Kenneth Riehl passed away on October 6^th, 2024 at his home in Ridgetown, Ontario.

Kenn was born on September 20^th, 1979 to his parents James Wellington Riehl and Margaret Diane Riehl.  He leaves here on earth missing him his daughter, Alexis Ruby Riehl and his sister Jacqui Waddick.  He is predeceased by his sister Rebecca, grandparents Ron and Ruby Taylor and Wellington and Dorothy Riehl.  He will be missed by aunts, uncles and cousins.  His pets Diesel and Griffin will miss him along with his friends in Ridgetown.

Kenn’s family will remember him privately.  Family and friends wishing to remember him with a memorial donation are asked to consider the CHAPS program https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/6897 or the Alzheimer’s Society https://alzheimer.ca/chathamkent/en/take-action/donate .

With sadness the family announces the passing of Dorothy Anne Campbell of Blenheim on September 17, 2024 at the age of 89.  Anne was one of three children born to their late parents John and Alean (Duffin) Dixon.  She was predeceased by her sister Betty Allen and is survived by her sister Jacie Shaw (Ron) of Chatham.  Beloved mother of Eric Campbell (2008) (Linda Martin) and Jeff Campbell (Jacqui).  Grandmother of Kasandra Campbell (Joshua – Great grandchild), Josh Campbell, Sarah and Parker Campbell, Danielle and Nikole Martin Campbell.

Anne was born on May 21, 1935 and raised on a farm in Kent Bridge.  In typical Anne style she embarked on a career with London Life which transitioned into her passion of Real Estate for 50 years, which she believed to be the best job in the world.  As a single mother of 2, she had many challenges over the years but handled them with strength, determination and grace.

Anne love spending time with family, laughing, cooking, gardening and always wearing a smile.  She was a loving and caring person, devoted mother, grandmother and friend, always thinking of others first.  To know her was to Love her”.

The care and all of the staff at the Blenheim Community Nursing Home were exceptional.  Thanks you!

Donations to St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Erieau would be appreciated.  We will celebrate Anne’s life with appetizers and a glass of wine on Thursday October 10, 2024 from 5:00 – 7:30 at the Blenheim Community Funeral Home.  It will be an informal time of gathering and fellowship.  A family service will follow at a later date.

Irene Hall passed away in her sleep in the early morning hours of September 27, 2024 after living a life that marked 102 years on September 15^th.

To say that Irene’s life was incredible would be a testimony of the resilience, steadfastness and determination that she was forced to learn at a young age to become the person she was.  When she was eleven years old she was placed in a home in England with other children whose parents were unable to care for them.  Her departure from there at the age of 16 was soon followed by World War 2 and she found herself working midnights in a factory where they made bombs and folded parachutes for soldiers (a story that her great grandson loves to tell).  As her life unfolded, she met a young man named Albert Hall and they fell in love with each other.  In the days when she also worked late shifts as a barmaid, she saved Albert the good cigarettes and he brought her nylon stockings, both things that were scarce during the war.

Irene and Albert married and prior to their departure to Peru for three years, they became parents of two daughters Lynne Gardiner (late Bill Bourdeau) and Irene Hall.  The rest of their family who were born in Canada includes grandchildren Heather Gardiner (Franco Palazzi) and Melissa & James Traxler and great-grandchildren Hunter Baylis, Rylan Traxler and Grace Traxler.

“Nanny” as she was known to her granddaughters was one of the strongest willed women that they knew.  She was a cheeky tiny British lady who was spoiled by Albert who brought her a cup of tea every morning in bed complete with a cup and saucer.   Their love was exceptional and rare…when they kissed, they would always give three pecks.  Irene made amazing Yorkshire pudding, mincemeat, buns and yummy crispy pancakes.  She loved games and was known as the family cheater!  If you ever had the chance to play the game of Sorry or Haymarket, you always lost!   She loved soap operas and was an avid watcher of All My Children and One Life to Live until they both went off the air.  She loved to gamble, play scratch tickets and the slots.

Although the beginning and the end of Irene’s life presented challenges, the dash in between was a beautiful one.  Although her eyesight and hearing failed her in her final years, she looked forward to daily visits from Irene and Lynne who made sure she knew how much she was loved.

Visitation for Irene will be held at the Blenheim Community Funeral Home on Tuesday October 1, 2024 from 11:00 – 11:30 which will be followed immediately by a funeral service conducted by Reverend Wanda Burse.

Friends wishing to remember Irene with a memorial donation are asked to consider the Blenheim Health Hub https://blenheimhealthhub.com/donate/ or the Chatham-Kent Hospice https://chathamkenthospicefoundation.com/donations/.

It is with sad hearts that we announce the passing of Thomas (Tom) Edward Molyneaux on September 25, 2024 at Chatham-Kent Health Alliance.  His family was by his side in his last moments and he passed surrounded by love and music.

Tom was born in Chatham, Ontario on May 30, 1947.  The son of the late John and Monica (Foster) Molyneaux.  Tom is survived by his wife Patricia and children Sara Kellesis, Katy Vanden Hoven (Rich) and Elizabeth Molyneaux and grandchildren Colin, Jackson and James.  Also left to mourn Tom are his siblings Mary Anne Walton (Gary), Maureen MacKinnon (Roy), Dennis Molyneaux (Edith), Marg Plato (Rick) and Theresa Duquette (Denis). Tom was predeceased by his brother Michael Molyneaux.  He will also be missed by his many nieces and nephews and his feline companion Samson.

Tom was a devoted teacher in Welland before he retired and moved to Blenheim.  He loved his students and coworkers and proudly helped run the Environment Club.  He was a member of the Royal Canadian Legion and participated in many weekly jam sessions at the Blenheim branch.   He was well known for his love of music and played a variety of instruments.

He will be remembered for all of the love and kindness he shared with everyone he met.  He truly loved his family and friends – and if you knew him, you knew it.   When his time came he carried himself with dignity, strength and full of love.   He will be missed dearly.

We send our deepest thanks to the nursing staff in the PCU at Chatham-Kent Health Alliance.  Cremation has taken place.  A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date and details will be announced on the Blenheim Community Funeral Home memorial page.  In lieu of flowers we ask that donations be made to the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 17 bursary program or at your local food bank.

On Wednesday September 25, 2024 our husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother and uncle Marvin Ellwood Nicholas Handsor passed away at the age of 80 years.  He was a great man.

“Ellwood” was born in Chatham on Christmas Day, 1943 and because of that, his parents Isabelle & Clarence found it fitting to include Nicholas as part of his name.  He was one of five children and is survived by his sister Judy Dudley (James) and his brothers Terry (Joy), Philip (Margo) and Jim (Deb).  At the age of 14 he found his first love…a 1957 Chevy.  Although he never did own one, he worked on countless classics, bringing them back to their original beauty.

A few years later, Ellwood fell in love again but this time with a young lady named Diane Boswell.  Maybe he never owned a ’57 Chevy, because he loved Diane more.   He would have said that his life couldn’t get better after marrying Mom in 1966 but he also would have said that it did when he and Diane became parents to two boys Marvin Kent (Julie) and Brent (Renee), grandparents to Kyler, Eden and Talon and finally great-grandparents to Roman.

Ellwood was the most welcoming, supportive and inclusive person that you could ever meet. Leaving everyone he met, whether for a moment or a lifetime, with the feeling of being loved.  He saw the good in everything and everybody.  He taught his children to be the best people that they could be and to treat others with respect and kindness.  He was a hard-working man with a great sense of humor.  It didn’t matter if you were family, a friend or someone he just met on the street, he made every encounter a time worth remembering.  He loved blues and soul music, and he loved dancing.  He put his back out once dancing to the macarena and that slowed him down for a bit but it didn’t stop him from doing it again.

He was a long-time employee of Navistar, retiring in 1997 after thirty-two years.  In his younger days he pumped gas for Duncan O’Brien at the White Rose gas station in Blenheim and in between it all, he built his own house and ran his own business called Marv’s Air Tool Repair from his basement shop and his fully equipped garage. With a knack for being able to fix or build anything he set his mind to, he was known as the “Toy Maker” in the days of CB radio. His love for building and tinkering later lead him to ham radio and a whole new world of friends as call sign VE3ZAJ.

One of the greatest lessons in life for his family has been watching the love that Ellwood shared with Diane…she was his world, and he was hers.  All through his challenges with Alzheimer’s disease, Diane was his rock.  They were a good team raising their children and a great example to their grandchildren.

The family would like to invite you to the Blenheim Community Funeral Home on Saturday September 28, 2024 to join us in celebrating a life well lived.  There will be visitation from 10:00 – 12:00.  We will share a short service with Reverend Tracey Thomas and some words of remembrance at 12:00.  Following a private family interment in Evergreen Cemetery, the family will return to the funeral home to share a time of fellowship and food with you…both things that Ellwood loved to do.

Those who would like to remember Ellwood with a memorial donation are asked to consider the Alzheimer’s Society of Chatham-Kent https://alzheimer.ca/chathamkent/en/take-action/donate  because they do great things.

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Brian Wright, a beloved father, stepfather, grandfather, husband and friend.  He passed peacefully at the Country Village Home in Woodslee Ontario on September 20, 2024.

Brian was born June 22, 1936, to Bertram Wright and Annie Myall in Nottingham, England.  He knew from an early age that he wanted to be a plumber and after a stint in the RAF, that’s what he did.  He loved the job and the social aspect as he enjoyed people.

He leaves behind a sister Chris, a much-loved daughter Lynn and her husband Nigel and grandchildren in Nottingham.  He will be missed by stepchildren Cindy, Mike, Judy, Mitch and Kim Ayres and his wife of thirty-two years, Mary Ann.

Brian loved Erieau, especially after he learned to fish, and it became a passion with him.  He was also proud of his twenty years as a volunteer fireman.  He was a very active Mason for many years.

Special Thanks go to Cindy Ayres for all the time she spent with Brian when I wasn’t well enough to go.  Also, many thanks to Aaron Srokosz for answering my many calls of distress, no matter what the hour.

Thanks to the staff at Country Village Home for their patience and caring.  It takes a very special kind of person to do that job every day.

In keeping with Brian’s wishes, a private Masonic Lodge service will take place at Evergreen Cemetery where he will be interred.

Lorna Jean Cowley passed away at the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance on September 19, 2024 at the age of 75 years.  She will be remembered with great fondness by her children Kim Ward (Tom) and Steven Russell, her stepchildren Dianne & Peter Moffat and Pam Cowley and their families as well as her sister Eleanore Dease (Ken).  She was predeceased by her parents George & Ethel (Wood) Prout, her husbands Herbert Russell and Don Cowley, her son James Lyle Russell, her sister Shirley & Earl Wright, brother Harold & Johanna Prout and stepchildren Max Cowley (Elaine) and Mark Cowley.

Lorna was a kind and caring soul who put the needs of others before her own.  She took care of her son James through his journey and after he died, she went to work for the Red Cross as a homemaker and caregiver.  She had a soft spot in her heart for animals of any kind.  She loved to travel, especially if it was on a Goldwing motorcycle headed toward cottage country where she would take in all the beauty of the world.  In her quiet times, she loved looking through pictures and putting puzzles together.

Lorna’s family will celebrate her life privately at Evergreen Cemetery where she will be laid to rest with Don.  Family and friends wishing to remember Lorna with a memorial donation are asked to consider the London Health Sciences Cancer Clinic https://lhsf.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donate.event&eventID=613 where she was always in good hands, or the Blenheim Health Hub https://blenheimhealthhub.com/donate/ so that someday there can be treatment options closer to home.

    “Together Forever” (married July 31, 1999)

It is with deep sorrow that I share yet another loss for the Lindsay family in Blenheim.  On Monday September 16, 2024 as the result of an accident, Fred Lindsay left this world silently to go be with our Mom and Dad, Carol and Bill Lindsay.

Fred was born 65 years ago.  Our family would come to include three children; John, Fred and myself (Linda).  We were a part of a large Lindsay clan who lived in and around Blenheim, a clan that still remains close to this day.  We were children of the 70’s which meant we had an incredible  childhood.   We rode our bikes everywhere, drank out of water hoses, rode in cars without seatbelts and watched black and white tv…and it was all good.  Fred and I got into spats sometimes and played tricks on each other but at the end of the day all was forgiven.  After Dad died in 1970 Mom had to go to work so we were on our own a lot, but we were never alone, since we had family everywhere we went.  Fred was part of a trio of cousins “Fred, Ted and Ron” who always hung out together.

Growing up in the 70’s made Fred the man he was.  He was a free spirit.  He marched to his own drum.  He appreciated simple things in life that others take for granted.  He was a hard-working man who dedicated 38 years of his career as a press operator to Sinteris in Blenheim.  He appreciated family and despite all of our childhood spats and pranks, he would have defended me at the drop of a hat.  I will always love him for that.

Fred never had a family of his own but many years ago he met Karolyn Kohajda and they became inseparable.  You could never just say “Fred” it was always “Fred and Karolyn”.  From the very start they had the right mix of personalities and interests to turn a friendship into a relationship and create a lifetime of memories that will now be Karolyn’s to keep.

Fred was a part of the liked to keep tabs on his nephew Ben and he “adopted” a little brother of his own, Dustin.  Both those boys will miss him a lot.

My brother didn’t want a funeral, so John, Karolyn and I invite family and friends this Saturday to the Blenheim Community Funeral Home from 2-4 & 6-8 to reminisce about the good times and wish Fred well on his next journey.  You know that Fred wouldn’t have wanted anything fancy, so it will be informal.  No need to dress up…the important thing is that we’ll all be together.

For those wishing to remember Fred in some way, we would appreciate it if you would consider making a donation to the Blenheim Health Hub https://blenheimhealthhub.com/donate/ or the Chatham-Kent Hospice https://chathamkenthospicefoundation.com/donations/ in lieu of flowers.

Linda Lindsay

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Evelyn Bellamy, a beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend. Evelyn peacefully passed away at home on September 15th, surrounded by loved ones. Born on March 10^th 1938, Evelyn was a woman of style and grace, known for her high-heeled wedges and chic wardrobe. She brought joy and laughter to those around her with her quick wit and love for telling jokes.

Evelyn will be deeply missed by her devoted partner of over 44 years, Albert Collins. She is survived by her loving daughter, Liane Snobelen (Ken Newton), her step-children, Tawyna Thompson and Steve Collins, and her chosen brother, Lionel Hebert.

She is predeceased by her parents, Bertha Lozon (1989) and Pierre Armand Emery (1991); her sister, Irene Schmitchen (1992); her children, Randy Bellamy (2019) and Mary Ann Bellamy (1966); her granddaughters, Rebecca and Rachel Bellamy (1999); and her chosen brother, Hilaire Hebert (2017). She will be missed by her many beloved nieces and nephews.

Evelyn’s memory will be cherished by her granddaughters, Nicole Snobelen (Andy Simek), Brittany Peck-Doman (Josh Peck-Doman), Mikaela Wolsey (Jordan Wolsey), Mackenzie Hooper (Aaron Hooper), Randi-Lyn Vandewynckel (Cody Vandewynckel), and Danielle Bellamy, as well as her step-grandchildren, Indica Thompson and Nolan Thompson. Her great-grandchildren, Leona, Hudson, Drew, Lincoln, Blake, Rueben, and Josiah, will carry on her legacy.

Evelyn had a passion for the simple pleasures in life, from enjoying a cup of green tea to tending to her garden. She was a devoted fan of Elvis Presley, loved to dance, and always took pride in dressing up for every occasion. A hardworking woman, Evelyn poured her heart into everything she did. Above all, she cherished her family, especially her grandchildren, who were the light of her life and her greatest joy.

Her presence will be dearly missed, but her spirit and the love she shared with those around her will live on forever.

A graveside service for Evelyn will be held at Pardoville Cemetery on Saturday September 21, 2024 at 1:00 p.m.  All are welcome.