A Life Well Lived …

Precious gift granted by parents Walter W. & Janet A. Miller.

Dreams shared and realized for 63 years of loving, honouring, and cherishing husband George.

Always in her heart, bringing a world of love and happy memories for children Jeff, Laura, and Linda.

Sweet moments, laughter, and endless love for grandchildren Tyler, Warren, Ryan, Julie, Jennifer, Linsey, and Brian.

Joy and pride in great grandchildren Devin, Reid, Olivia, Logan, Carter, Claire, Sophia, Charlotte, Wyatt, Hudson, Isla, Macy, Natalie, and Isla.

Lasting love and memories shared with siblings Bill, Marjorie, Rosemarie, Joanne, Dianne, and Doug.

Pride in continuing multi-generational Presidency and membership in The Royal Canadian Legion.

Many friendships formed through Mac’s Ceramics, 4-H Leader, GMC Great Lakers, GMCMI, Ladies Auxiliary at Branch 185 of The Royal Canadian Legion, and life-long sharing of her creative talents with good times and laughter throughout the years.

A life well lived is a legacy, of a loving, lasting memory in a smile that our grateful hearts will always treasure.

As per Barbara’s wishes, cremation has taken place with interment at Evergreen Cemetery.

Jean (Mills) Parkhouse passed away peacefully at home on Saturday July 1, 2023.  Born 96 years ago to the late George & May (Haskell) Mills, Jean was the last surviving member of her family having been predeceased by Mary Rumble, Pearl Stover, Flossie Wood, Evelyn Benjamin,  Howard Mills and Fred Shepley.

Jean and her husband Billy, who predeceased her in 1969, were the proud parents of five children; Carol Prokop (Fred), Patricia Travis (Richard), Kelly Parkhouse (Rena), Don Parkhouse and the late Randy Parkhouse.  Their family grew to include 13 grandchildren, 25 great grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren.

For many years, Jean worked at W.G. Thompson’s in the packing room.  She also enjoyed being a part of the Women of the Moose Lodge 1030 in Blenheim.

Visitation for Jean will be held at the Blenheim Community Funeral Home on Thursday July 6, 2023 from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m.  A Funeral Service conducted by Rev. Wanda Burse will follow the visitation.  Interment will take place in Evergreen Cemetery.

Those wishing to remember Jean with a memorial donation are asked to consider two of her favourite charities; the Heart & Stroke Foundation https://www.heartandstroke.ca/how-you-can-help/ways-to-give/legacy-giving and the Diabetes Association https://crm2.diabetes.ca/ .

With her children by her side, Maria Naclerio passed away on Thursday, June 29, 2023 at the age of 78. Born in Agerola, Napoli Italy on December 19, 1944 and daughter of the late Leonardo and Fortunata (DiGennaro) Acampora. Maria was deceased by one sister Giovanna. Beloved wife of 56 years to Onofrio Naclerio and loving mother of Anna & Carmen DeFeo, Fred & Michelle Naclerio, Margaret & Paul Foster, Julia & Francesco Fortunato, Angela Naclerio & Luca Elefante. She was a proud Nonna of nine grandchildren and five great grandchildren. Maria taught her children many lessons in life but the most important one was that hard work and dedication to family should be their first and foremost priority. Equally important was welcoming and always cooking for friends and family. She will be dearly missed by her brother and sisters, by many nieces and nephews and many cousins, friends and extended family in Italy.
Special thanks go out to the home care staff that were involved for the exceptional care that was given to Maria in these last few years. Family will receive friends at the Blenheim Community Funeral Home on Sunday from 4:00-7:00 pm. Parish prayers will be offered at 7:00pm and a funeral mass for Maria will be held at St. Mary’s Church on Monday, July 3, 2023 at 11:00am Internment will take place at the Evergreen, Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, friends and family wishing to remember Maria with a memorial donation are asked to consider the Lung Association http://lung.ca/donate .

Reginald Vince Farquharson of Tilbury passed away peacefully on Sunday June 25, 2023.  Reg was the dear husband of Mary Jane (Shanks) Farquharson and the late Marlene (Lecocq) Farquharson (2002).  He was the proud father of Paul Farquharson who predeceased him in 2008, Lee Ann Welch (Brent), Duane Farquharson (Barb) and Michelle Want, and will be remembered by his grandchildren Krista Clark (Tyler), Dustin Farquharson, Morgan McLaren (James), Kayla Farquharson (Brandon Corbett), Matt Welch (Amanda), Tyler Welch (Allison), Haley Welch, Denzel Welch, Aliya Welch, Faith Welch, Brittany White (Derek), Jordan Smith (Craig), Riley Farquharson and 15 great-grandchildren.

Born to the late Alfred & Edna (Vince) Farquharson on July 2, 1935, Reg is survived by his twin brother Ray (Cherie) and his sister Betty Daymond.  He was predeceased by his brothers Robert (survived by Evelyn) and John & Alice Farquharson.  He will be missed by many nieces, nephews and wonderful friends who he made from near and far over the years.

Reg was a lifelong resident of Chatham-Kent.  His career was in the life insurance and investment business with the North American Life Assurance Company/Manulife, beginning in 1960 until his retirement in 2000.  He was an easy person to like.  Honesty, integrity and loyalty were qualities of his that people admired.  He was successful when he became a broker and a member of the Chatham-Kent Life Underwriters Association, serving as President in 1967.  He earned many awards during his career including the Life Underwriter Award for outstanding business for 32 consecutive years.

In his quiet times, he enjoyed farming, fishing and golfing.  He sang for a number of years in the Friends of Buxton Men’s Community Choir and the Fletcher United Church Choir.  He served as an elder in his church and was a Provincial Appointee, serving as the Vice-Chair of the Chatham-Kent Police Services Board from 2005 – 2011.

Family and friends are invited to the Blenheim Community Funeral Home on Wednesday for visitation from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.  A Celebration of Life will be held at the Funeral Home on Thursday June 29, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. and will be live streamed by clicking the following link: https://event.forgetmenotceremonies.com/ceremony?c=0e856287-35e9-49d9-b49d-7a8e187690ac   Interment will take place in Stewart Cemetery.

Friends wishing to remember Reg are asked to consider the Erie Shores Hospice Residential Home where Reg was cared so well for in his final days.

It is with great sadness to announce the passing of Ken Coates who passed away at home on June 22, 2023 with his family by his side.  Ken was the loving husband of Geraldine Coates (nee Dibbley).  Loving father of Crystal (Dan) Sheppy and Marcus (Tanya) Coates.  Grandfather of Sydney and Cheyenne.  Brother of Bev (Joyce) Coates and Glenn (Anna) Coates.  Cremation has taken place.  Ken’s family will remember him privately.

Ruth Mitchell Lachine of Chatham passed away peacefully on June 22, 2023.  She was the much loved wife of the late Stanley Alexander “Porky” Lachine who she fell in love with, married (when they were both 18 years old) and lived happily with for the next 63 years until he predeceased her in 2010.

Ruth and Stan were the proud parents of four children.  She is survived by her son Fred (Deb) Lachine.  Her heart was broken when she lost her sons Dennis Lachine in 2002, Randy Lachine in 2020 and her daughter Deborah Miller in 2022.  She was a wonderful mother-in-law to Shirlie Gregson (Jerry), Dave Miller, Kim Lachine and the late Mary Beth Lachine.  She was loved by all of the people who called her Grandma and Great-Grandma.

Ruth was the last surviving member of her family, having been predeceased by her parents Frederick  & Jean (Mitchell) Griffenham as well as her sisters Pat Ellis, Margaret Reissner, Helen Goddard, Nora McAuley and Nancy DeLaet.

Ruth’s family will gather privately to celebrate her life of 93 years.  Her interment will take place in Maple Leaf Cemetery with Porky.  If you want to remember her, always keep ice cream in your freezer for the times your grandchildren come for a visit because their smiles will always warm your heart.

Friends wishing to remember her with a memorial donation are encouraged to consider the Word of Life Church Soup Kitchen

Ron Srokosz, died June 2 2023. Son of Edward and Elizabeth Srokosz. Father to Jessica and Benjamin Srokosz. Grandfather to Aleks Srokosz.

Ron Srokosz was born in Chatham on October 4th 1952…..although he’d rather you think he was born in the marshlands of Erieau. He lived, breathed, and bled ‘the eau’. He was a proud son of a Polish man and wore the hallmarks of the Polish culture on his sleeve; unequalled stubbornness, insatiable appetite for cabbage rolls……(only his mother’s though), and preferred a strong rye and ginger only when shared with friends… (especially if they were buying). Ron was happy to be alone most of the time, but shared all of the important times with his family.

He loved to fish……but rarely got around to it. Enjoyed hunting, but hardly found the time. He dreamt of moving away to Manitoulin Island to live out his days, but never quite succeeded.

Ron will be remembered as quiet and kind. He lived by an unwavering code that when you give someone your word, it is unbreakable… A belief that hard work is the greatest way to show your worth, and that when you start something, you see it through to the end. He didn’t always live by his rules but he damn sure expected them of his children and so he was a very proud father.

Ron never wanted to be a spectacle, and couldn’t stand others making a fuss over him. For that reason there will be no funeral service, only a small family gathering to celebrate his life and say goodbye.

Rev. Lorne Thrower passed away peacefully on Sunday June 4, 2023 at the age of 82 years.  He will be forever remembered and loved by his wife Joan (Bateman) Thrower, his sons Jim (Rebecca Liston) and David, his grandchildren Kaitlyn and Jaime and by his sister Marilyn Bailey.

Lorne retired from his Ministry with the United Church of Canada, having had several charges in Southwestern and Eastern Ontario.  He loved his daily interactions with people and always had a keen interest in helping others which made him a perfect fit for the path he chose in life.

The final days of Lorne’s life showed him to be content and at peace with God and for that we are thankful.  His wishes were simple and included to be remembered quietly by his family.  Cremation has taken place.

If you want to remember Lorne, do that by believing in a child.  Give them your undivided attention.  Listen to their stories and let them know that they are important.  If they want a ride on your scooter, make their day…you’ll be rewarded with a smile and sometimes it just doesn’t get any better than that.  Finally, consider supporting the Summer Reading Club at the Blenheim Library because reading was important to Lorne and he would have loved the chance to pass his passion along to the next generation.

It is with extremely heavy hearts that we announce the peaceful passing of Douglas Brian Holdaway of Blenheim, age 67 years, on Tuesday, May 16^th, 2023, at the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance.  Beloved husband and soulmate for 25 years to Diane Schives.

In Leamington, on May 22^nd, 1955, Brian was the first born son to Douglas and Florine Holdaway (both predeceased).  He will be forever missed by his sister Tammy Holdaway (Tom Hewak predeceased) of Blenheim, brother Ray Holdaway of Chatham and his beloved dog, Louis, which he loved to spend time with after a hard day at work.

Brian was also blessed with many half brothers and sisters.  They include Ken Holdaway (Sylvia) of Port Elgin; Barb Miller (Garry) of Paisley; the late John Holdaway of Port Elgin and Leslee Southgate (Eddie predeceased) of Wallaceburg.  He also will be remembered fondly by many nieces and nephews.

Brian leaves behind his mother-in-law Anna Schives (Donald, predeceased) and three brothers-in law, Randy Schives (Veronica) of Light House Cove, Mark Schives (Dawn) of Blenheim and Barry Schives of Brazil.

Loving stepdad to Carrie Girard-Gonzalez (Kuro) of Binbrook; Maria Michaud (Dominic) of Pain Court; Brandy Girard-Simpson (Jason) and Donny Girard (Cheryl) both of Tilbury plus step-grandfather to six grandchildren (Alexus, Payton, Jordan, Malik, Owen and Bentley).

Brian was extremely academic graduating from Blenheim District High School and then proudly obtaining his B.A. in Mathematics from the University of Western Ontario in London, ON.  Brian worked for many years at the family business, Holdaway Roofing, which after being sold, he started up his own business.  He was extremely proud of his biggest accomplishment in life which was the success of Summit Roofing that he started 30 years ago.  He was known to be a great boss and very devoted to his long time employees.

Brian was a very kind, at times sensitive, caring and generous person always ready to lend a helping hand when needed.  He was instrumental in helping many people during his life.

Being an avid guitarist, Brian had an amazing collection of guitars which he proudly had displayed in his home.  He admired the talents of Eric Clapton, the Allman Brothers and local artist Tommy Lockwood, just to name a few.  Brian being a sports fan, would not miss a single Toronto Maple Leafs game on TV and would attend their home games in Toronto a couple of times yearly.  He loved golfing in the summer and curling in the winter.  He was also a member of the Blenheim Legion.  Over the years he enjoyed spending time fishing with his grandson, Malik, who constantly reminded Brian about the minnow size fish which Brian caught.

Brian & Diane spent time travelling, spending time at their trailer and boat in Erieau on weekends and formed many good friendships with other campers.

Brian had many friends who also knew him as ‘Pump’.  They loved laughing at his stories and jokes and listening to the latest prank he was pulling on people.  Everyone had a great time and enjoyed themselves when he was around.

The family would like to express their extreme gratitude to the many doctors, nurses, PSW’s and staff at the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance who provided exceptional care for Brian over the last few months.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Willow Ridge on Sunday June 11 from 2pm until 5pm with words of remembrance taking place at 3pm.

Donations can be made Brian’s memory to PAWR https://pawr.org/funds/ or a charity of personal choice in lieu of flowers.  A video tribute of Brian’s life can be viewed by clicking the following link:https://www.tributeslides.com/tributes/show/2LJ8KDBXBR44ZY24

Terry Russel of Blenheim passed away suddenly at Four Counties Health Alliance in Newbury on Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at the age of 69 years.  He will be forever missed by his loving wife and best friend, Nancy Therrien, children Brandi Bassett (Jordan) and Shannon Large (Russell), and step-children, Mike Therrien (Chantel) and Jackie O’Brien(Chris). His grandchildren Kalleigh, Ryleigh, Millie, Jake, Kora, Owen, Calista, and Watson will greatly miss their “Papa Terry.”

He is survived by his sister Lois Miller (Grant), Predeceased by his mother, Audrey Whitehead and brother Jacky Russell.

Terry was self-employed as a carpet and flooring installer for most of his working career and was a volunteer fireman with the Newbury Fire Department. Terry was also a member of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 185 Colour Guard for the better part of 20 years, where he made many friendships and memories that he cherished his entire life.

Terry and Nancy have recently found a passion for camping. While continuously changing campers and enjoying the great outdoors of Southwestern Ontario, they have created several memorable moments between the two of them and with their family and friends.

Family and friends are welcome to gather at the Hall in the Blenheim Legion on Wednesday May 31, 2023 at 2:00 pm to celebrate Terry.

Donations to the Legion Poppy Fund would be appreciated.