid to
rest beside her parents and brother at a date to be determined at Sylvan Acres Cemetery in
Waubamik (65 Hurdville Road, McDougal, Ontario).

Donations in her memory are accepted to the Humane Society or Grand River Hospital.

 1948 - 2020
 
Passed away peacefully on Sunday June 7, 2020 at The Village at University Gates.
​
Ron had an interesting life and touched the lives of many during his 72 years - born April 29, 1948.
 
Ron was a very talented house painter for many years and always enjoyed his clients.  He loved to fish, ride his mountain bike, read his many, many books, his artwork and his awesome attempts at photography.  Music was also an important part of his life and brought him so much enjoyment and peacefulness.  When we visited we would listen to John Michael Talbot - one of his very favourite artists. As a man who loved the Lord, he had a special way of smiling and making us smile through all his trials and tribulations.  He was loved by all of his caregivers as they expressed how much joy he brought to them. 
 
Ron is the loving step-father of Jessica Wagler (Keith) and father of Kevin Lang.  Proud Papa of Ty and Madyson Wagler.  Beloved friend (ex-husband) of Laurie Wells (nee Bartlett). We will all miss him dearly. He is survived by his mother June Lang, sister Brenda Silverson and predeceased by his father Frank Lang and by his sister Susan Lang.
 
The family would like to thank all the wonderful staff of The Village at University Gates for their kind and gentle care and for being with Ronnie when we could not.
 
Cremation has taken place and a private family Celebration of Life will be held.
 
Donations in memory of Ronnie can be made directly to www.parkinson.ca or www.cmha.ca
Messages and condolences may be left for the family at www.tricitycremations.com or 519.772.1237. Please visit Ron's obituary notice on Facebook.

Passed away peacefully on Saturday, June 6, 2020 at Fairview Mennonite Home at the age of 94.

Born in Toronto on December 26, 1925. She is predeceased by her husband Hugh Dunbar (1977), her parents James and Lucille Liggett and her granddaughter Rebecca. Survived by her children Greg Dunbar (Diane) and Sandy Narin (Bob). Grandmother to James, Melissa, Molly and Lisa. Great grandmother to Dyson, Emily and Allysia.

Mavis was employed by Dumfries Mututal for over 25 years. Since retiring, she kept busy travelling, reading a good book, rowing with the Ancient Mariners Canoe Club and she loved to take care of her beautiful flower gardens.

As per her wishes, cremation has taken place and a private family Celebration of Life will be held. Messages and condolences may be left at www.tricitycremations.com or 519.267.7199.