On July 31, 2025 our beloved Mother, Grandmother and Great-Grandmother Annie Schalk was called home to be with the Lord.  Annie lived a life rooted in faith, devoted to Christ, and guided by the teachings of the Holy Bible.  Christ was always the center of her world and her only wishes were for all her friends and loved ones to know the Lord and honor Him.  She found joy in prayer, strength in scripture and peace in the promise of eternal life.  Mom shared her faith through kindness, compassion and total trust in God’s plan.

As our mother she raised us in the ways of the Lord, teaching us to love, serve and trust in Him always.  Mom now rests in the arms of her Savior, free from pain and sorrow, and rejoicing in His presence.

Annie is survived by her daughters – Mary Ann Schalk, Nellie Louwerse, Margaret Schalk, Carrie Alward and Mae Bedford, her loving granddaughters Vanessa & Kevin Gagen, Miranda Louwerse, and Chantell & John VanRuyven and grandsons Shawn & Naila Bedford and Eric Bedford.  And special to her heart, her great-granddaughters Clare Gagen, Elowen VanRuyven, Ashley Bedford and great-grandsons Adam, Musa and Eesa Bedford who will carry on her legacy of care and love.

Mom is predeceased by her husband Henry (2010) and infant son Henry Adrian (1962), 9 siblings in Holland and is survived by one sister-in-law Jannie Vanderplas in Holland.

Also survived by her brother-in-law Kees and his wife ((Beertje) and sister-in-law Doreen (predeceased by Gary).

Visitation for Mom will be held at the Blenheim Community Funeral Home on Tuesday August 5, 2025 from 2 – 4 & 7 – 9 p.m.  A Funeral Service will be held at the First Reformed Church, Chatham  on Wednesday August 6, 2025 at 10:30 where we will all gather to honor Mom’s memory and rejoice in the promise of everlasting life.  The funeral service will be followed by a luncheon at the church.  At 1:00 we will make our way to Evergreen Cemetery in Blenheim where Mom will be laid to rest beside Dad.

Those wishing to remember Mom with a memorial donation are asked to consider Samaritans Purse to provide spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world https://secure.samaritanspurse.ca/donation .

There are moments in life when you have the privilege of knowing someone, someone who always greeted you with a “Hey Girl”, “Hey Kid” or with a nickname that was curated just for you. Someone whose void will be immeasurable, and presence will be greatly missed; a reality we suddenly faced on Thursday July 24th, 2025 when Cindy Eileen Girard, or as she was always lovingly referred to as “Gert” passed away at her home. She was a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, and a friend.

Born on July 5, 1957, Cindy was the daughter of the late Douglas Bailey & Jean Melanson; and predeceased by her stepfather Paul Melanson. She was the best friend to her sister Denise Walker and will be missed by her brother-in-law Terry Walker. She is predeceased by her brother Kevin Bailey.

Cindy loved her family; Wes was her best friend and partner for the last 35 years. She loved him and took care of him for the last years of her life, doting over “the old guy” and making sure he had everything he needed. She will be forever loved and missed by her children Kelly Lynn Girard (Bobby Senyk), Jeremy Sellars (Linda Maynard), and Sherri Sellars-Walker (Ross Walker). She loved her children and was immensely proud of them; even when they argued or got angry with each other, her love never changed or faltered. Cindy was a proud grandmother to her many grandchildren, including William, Kenna, Breann, and Clayton. She was beyond grateful that she was able to spend the last year with her grandson Jaxon Sellars, dropping him off and picking him up for the school bus, a role she took on proudly and enjoyed immensely. Cindy is lovingly reunited in heaven with her granddaughter Bayli Sellars.

Cindy was the loving and cherished Aunt to Kayla Allen (Kyle), Nick Walker, Matthew Bailey, and loved her great niece and nephews Rosie, Ben (Bad Boy Benny), and Emily as if they were her own grandchildren. She is also greatly missed by her grand puppies Marleigh & Whrenley.

She will be remembered with great fondness by Juanita Girard & Murray Franken, Brenda Girard, Dean & Joyce Girard, Bonita Girard-Dulong & Charles Dulong, her stepchildren Lynne & Robbie Girard and the late Bob & Lou-Ann Girard, and John Girard.

Cindy was fortunate in life to be surrounded by many good friends, living on Fargo Road, where her and her neighbours enjoyed spending time with each other in the “hood”. If you couldn’t find Cindy at home, she was either at her sister Denise’s or had wandered over to the many neighbours, she called family.

Cindy spent a good chunk of her life working at the Venus De Milo where she got to know many people all over town. Cindy loved to camp with Wes at Rondeau Shores Campground, quickly becoming friends with those around her. She was always known for being a smiling, friendly face, and always saying hello. Cindy loved to have campfires in her backyard, and you could often find her there, enjoying a cold Busch light and listening to Bob Segar. We all know that “this mamma is having a drink by the fire” up in heaven, enjoying her time with those she missed. While we will miss her dearly here, we know she will be waiting for us, with a smile on her face, and a beer in her hand.

“For a moment, all the world was right. How could I have known that you’d ever say goodbye. And now I’m glad I didn’t know the way it all would end, the way it all would go. Our lives are better left to chance, I could have missed the pain, but I’d have to miss the dance.”

Visitation will be held at the Funeral Home on Wednesday July 30, 2025 from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.  A private family ceremony will take place at a later time.

Donations can be made in Cindy’s name to the Heart and Stroke Foundation https://www.heartandstroke.ca/how-you-can-help/ways-to-give/legacy-giving

In Loving Memory of Howard “Howie” Holdaway

June 23, 1959 – July 24, 2025

With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of Howard “Howie” Holdaway, a resident of Duart, Ontario, who left us on July 24, 2025, at the age of 66, following a brief and courageous battle with cancer.

Born on June 23, 1959, Howie was the beloved son of the late Ernie and Verda (Smith) Holdaway. He was the devoted husband of 17 years to Tina (van Oirschot) Holdaway, and the proud and loving father of Beven Holdaway, who was the light of his life.

Howie was predeceased by his cherished sister Cathy Watson (2025) and his nephew Jeff Watson (2015). He will be deeply missed by his brother-in-law Bob Watson.

He was a loving son-in-law to Bill and Natalie van Oirschot, and a cherished brother-in-law to Bill van Oirschot Jr. (Mel), Natalie Fletcher (Brent), Nikki van Oirschot, Darryl van Oirschot, Bryon van Oirschot (Leeann), and Robyn Perkins (Gene). Uncle Howie was adored by many nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews, each of whom held a special place in his heart.

Howie was also a “Grandpa” to Noah, Josh, Nolan, and Kennedy, who brought him immense joy and pride. Howie is also lovingly remembered by his many cousins, with whom he shared a lifetime of memories, laughter, mischief, and perch. He held a special bond with his Aunt Louise and Aunt Rosemarie, who remained important and cherished figures in his life. Family meant everything to Howie, and he never missed an opportunity to show up, share a story, lend a hand, or raise a toast with those he loved.

He leaves behind a long list of friends, extended family, and kindred spirits — and no one who met him left unchanged. A special mention goes out to his best friend Betty, his Robinson/Frasier poker nuts, and the boys from Beer Church, where laughter flowed as freely as the beverages. “Bubba” from the horse racing circle was always a constant companion and deserves a heartfelt shout-out. In his final weeks, Marc and Sharon Campbell provided the kind of friendship and support that can never be repaid.

The last month of Howie’s life was spent at Chatham-Kent Hospice, where the compassionate staff offered not only comfort, but a listening ear to the endless stories he loved to tell – stories often shared with the same energy he once used to track horse race stats. To those who called or visited during this time: thank you for filling out his guest roster and giving him that final joy.

Howie was a proud Blenheim boy, known far and wide for his quick wit, unmatched storytelling, and the best damn Rice Krispie squares around. (And for those who know, yes – some are still recovering from those special brownies.) Maxwell House coffee, heated euchre games, his infectious laugh, and his deep, unwavering loyalty defined him. So did his love for his dog Bailey, who rarely left his side.

For the many nieces and nephews who knew him simply as “Uncle Howie,” especially the Watty masses, he had one last message for you all:
CHEERS!

Howie Holdaway’s spirit, humour, and love for the people around him will leave a huge hole in the lives of everyone lucky enough to know him.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Howie’s memory can be made to Chatham-Kent Hospice https://chathamkenthospicefoundation.com/donations/ , whose incredible care gave him peace and comfort in his final days.

Rick was married twice during his life, and both marriages were filled with joy, love, and unforgettable memories. He was first married to Laura (nee Trudell) Suzor for 31 loving years. Laura passed away in 2006 after a courageous battle with Cancer. Rick later married Linda Sue Suzor (nee Maynard) in 2011, and their marriage brought Rick another source of profound joy and companionship. Linda passed away suddenly in 2024, and Rick’s enduring love for her remained strong until the end of his life.

Rick is survived by his stepchildren, Randy (Amy), Lacey (Shaun) and Glen Ogle and Grandchildren, Eden, Jorgia, Ginny, Jayden, Chloe and Ella. His Siblings, Ken Suzor (Mable), Raymond Suzor (Patricia) and his sister-in-laws, Mary Beth Suzor and Lisa Suzor.  Rick also leaves behind many nieces and nephews that he cherished dearly.

Predeceased by both his parents, Ezra Suzor and Amelia Edge, his brother Ronald and Larry Suzor his sister Emily Shearon and her Husband Mike.

Rick lived a prosperous life in Windsor, Ontario, working for Chrysler for over 40 years until he retired and settled in Blenheim, Ontario. Rick was an avid lover of Classic Cars and Race car driving. He was always found watching NASCAR on Sundays and enjoying his summer days camping at Rochester Place with his family alongside him.

Cremation has taken place.  A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

Family isn’t always blood; it’s the people

in your life who want you in theirs…

the ones who accept you for who you are. 

The ones who would do anything

to see you smile,

and who love you no matter what.

David Spain was a friend to many. He will be remembered well by them and the Belle River team who graciously cared for him.

He is predeceased by his girlfriend Carole Westacott.

His home most recently was the St. Francis Advocates Group Home in Belle River and prior to that he lived for years at the Southwestern Regional Centre.

David will be remembered Tuesday July 22, 2025 at 12:30 pm at the Blenheim community Funeral Home 53 Stanley Street, Blenheim Ontario.  Following this time he will be laid to rest at the Pardoville Cemetery with his girlfriend Carole. 

Surrounded by his family on Friday, July 4th, 2025, William “Bill” King passed away suddenly at the age of 77.
Beloved husband of Judy King, and a dedicated father to his three children, Kelly (Hubert) Piatkowski, Paul (Courtney Grange) King, and Karen (Mike) Honchar. He was also a proud grandfather to his five granddaughters, Abbey and Sydney Piatkowski, and Madeline, Katherine, and Annaliese Honchar, all whom he loved spending “girl time” with.
Bill is survived by his brother Jack King, and predeceased by his sisters Mary King and Helen DeGelas.
Bill was born and raised in Blenheim and spent his life in between there and Chatham-Kent. He enjoyed spending his time fishing, playing cards, and supporting his granddaughters’ various sports teams. Bill’s favourite was watching his granddaughter’s baseball teams each summer.
He will always be remembered for his positive greeting to everyone “Nice bright sunny day!” no matter what the weather was.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Bill’s memory may be made to Chatham Hospice.

Online condolences may be left at https://blenheimcommunityfuneralhome.com/

Blenheim Community Funeral Home has been entrusted with funeral arrangements.

With heavy hearts, we share the passing of Karen Maxine Collins on June 29th, a woman whose laughter, love, and light touched everyone she met.

Born January 22, 1956, Karen was the beloved daughter of Jim and Maxine Graham. She grew up in Erieau, Ontario, alongside her cherished siblings Bonnie and Dennis.

A proud and devoted mother, she raised her three children — Billy, Beau, and Amanda — with endless love, patience, and humor.

Karen was a proud Mimi to Alexander and Hailey, and nothing meant more to her than watching her family grow. She cared deeply for all her nieces and nephews — She held them close in her heart and was deeply proud of the people they are becoming.

To know Karen was to smile. She had an unforgettable sense of humor and a positivity that lit up every room she walked into. Conversations with her often ended in laughter, and her warmth made everyone feel like family. She was not just loved — she was love, in its most joyful and genuine form.

A celebration of life will be held at a later time, where all are welcome to gather and share memories, smiles, and love in honor of Karen.

Towering Renaissance man Brian VanHeesch passed away peacefully at the impolite age of 55 after a long battle with cancer.

He was professionally regarded as one of the leading software engineers of his generation. This, however, is only the tip of a considerable iceberg of talents, passions, ideas and ridiculous escapades that defined a full-fat life with an extra dollop of cream on top. And sprinkles.

Born in Chatham, Ontario, Brian was the son of Martin and Diny (Nooyen) VanHeesch, 4th-generation Dutch farmers. After finishing school in Blenheim, he scored an absurd 99% in the University of Waterloo’s entrance exam. By all accounts (including his own), between movies, LAN parties and Dairy Queen runs, Brian almost managed a full day of study during his 4 years at university to get his Bachelors of Math degree. It also gave him plenty of spare time to date his fellow force-of-nature Manju Sekhri and many years later pass on his tenacity for life to Sasha.

Brian joined the plucky Toronto-based Architel Systems in 1994 and quickly established himself as an incredibly talented software engineer. Through Architel and a variety of other business ventures, Brian travelled widely in those early-career years.  Able to rapidly devise elegant solutions to some very complex and cutting-edge problems, Brian’s code is still running in Telcos around the world more than 30 years later.

Brian’s ability to see simple solutions to complex problems extended beyond the abstract world of software and into the physical realm of home improvement. Boasting a tool collection that was basically his own branch of Canadian Tire, Brian set about an ancient-Rome-scale building programme to both his own and other people’s houses. The gigantic stone block feature outside the Britannia House can apparently be seen from space!

He set the tone for a lifetime of work and play both home and abroad with Manju and Sasha in tow. Whether it was carrying 6 canoes by himself on an Algonquin portage, sliding down waterfalls in Malaysia, touring Amsterdam all day with Sasha on his shoulders or bestriding the Himalayas, Brian was incredibly strong and ever-ready for adventure.

But most of all, Brian was a committed absurdist and ferocious fancy-dress artiste: always ready to find the funny or ridiculous side of any situation. His generosity of spirit was as large as his legs, and he had a typically Brian-sized group of close friends that regularly gathered around his marble-topped Island for many, many cheeky ones.

So when cancer arrived in 2017, Brian treated it as just another problem to solve and not something to impinge on his life-chomping spirit (famously getting back to coding in the post-surgery recovery room, complete with slurred phone calls to colleagues). Whether it was biking 50 kilometres to a chemo appointment or hiking up mountains in Costa Rica, Brian steadfastly refused to let his illness compromise his lifestyle.

Brian’s life-on-all-cylinders is an example to us all and he leaves behind a huge body of work, experiences, love and laughter shared with Manju, Sasha and so many of his friends.

Brian is survived by the love of his life Manju, darling daughter Sasha; his sister Elly (Chris), brother Ronny (Kelly), honorary sister Jennifer and her children India and Sawyer; nieces Jessica, Joy, Brianne and his nephews Konnor, Bryn and Kourtlan; mother-in-law Urmil Sekhri, sister-in-law Anju (Sheldon) and brother-in-law Manu (Radhika); nephews Akshay, Anuj, Noah and niece Uma.

Predeceased by his parents Martin and Diny and his father-in-law Ripudaman Kumar Sekhri.

Cremation has already taken place.

A celebration of life will be held on August 10th, 2025 at the Simpson-Burke Residence.  Please email [email protected] for information or to send messages to the family.

No flowers please.  Friends and family wishing to remember him with a memorial donation are asked to consider the Juravinski Cancer Clinic (https://www.hamiltonhealth.ca/inhonour) or Acclaim Health Care (acclaimhealth.ca).

On Tuesday, June 17, 2025, with her family by her side, Marion Jean Pardo (Castleden) passed away peacefully at the age of 89.

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and raised in Sudbury, Ontario, Jean’s early years were shaped by a love of learning and the outdoors. She pursued higher education with distinction, earning an Honours BA in Geological Sciences from the University of Toronto. Jean and two other women tied for first place to receive the prestigious Coleman Gold Medal, a recognition of outstanding academic achievement. Later in life, her passion for education led her to complete her Honours Bachelor of Education in 1990.

Jean began her career as a geologist for Consolidated West Petroleum in Port Alma, Ontario, where she met her first husband, Fred. She later found her true calling in education, teaching science, mathematics, and geology in Ridgetown, Walkerton, and Chatham.

During Jean’s retirement she travelled extensively visiting place such as Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, South America, England, and journeying from coast to coast in Canada. Jean was a proud member and leader in the Girl Guides of Canada. Jean rose from a young Brownie to become Commissioner of the Trillium Area, with approximately 12,000 members at the time. The Girl Guide motto remained a guiding force in her life.

Jean would marry Fred Pardo in 1960 until his passing in 1996. In 1999, Jean remarried JAF Fenwick and together they spent cherished years between Canada and Australia until his passing in 2004.

Jean had a deep love for reading, teaching, gardening, and spending time with her family near and far. She was a dedicated volunteer throughout her life—serving with the Girl Guides, IODE, the Altar Guild of the Anglican Church, the University of Toronto Women’s League, the Blenheim Historical Society, and was fondly known as part of the “Pie Lady” club.  She served as a board member of the Howard Rees Foundation for many years.

She is predeceased by her parents Geof (1971) and Margaret (1949) Castleden, her husbands Fred (1996) and JAF (2004), her son Hugh (2019), daughter Melanie (1968), stepson Ross (2016), stepdaughter-in-law Jo (2024), sister-in-law Jaye (2022), and her parents-in-law Charles (1949) & Eleanor (1960) Pardo and Charles (1947) & Eileen (1936) Fenwick.

Jean will be lovingly remembered by her daughter Margaret Pardo, daughter-in-law Cathy, brother Donald Castleden, and stepchildren Bill, Andrew, Susan, and daughter-in-law Kathy Fenwick.

She leaves behind her cherished grandchildren: Nicole (Florin), Laura (Nathan), Daniel, Natalie (Connor), Eric (Kennidi), Sarah (David), Libby (Simon), and Iian, and her great-grandchildren: Caitlin, Tristan, Sebi, Hayden, Logan, Tierian, Alice, Oscar, Edward, Arthur, and Amelia.

She will also be fondly remembered by her nieces Jennifer and Heather (Jay), and her great-nieces and nephews: Dylan, Jordan, Iredia, Ikhide, Ivie, and Kevin.

Visitation will be held at the Blenheim Community Funeral Home on Friday, June 20th from 2:00–4:00 p.m. and 6:00–8:00 p.m.

A Funeral Service will take place at Trinity Anglican Church on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at 11:00 a.m., followed by a light luncheon in the church basement. Interment will follow at Pardoville Cemetery.

Donations would be appreciated to the Blenheim Community Health Hub https://blenheimhealthhub.com/donate/ , Chatham-Kent Hospice https://chathamkenthospicefoundation.com/donations/ , or Girl Guides of Canada https://www.girlguides.ca/WEB/ON/Parents/Donate/ON/Support_Us/Donate.aspx .

The family would like to extend heartfelt thanks to Dr. Martha Clendenning for her years of care and compassion, and to the Chatham-Kent Hospice team for their loving support during Jean’s final days.

Rest in Peace, Mom.

Due to local events and road closures in Blenheim on Saturday, parking will be available behind St. Mary’s Church. Those wishing to join the funeral procession to the cemetery are invited to gather there, as the procession will depart from that lot.