William Kirk

In his 96th year, Bill died peacefully at Etobicoke General Hospital. Beloved husband for 64 years of Loretta (d.2019). Loving dad of Bob (Sarah), Karen (Bill), Diane (Dave) and Lynne (d. 1961). Grandpa of Bill (Ashley), Chris, Gary, Sophia and Cameron. Great-grandpa of Billy, Alexis, Colten, Cael, Brody and Chase. Uncle to Anne.

Special thanks to the truly kind and wonderful staff and excellent care both at Kipling Acres in Toronto for the past 8 months, and at Southbrook Retirement Lodge in Brampton for the 13 years previous. They are all remarkable people who do remarkable things every day. Southbrook also looked after our grandmother, dad’s mom Marjorie, for many years, before our Mom and Dad also moved into the residence. It was always interesting to see Dad’s reaction when it was pointed out that they had never seen a mother and her son live concurrently in the same retirement home (Grandma lived to 107). “Annoyed” barely covered Dad’s reaction.

Dad was born in Toronto to Harry and Marjorie and got to love the outdoors visiting relatives during summers at Eagle Lake. He left home at 16 to travel out west with a friend where he worked at Deer Lodge in Alberta as a porter and general help. Dad never forgot those months and always wanted to return. In the meantime, he returned to Toronto, got a stint as a labourer in what is today the Evergreen Brickworks and then worked doing concrete pouring and finishing for Metro Concrete. He met and fell head over heels for Mom, and they married in Toronto and spent their honeymoon at the appropriately named Honey Harbour.

Dad began working for the Rice family and that led to him and Mom moving with a baby to Brampton in 1957, where 3 more babies arrived.

Working with concrete was Dad’s specialty and eventually he began his own small company, with Mom as bookkeeper, and friends and expert carpenters Bill Gillan and Bob Dobson. They made many a driveway, curb, sidewalk, hydro vault, pool (including a pool for us!) and house addition. But the lure of the outdoors was always there – he took many fishing trips with Bill and Ron and grandpa Harry to Temagami, Haliburton, Bala and Sundridge. They had all the gear and were very good. At cooking canned potatoes anyway.

Sleeping in the back of a truck or a tent wasn’t really Mom’s thing so in 1985 they bought a small cottage in need of repairs on Lake Muskoka. Dad was in his element working on it and they spent many happy summers there entertaining friends and having Karen’s kids in from Alberta for summer trips of swimming, fishing, and puttering in the boat and canoe and making memories to cherish. There was ice cream involved too. And when Diane’s Sophia and Cameron came along there wasn’t a cottage any longer but there continued to be ice cream. Even mango. And since they lived only 40 minutes away it was a wonderful thing for Mom and Dad.

After the cottage was sold, Dad did get back out west several times to visit Karen and her family and then on to riding in the mountains at The Anchor D Ranch with owner Dewey. He loved it every time and he continued riding into his 80’s. It was his happy place.

We all wish that he is in his happy place now – with Mom again, with Lynne, with his mountains, his many departed friends, his fishing rod - with the memories he had lost from the ravages of Alzheimer’s. We certainly know his battered and favourite cowboy hat is with him – we made sure.

Cremation has taken place and a private family graveside service arranged to reunite Dad with Mom and Lynne. In lieu of flowers, ride a horse, catch a fish, visit the mountains, pour some concrete (or a glass of wine). Or give to the charity that means the most to your heart.