"DIC" 2003 Obituary

DICK  DICKIE  DICKINS  DICKINSON  DICKSON/DIXON 

DICK o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-08-02 published
FRASER, Jessica
Died peacefully in her sleep, at Toronto, on Wednesday, July 30, 2003. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, to James and the late Ethel DICK, Jessica emigrated to Canada as a youngster and grew up in Montreal. She began her professional career as a teacher and later proprietor of her own nursery school in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. A graduate of the drama program at Arcadia University, Jessica entered the theatre world as an award winning actress in both amateur and professional productions. After 20 years in Nova Scotia, she moved to Toronto where she discovered her talents as an administrator, becoming General Manager of Theatre Direct Canada. She continued exercising her teaching skills as a lecturer in theatre management at York University. At the time of her death, Jessica was Executive Director of the Toronto Theatre Alliance, having successfully produced the Dora Mavor Moore Awards, and was recently appointed by the Bank of Montreal to produce the prestigious Elinore and Lou Siminovitch Prize. She was a consultant to the Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance and conducted research on theatre development for the Canadian Consulate in New York. She was a tireless and passionate advocate for the importance of the performing arts, and her community involvement was extensive. She was the driving force behind T.O. Tix, the Toronto Theatre Alliance's half price ticket booth; a member of the Board of Directors for Tourism Toronto and the Board of Management of Yonge/Dundas Square; and a member of the Advisory Board, University of Toronto Arts Management Co-operative program. The passion she had for the performing arts was usurped only by that for her family and Friends. Jessica is the loving mother of Andrew of Perth, Australia, mother-in-law of Rachel, and cherished grandmother (''Designer Gran'') of Lucy. She is the dear mother of Laurie of Toronto and mother-in-law of Tom EYMUNDSON. She is also survived by her father James M.R. DICK, her only sister Muriel and her husband David KENNEDY, her only brother Martin DICK and his wife Janet. Jessica will be sadly missed by her former husband and good friend Sandy FRASER, niece Tobi, nephew Rick, many other relatives in Canada and Scotland, and an extensive group of devoted Friends. The family will receive Friends at the Humphrey Funeral Home - A. W. Miles Chapel, 1403 Bayview Avenue (south of Eglinton Avenue East), from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. on Tuesday, August 5th. A Memorial Service will be held at Can Stage (Main Stage), 26 Berkeley Street, on Wednesday, August 6th at 7: 30 p.m., followed by a reception in the Courtyard. If desired, donations for the establishment of an award in Jessica's honour may be made to Theatre District Canada, 720 Bathurst Street, Toronto M5S 2R4.

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DICK o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-08-13 published
Jim NOBLE: 1924 - 2003
Toronto beat cop who went on to become a deputy chief was 'one of the most highly respected operatives in the history of Canadian justice'
By Bill GLADSTONE Special to The Globe and Mail Wednesday, August 13, 2003 - Page R5
He was a gentleman cop who rose through the ranks of the Toronto police force to become deputy chief. Jim NOBLE, who devoted 37 years to Canadian law enforcement, has died at the age of 78.
Mr. NOBLE's career was marked by an almost continuous advancement through the ranks. As a divisional detective, he worked on a gamut of crimes that included "housebreaking, frauds, sex offenses, robberies -- a little bit of everything," he once explained.
Later promoted to the homicide squad, he investigated more than 100 murders. He was known for his painstaking legwork, his meticulous attention to detail and his uncanny ability to weave an assortment of disparate clues into what he once called "a nice rope of circumstantial evidence."
He eventually headed the homicide squad, where up-and-coming detectives like Julian FANTINO, the current police chief, worked under his command.
"He was one of the most highly respected homicide investigators that the Toronto Police Service ever had," Mr. FANTINO said. "I always found him to be of impeccable integrity and a man of very strong character and loyalty to the profession."
"He was one of the guys that knew all the answers,"said Walter TYRRELL, a retired deputy chief who also once worked in homicide under Mr. NOBLE's command. "If you needed advice, Jim was the guy you would go to."
Mr. NOBLE was promoted to inspector in 1973, staff superintendant in 1974 and deputy chief in 1977. He retired in 1984 with 61 letters of commendation in his file.
Besides homicide investigation, he was an expert on deportation and extradition and lectured on those subjects at police colleges.
An outspoken critic of what he saw as an overly-liberal legal system that put the rights of criminals above those of law-abiding citizens, he once penned an article titled "The Pampered Criminal." Convinced that the immigration department was equally soft on criminals, he helped spurred the government into tightening up the process by which criminals are deported.
"He was really upset with the system," said his former partner, Jack FOSTER, a retired staff sergeant from the detective branch. "He felt they were too soft on immigrants. We'd go to all the trouble of a deportation hearing, they'd escort a guy over to the United States, and within an hour he'd be back on our side again."
Born in Whiteabbey, near Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 1924, James Melvyn NOBLE came to Canada with his family at the age of four and grew up in a working-class neighbourhood on Toronto's Shaw Street. After grade 12 he entered the Royal Canadian Air Force and earned his pilot's wings, but, to his immense disappointment, he never served overseas. Leaving the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1946, he began looking for "something with a little bit of action, a little bit of excitement." When his father, a carpenter, suggested that he apply for a position with the police department, the 22-year-old laughed -- hard -- but agreed to talk to a friend of his father's who was a police inspector. After two lengthy discussions, Mr. NOBLE was ready to "give it a try."
For six months he pounded a beat in a police uniform. Then, paired with a partner in a patrol car, he worked a graveyard shift and became familiar with the "usual cases -- fights on the streets, drunks, domestics, robberies." Often, after an overnight shift, he would be obliged to make an appearance in court the next day.
Promoted to detective in 1957 and to the homicide squad in 1961, he once explained that he'd watch for certain telltale signs in an accused upon introducing himself as a police detective: "a darting of the eyes, the mouth becomes dry and there's a wetting of the lips, a throbbing of the artery in the neck. The person gets pale, he's trembling."
He was often amazed at how readily criminals, once apprehended, will confess their misdeeds. "There's almost a compulsion of people to confess, especially in murder cases," he once said. "It makes them feel that they have salved their conscience to some degree by telling about it."
In one of many infamous cases that he handled, NOBLE solved the murder of an 89-year-old female doctor, Rowena HUME, who was viciously beaten to death by a derelict who had stayed at a Salvation Army shelter and whom she had hired to do a few odd jobs. Two days after the murder, having followed a series of clues, Mr. NOBLE nabbed the suspect on a downtown street; the man blurted out a confession almost instantly. Mr. NOBLE was also part of the gruesome homicide investigation involving the notorious Evelyn DICK of Hamilton, Ontario
Mr. FOSTER, who was paired with Mr. NOBLE for about eight years, recalled that though he took his job very seriously, he also "had a good sense of humour -- he enjoyed a good laugh."
On one occasion, after a painstaking, six-month investigation into a complex case of insurance fraud, the duo were finally ready to collar the perpetrator, a well-known socialite named Irene.
"I remember Jim and me driving up Yonge Street to make the final arrest, and he was singing, 'Irene, Goodnight, Irene,' " Mr. FOSTER recalled. Irene, needless to say, was convicted.
For all of Mr. NOBLE's acumen as an investigator, however, not all of his professional faculties were in operation the day he and Mr. FOSTER visited a Yonge Street ladies' wear shop to check into a routine fraud. Getting back into the patrol car, Mr. NOBLE commented on how attractive he had found the store manager and that he wished he could get to know her better.
"But she's probably married," he lamented.
"Jim, what kind of detective are you?" Mr. FOSTER said. "Didn't you notice that she's got no wedding ring on her finger?"
"No, I didn't. I guess I was too busy taking notes."
Mr. FOSTER insisted that Mr. NOBLE, then 35 and single, make the requisite follow-up call on his own. He did, and he and the store manager, Barbara, were married in 1961.
Although he could play rough when the situation demanded, Mr. NOBLE was known as an impeccable gentleman and a guardian of old-fashioned standards and family values.
He once upbraided some bikers for using profanity in the presence of their girlfriends; the biker girls explained they weren't typical ladies but seemed touched by his courtesy all the same.
According to his daughter, Elaine NOBLE Tames, Jim NOBLE rarely spoke about his professional life at home.
"Being in a house with two ladies, the typical gentleman side of him would say, 'That's not the sort of thing to discuss with your wife and daughter,' " she said.
Mr. NOBLE was the subject of a cover story in Toronto Life magazine in 1972 that used him as a prism through which to view the entire police force. The article described him as "gentle, thoughtful and courteous," and noted that, except in target practice, he had never fired the snubnosed Smith and Wesson.38 revolver that he wore on his right hip.
American authors Bruce Henderson and Sam Summerlin devoted a chapter to him in their 1976 book The Super Sleuths, and described him as "one of the most highly respected operatives in the history of Canadian justice."
"He was the embodiment of professionalism in everything he did, and that was the standard to which he held other people," Mr. FANTINO said.
Jim NOBLE died in Toronto on July 15, leaving his wife Barbara, daughter Elaine and sister Pat WILKINSON, all of Toronto.

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DICK o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-11-22 published
HODY, Maud Hazel Hurst, B.A., B.Ed., M.Ed., Ed.D.
Died November 18, 2003 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She was born May 23, 1928 in Vancouver, British Columbia. She was the wife of the late Reginald Edmund HODY and mother of Florence, Vancouver, Reginald David, Halifax, William (Pam GRIFFIN- HODY), Ottawa, and Laura, Dartmouth. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Max and Arden HODY, Ottawa, and her sister Clare DICK, Vancouver. Maud's original career was as a teacher. She received her B.A. and B.Ed. from the University of British Columbia, her M.Ed. from the University of New Brunswick, and her doctorate from the University of Toronto. She taught in Burns Lake, British Columbia, and Moncton, New Brunswick. She had a second career in Corrections Canada as a parole officer, the first woman in the Maritimes to be in this position. Among other scholarly activities, Maud was involved in research and writing for the Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Social action and the community were always of great importance to her. She was one of the founding members of the Unitarian Fellowship in Moncton, New Brunswick in the 1950's, was involved with Voice of Women, the New Democratic Party and many other activities. Maud had a life-long love for travel, and spent much time traversing Canada, the United States, Europe, and particularly Australia. A memorial service and reception will be held at the Universalist Unitarian Church of Halifax, 5500 Inglis Street, Monday November 24 at 2: 00 pm. No flowers or donations by Maud's request.

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DICKIE o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-06-28 published
DICKIE, William Hamilton Caldow
Born in Renfrew, Scotland September 29th, 1905 - died in Huntsville, Ontario on June 10th, 2003, after a long, happy and productive life. Predeceased by his devoted wife Anna Elizabeth (WHITE/WHYTE.) Survived by his children, Carol, (Michael MOFFAT,) Billy (Janet LAW) and Susan CHANDELIER, grandchildren, Blake and Gregory O'BRIEN (Sandy FORSYTH,) Jonathan and Kirk\Marshall, Christine and Bobby DICKIE, great-grandchildren, Duncan, Charlotte and Eric O'BRIEN. He will be remembered for his distinguished career in industrial and labour relations, his dry (just add scotch) humour, quick wit and great sense of fairness. A celebration of his life will be held August 9th at his home on Lake of Bays where tales will be told and favourite noontime refreshments served. If desired, donations may be made to the Huntsville Hospital Foundation, 354 Muskoka Road 3 North, Huntsville, P1H 1H7.

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DICKINS o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-05-15 published
Reporter covered sports for Hamilton Spectator
Thursday, May 15, 2003 - Page R9
Hamilton -- Jeff DICKINS, a longtime sportswriter at the Hamilton Spectator, died suddenly at home on Saturday. He was 48.
During a 26-year that began in 1977, he covered the landmark Hamilton court case involving the Luppino family in which the courts recognized the existence of the Canadian Mafia.
In sports, he covered the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, and countless Grey Cup games and Vanier Cup games. Spectator sports editor Denis LEBLANC said "the determination he had on Day 1 never left him."
Mr. DICKINS leaves his mother and father, two brothers and a sister -- all of Toronto. A funeral is set for 1 p.m., tomorrow at Timothy Eaton Church in Toronto. Canadian Press

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DICKINSON o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-04-24 published
MURRAY, Marjorie Eleanor (née HUGHES)
Died peacefully at Toronto on April 23, 2003. Beloved wife of R. Gordon for 61 years. Loving mother to John (Elizabeth), Scott (Janice), Janet (John DILL), Sheila (David DICKINSON) and Cameron (Marie) and proud grandmother of 12. Survived by her sister Janet (John FOREMAN) and her sister-in-law Inez HUGHES. Marjorie was a graduate of University College, U of T, a member of Gamma Phi Beta, and a longtime member of the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club and the Garden Club of Toronto. Friends may call at the Morley Bedford Funeral Home, 159 Eglinton Avenue West (two lights west of Yonge) on Saturday, April 26 from 2-4 p.m. Funeral Service on Sunday at 4 p.m. from The Church of St. Timothy, 100 Old Orchard Grove, Toronto. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of your choice.

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DICKINSON o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-05-24 published
He ran O'Keefe Centre in its prime
Former accountant was an innovator: He booked a show using surtitles and a play about an interracial romance
By Carol COOPER Special to The Globe and Mail Saturday, May 24, 2003 - Page F10
Late one spring night in 1963, a phone call awoke Hugh WALKER, the first managing director and president of Toronto's O'Keefe Centre for the Performing Arts. A police officer wanted to know if "we had a mad Russian called Nuri-something dancing at the O'Keefe Centre," Mr. WALKER wrote in his book, The O'Keefe Centre: Thirty Years of Theatre History.
After the opening performance of Marguerite and Armand, in which he starred with Dame Margot FONTEYN, Rudolph NUREYEV had danced up the centre of Yonge Street, attempting headstands on cars as he went. Police intervened in the interest of Mr. NUREYEV's safety, but after a scuffle, the dancer landed in jail for causing a disturbance.
Endlessly kind, courtly and patient, Mr. WALKER notified the Royal Ballet with whom Mr. NUREYEV was performing, and the dancer was released.
Mr. WALKER, the man who smoothed the way for the stars appearing at the O'Keefe as overseer of its operations and who had previously supervised its construction, has died at the age of 93.
O'Keefe Centre, now named the Hummingbird Centre, opened on October 1, 1960, with the first performance of Camelot in the country's first Broadway musical. The show starred Richard BURTON, Julie ANDREWS and Robert GOULET and played to a glittering crowd.
In The Toronto Star, Gordon SINCLAIR wrote: "A salaam to Hugh WALKER for bringing the O'Keefe Centre home on time after 30 months of strain on his patience, nerves and humour."
Mr. WALKER had, in fact, developed an ulcer during the centre's construction, and the strain didn't end with its opening. Shortly after the curtain, his wife, Shirley, smelled smoke. It turned out to be a burning escalator motor, and after the fire was extinguished, Mary JOLLIFFE, the centre's publicist, ran to a hotel across the street for air freshener. The audience came out at intermission none the wiser.
It took royalty to solve another problem. At the time, temperance sentiment remained strong in Toronto, and teetotallers criticized the fact the O'Keefe was funded by, and named for, a brewery.
Mr. WALKER set about to gain acceptance for the centre. Learning that the Queen was visiting Canada in June of 1959, he convinced her aides that she should stop briefly at the construction site and view a model of the building.
Before an audience of arts patrons and the press, the Queen inspected the model and showed such an interest that she overstayed her schedule, delaying the start of the Queen's Plate, her next stop, by half an hour.
Mr. WALKER didn't know that the Queen or the O'Keefe would be in his future when he became executive assistant to Canadian Breweries and Argus Corp. owner E. P. TAILOR/TAYLOR in 1955.
It was only after his hiring that he learned that Mr. TAILOR/TAYLOR had responded to a challenge made by Nathan PHILLIPS, then mayor of Toronto, for industry to build a desperately needed performing arts theatre in the city. For the project, Mr. TAILOR/TAYLOR gave $12-million and the services of his new assistant.
With the slogan "To bring the best of live entertainment to the greatest number of people at the lowest possible prices," the 3, 211-seat multipurpose theatre, designed by modernist architect Peter DICKINSON, quickly became a predominant Canadian venue, predating the Place des Arts in Montreal and the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.
Pre-Broadway shows, musicals, ballets and plays from around the world came to the O'Keefe and it replaced Maple Leaf Gardens as the Toronto venue for the Metropolitan Opera. International stars such as Louis ARMSTRONG, Paul ANKA, Tom JONES, Diana ROSS and Harry BELAFONTE performed there.
During one of Mr. BELAFONTE's many performances at the centre, he experimented with a wireless mike. Accidentally, he tuned into the police frequency. "The O'Keefe audience had the unusual experience of listening in on a lot of police messages, while the police were able to enjoy hearing BELAFONTE sing Ma-til-da!," Mr. WALKER wrote.
Another O'Keefe story concerned Carol CHANNING. When the performer appeared at the centre in Hello, Dolly, she needed to make a number of quick costume changes. Since there wasn't enough time for Ms. CHANNING to run backstage to her dressing room, the crew put up a roofless tent in the wings.
From the fly bridge, the stagehands looked down on Ms. CHANNING, remaining quiet while they watched her change. After her last performance, she looked up at them and said, "Well, boys, hope you've enjoyed the show. 'Bye now."
Other more critical events are associated with the O'Keefe. In 1964, while awaiting her divorce from Eddie FISHER, Elizabeth TAILOR/TAYLOR stayed with Richard BURTON while he starred in Sir John GIELGUD's production of Hamlet at the centre. One weekend between performances, the couple stole off to Montreal and married.
And in 1974, ballet dancer Mikhail BARYSHNIKOV arranged his defection from the Soviet Union at the centre.
During the early 1960s, the O'Keefe became home to the National Ballet of Canada and the Canadian Opera Company. In his book, Mr. WALKER credits the centre with allowing the companies' artistic growth.
Still, not everyone spoke so kindly about the O'Keefe. Many critics denounced its acoustics and less-than-intimate size.
For that, Mr. WALKER had a ready answer. In 1985, Herbert WHITTAKER, then The Globe and Mail's drama critic, wrote: "Against the fading chorus of these ancient complaints, I hear an echo, the rather quiet British tones of Hugh WALKER: 'We know it [O'Keefe Centre] is too large for legitimate theatre, Herbert, but think of all the things Toronto would have missed if E. P. TAILOR/TAYLOR hadn't built it when he did?' "
Born on March 2, 1910, in Scotland to Brigadier-General James Workman WALKER, who fought in the Middle East during the First World War, and Jane STEVENSON, Hugh Percy WALKER was the middle of three children. After earning a B.A. at Cambridge University, he became a chartered accountant.
Mr. WALKER worked with firms in London, Palestine, Quebec, Scotland and Michigan before being employed by Mr. TAILOR/TAYLOR.
Although a great lover of theatre, upon his appointment as the O'Keefe's managing director, Mr. WALKER had little experience with its business side. This led to some innocent faux pas, such as when he booked a photo shoot with the Camelot stars at 10 in the morning, impossibly early for actors. In response, Mr. BURTON exclaimed: "What, in the middle of the night?" Ms. JOLLIFFE said.
Still, director and theatre critic Mavor MOORE said Mr. WALKER dealt with difficulties well. "He was very smooth," Dr. MOORE said. "He was very expert at handling people and situations. He was a calm man."
Mr. WALKER trusted his staff, Ms. JOLLIFFE said. "He was willing to take direction from staff people who had already been in the business, and that was unusual."
And he was gracious and courteous. "He gave great dignity to the performing arts profession and he treated people wonderfully," Ms. JOLLIFFE said. "He was a perfect model of a former era of English gentlemen."
Known for his hospitality, Mr. WALKER always visited the stars in their dressing rooms before opening night and entertained them afterward at First Nighters' parties with Mrs. WALKER.
When the WALKERs took Leonard BERNSTEIN to the Rosedale Country Club, Mr. WALKER tolerated Mr. BERNSTEIN's sending back the wine three times, Ms. JOLLIFFE said.
Along with bringing in commercial performances from the United States and Britain, Mr. WALKER showed some daring in booking shows. In 1961, Kwamina, the story of a romantic relationship between a white woman and a black man, played the O'Keefe.
Acknowledging Toronto's Italian population, Mr. WALKER arranged for Rugantino, the biggest musical hit in Italian history, to play at the O'Keefe in 1963. It was the first foreign-language attraction in North America to use "surtitles," and although plagued with technical difficulties, it played to 60-per-cent capacity.
Things changed for Mr. WALKER and O'Keefe Centre in the late 1960s. Initially, the centre had been a subsidiary of the O'Keefe Brewing Co., owned by Canadian Breweries, and was never intended to make a profit. The company wrote off its operating losses and property taxes.
When Mr. TAILOR/TAYLOR retired in 1966, directors of Canadian Breweries decided that they could not continue to pay the O'Keefe's high taxes. To resolve the situation, Metropolitan Toronto was given the centre in 1968.
A new and inexperienced board of directors brought a new way of doing things, and the centre's losses began to mount.
Mr. WALKER wrote that after the disastrous 1971-72 season, "what followed was not the happiest part of my 15 years at the O'Keefe Centre, and I would like to forget some of the things that happened."
In his final working years, Mr. WALKER dealt with both the centre's internal changes and rising competition from the Royal Alexandra Theatre, the St. Lawrence Centre and emerging alternative theatres.
After his retirement in 1975, he spent 10 years at the Guild of All Arts in Scarborough, Ontario, as the director of Guildwood Hall, curating former Guild Inn owner Spencer CLARK's historical architectural collection of artifacts, writing and illustrating a booklet on them, curating Mr. CLARK's art collection, making a film and lecturing.
He and his wife lived on the Guild's grounds for four years in the now-demolished Corycliff, where they hosted parties whose guests included many stars from the O'Keefe days.
Along with writing the O'Keefe Centre history while in his 80s, Mr. WALKER golfed.
Sue NIBLETT, who worked with him at the Guild, recalls seeing Mr. WALKER nattily attired in golf clothing and Wellingtons standing in two feet of snow driving balls into Lake Ontario.
"He had a love of life that I've never experienced or met in anybody before," Ms. NIBLETT said. "He didn't waste a day of his life as far as I could see."
Mr. WALKER died on May 2 and leaves daughters Katrina PARKER and Zoë ALEXANDER and two grandchildren. Another daughter, Sarah CHENIER/CHENÉ, and his wife, Shirley, predeceased him.

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DICKSON/DIXON o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-02-27 published
PRICE, Kenneth A.
Born July 1, 1927 in Montreal, Quebec, died February 23, 2003 at Centenary Hospital, Scarborough, Ontario Beloved companion of 21 years of Virginia BUSSIERE. Father of Willard (Ingrid MOE,) Richmond, British Columbia and Donna (Rod DICKSON/DIXON), Newmarket, Ontario Grandfather of Evan and Reid PRICE and Shane and Troy DICKSON/DIXON. Special Baba of Payton and Matthew. Interment in spring at Mount Royal Cemetery, Montreal.

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DICKSON/DIXON o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-03-11 published
Kenneth Wilfred CONIBEAR
By Marilyn CONIBEAR Tuesday, March 11, 2003 - Page A16
Canadian pioneer, scholar, writer, teacher, builder. Born August 29, 1907, in Orville, Ontario Died October 4, 2002, in Vancouver, of natural causes, aged 95.
During Ken's "retirement" years, he built, stone by stone, the "Great Wall" of Vancouver on the waterfront behind his home near Jericho Beach. This wall, an unofficial Vancouver landmark, intrigued visitors from around the world who brought or sent stones to be embedded in individual concrete plaques within the wall. From that wall, he invited thousands of visitors to come into his home to share stories and rest a while.
Ken was a man distinguished by intellectual discipline, a love of the language, a respect for all people and the outdoors, as well as personal qualities of patience, kindness, and gentle humour.
His formative years were spent near Fort Resolution on the shores of Great Slave Lake and at Fort Smith, Northwest Territories. He later intrigued his family with tales from as early as 1912, when he remembered vividly taking the train with his mother and four older siblings from Parry Sound, Ontario, to Edmonton, and then taking the last stagecoach from Edmonton to Athabasca Landing. From there they travelled by freight barge along the river and lake systems until they reached their new home, a log cabin at Nagel Snye on Great Slave Lake.
After spending a few years in Fort Resolution, they moved to Fort Smith where his father continued his work as a marine engineer for the Catholic mission on Great Slave Lake and his mother became a respected and successful storekeeper and fur trader.
Ken had little formal education until he went to Edmonton for Grades 11 and 12. He then entered the University of Alberta, and in 1931 won the Alberta Rhodes Scholarship. After completing his English studies at Oxford, he became a writer of Canadian fiction, and had his first of five novels published in 1936 (Northland Footprints)and the last in 2000.
In 1937, Ken was hired by his publisher, Lovat DICKSON/DIXON, to manage Grey OWL's last lecture tour in England. Following the tour, Grey OWL was the best man at Ken's wedding. On the way to the wedding, Lovat DICKSON/DIXON drove the car while Grey OWL and Ken sat in the back seat. Grey OWL threw his arm around Ken's shoulder and said, "Just treat the little lady right, Ken, just treat the little lady right!"
At that point Ken had no idea that Grey OWL was not only not an Indian, but that Grey OWL had five wives and therefore was not exactly qualified to give Ken advice on how to treat his new wife.
Ken returned to the north he loved so much to continue writing about the north and its people and animals, and try to establish a freight business on Great Slave Lake.
He spent several years in the Canadian Navy during the Second World War, had a brief career as executive secretary of the British Columbia Hospitals Association. He was then hired, in 1965, by the newly created Simon Fraser University, at an age, he said, when most people want to retire but when he got the job that he dearly loved.
When he retired from Simon Fraser University (twice) at the ages of 65 and 70, he persuaded the university not to give him a silver tray as a retirement gift, but instead a hand-powered cement mixer. Ken continued his relationship with Simon Fraser University by helping to establish the Simon Fraser University seniors' program and the seniors' Opsimath club until he reached the age of 90 years.
Ken was predeceased by his wife of 50 years, Barbara (née LINKE,) and his son, Peter. He is survived by his wife, Marilyn (ERNEST,) his son John, grandchildren Donald, Tina and Kathy, and six great-grandchildren.
Marilyn CONIBEAR is Kenneth's wife.

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DICKSON/DIXON o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-03-12 published
John DICKSON/DIXON
By Declan NEARY Wednesday, March 12, 2003 - Page A24
Father, friend, raconteur. Born August 22, 1949, in Taylorstown, County Amtrim, Northern Ireland. Died October 4, 2002, in Toronto, of heart failure, aged 53.
Like the late Fred Rogers of television's Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, John DICKSON/DIXON was a gentle, sweet-tempered, softly spoken, unassuming man. He was also blessed with a wonderful and, at times, mischievous sense of humour. Besides rugby and music, he loved poetry and had learned a vast repertoire of poems by heart. The Highwayman and The Cremation of Sam McGee were among his favourite party pieces.
John was born and grew up in Northern Ireland. About Ulster's great religious divide, he liked to joke, "Ma and Da made a huge contribution to our wee town. They had 14 of us, and we weren't even Catholic."
"At home, John was known as The Quiet Man, " said younger brother Robert. "He was a good listener, but also loved to chat and tell stories."
As a qualified electrician, John went to London in 1969 to work for Harrods. In the summer of 1970, he telephoned his brother Brian in Toronto to say he was coming to Canada. When Brian asked for an approximate arrival date, John replied, "Oh, tomorrow."
From the day he set foot in Toronto, John was a tireless member on and off the field of the Irish Canadian Rugby Club. He played wing forward, mostly for the second team, and was willing to have a go in any position on any of the club's three teams. He was club president in 1992-94; since 1997 he was manager of a team, attending twice-weekly training sessions and every game, his Canon camera often dangling from his neck.
John also enjoyed a long playing career with The Leps (The Leprechauns) Irish Canadian Rugby Club's over-35 team. During a rugby tour to the British Virgin Islands in 1987, he was one of seven Leps who endured a harrowing night aboard a rudderless yacht as it was tossed about in rough weather in Drake's Channel. I was on board to witness John's quick reactions to protect his fellow Leps from serious injury or a worse fate.
John married Gloria-Jean TARASCO in 1972. They had a daughter, Amy, now a law student at the University of Western Ontario.
"When I was a child, Dad cooked my meals, read me bedtime stories, and made sure I'd memorized all his favourite poems, song lyrics, and scripture verses, " said Amy. "After my parents divorced when I was 13, all of the time I spent with my father was one-on-one. We were truly great Friends."
John loved living in the Beaches area of Toronto and indulged his passion for running along the boardwalk every day. Once, on the porch of his home, John handed his visiting Irish nephews, Stuart, 15, and Derek, 13, a fat cigar and bottle of Carlsberg each. When the boys' parents saw the carry-on, John said, "Relax, we're just warming up before we head off to Jilly's, " a nearby club featuring female ecdysiasts.
John had a 28-year career as a technician, and manager with Bell Canada.
Shortly after leaving Bell in 2000, John was strolling along Queen Street East and noticed that many of the buildings needed sprucing up. A week later, typical of his sense of spontaneity, he opened a power-wash business, kicking it off by going door-to-door, handing out flyers to potential customers. The business did well.
John always appeared to be in robust health, and his sudden passing from heart failure was a tremendous shock to family and Friends. At his memorial service, many people spoke warmly about this all-round decent man with a mellow voice. His brother George said succinctly, "John came to Canada by himself. He made many Friends."
Sadly, he left us much too soon.
Declan NEARY is a friend of John DICKSON/DIXON.

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DICKSON/DIXON o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-06-24 published
Thomas Alexander HUMPHREY
By Bruce T. HUMPHREY Tuesday, June 24, 2003 - Page A20
Husband, father, grandfather, community leader, funeral director. Born December 6, 1918 in Toronto. Died October 22, 2002 in Barrie, Ontario, of cancer, aged 83.
Tom HUMPHREY was born the only child of Albert (Bert) and Florence HUMPHREY. When his father died at the age of 44, Tom's mother took control of the family firm with the assistance of a manager until Tom was old enough, in 1939, to obtain his funeral director's licence.
He and his mother operated both the funeral home and the ambulance service they provided to the public. As the third generation HUMPHREY to guide the family business, Tom took great care in making sure that the firm continued to upgrade its services and facilities within an ever-changing society.
Active in the community, Tom helped create the Metropolitan and Provincial Ambulance Groups.
He was also a member of the Toronto Board of Trade; the Masonic Order, and Bedford Lodge No. 638 G.R.C. for more than 50 years.
Tom also belonged (and held office) in the Rameses Shriners as well, he was a member for 50 years (in addition to having served as a past director) of the Royal Order of Jesters Court 83 and a member of the Toronto-Leaside Rotary Club for more than 45 years.
He was one of the founders of the Funeral Society of Ontario (Fraternal), known today as Guaranteed Funeral Deposits of Canada. He also served as a director on various boards for several companies and participated in several professional associations during his life.
Tom was a member of Toronto's Leaside United Church since 1956, having served many years as an elder.
Boating was a also great interest -- almost a passion -- to my father; this led to his becoming the first Commodore of the Big Bay Point Yacht Club.
Thomas HUMPHREY moved to Thornhill, Ontario, shortly after his marriage to Lois Belle LEONARD, the love of his life since their meeting 70 years ago. Eventually, he and his family moved to homes in Big Bay Point and the Barrie area in Ontario, providing him with great personal satisfaction and an ever-increasing and enlarging circle of Friends.
"His other love in life has been to travel with my mom to wonderful and exotic locales around the world, with his home time divided between Ontario and Florida," says his daughter Valerie DICKSON/DIXON.
Thomas's wife Lois says: "His personal and corporate success will be long remembered and revered by family, Friends and business associates. "
Most of all, Tom loved his family members, who meant so much to him. He will always be missed and loved by his children, grandchildren and all those who were close to him.
Tom is survived by his wife Lois, daughter Valerie and her husband Rod DICKSON/DIXON; son Bruce and his wife Christina K. HUMPHREY.
Tom was predeceased by daughter Denise WATSON and is father-in-law to John WATSON.
Tom is lovingly remembered by his grandchildren Andrew WATSON Sean and Jeffrey DICKSON/DIXON; and Adam, Jacquelyn and Courtney HUMPHREY.
Bruce HUMPHREY is Thomas HUMPHREY's son and president of Humphrey Funeral Home, A.W. Miles Chapel.

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DICKSON/DIXON o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-07-18 published
D-Day vet one of the 'Two Jacks'
Story of two soldiers'daring escape from a German PoW camp inspired a book of 'amazing adventures'
By Allison LAWLOR Friday, July 18, 2003 - Page R13
Jack VENESS, a D-Day veteran whose dramatic account of capture and escape during the Second World War was chronicled in the book The Two Jacks, has died at his home in Fredericton. He was Maritime writer Will R. BIRD recounted Mr. VENESS's wartime heroism in his 1954 book The Two Jacks: The Amazing Adventures of Major Jack M. VENESS and Major Jack L. FAIRWEATHER.
When Canadians landed on the Normandy coast of France on D-Day, Mr. VENESS and Dr. FAIRWEATHER were there with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders. By June 7, the North Novas (as they were known) battled their way inland -- about 13 kilometres -- and had occupied the villages of Buron and Authie when they were met by German tanks and gunfire, led by the 12th SS Panzer Division.
A raging battle ensued that left dozens of North Novas dead and injured and led to the capture of both Mr. VENESS and Dr. FAIRWEATHER. They were among close to 100 who were taken prisoner by the Germans at the time.
"We thought it was bad luck that we were captured but on the other hand there were a lot of people who didn't survive," said Dr. FAIRWEATHER, a retired doctor living in Lewisburg, Pa.
After being forced to walk for close to a week with little food or rest, the two officers, along with the other prisoners, reached the gates of "Front Stalag." The German prison was a collection of worn-out army huts surrounded by three barbed wire fences.
Included in the book The Two Jacks is a card Mr. VENESS wrote dated June 16, 1944. "Dear Mother, I am in a German PoW camp. I am in good health and will write more later. Love, Jack."
The two Jacks would then spend the next six weeks in the prison camp before being loaded onto a railway boxcar. After spending at least five days jammed into the crowded car, with bombs dropping all around them, the two men decided if they were going to escape, now was the time.
"It was made pretty clear in training... an officer's first duty when captured is to escape," Dr. FAIRWEATHER said. "We had that in the back of our minds."
In the dark of the night, just outside the French city of Tours, the two terrified men escaped their imprisonment by jumping from a moving train through a hole in the boxcar.
"Jack said, 'This is our chance, we have to take it,' Dr. FAIRWEATHER recalled. "He said, 'Come on, we can do this.' " The two officers were hidden by a French priest in the belfry of a church (which Mr. VENESS would later visit in the 1970s with his son and first wife), and were soon after linked up with the French underground.
"I'm sure we wouldn't have survived without the underground," Dr. FAIRWEATHER said. "They hid us and protected us."
The two officers served with the French underground in the German-occupied Loire district of France for less than two months before they were able to make a safe return to their regiment in England.
After declining an offer to be re-posted to Canada, both Jacks rejoined their North Nova units in Europe. This next period would mark some of the most intense fighting Mr. VENESS took part in during the war.
"He was a very courageous and a very brave man," said his friend and fellow veteran, retired judge David DICKSON/DIXON of the New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench. "He never lacked valour."
John (Jack) Mersereau VENESS was born on November 11, 1922, in Ottawa to John and Annie VENESS. After moving with his family to Fredericton in 1933, he attended Fredericton High School. He went on to complete one year at the University of New Brunswick before joining the Canadian Infantry Corps (North Nova Scotia Highlanders) in May, 1942, at the age of 19. A year later, he went overseas and not long after met Dr. FAIRWEATHER while in England with the North Novas.
Dr. FAIRWEATHER said he immediately liked his fellow Maritimer's directness. "He called a spade a spade."
Over the course of his storied military career, Mr. VENESS would go on to serve in England, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and France. After returning to his unit after his capture and escape, Mr. VENESS was engaged in fighting in the flooded Scheldt Estuary in Holland and Belgium, during which time he captured a German major-general at gunpoint.
In March, 1945, while leading his company in Germany, Mr. VENESS was seriously wounded by shrapnel from an exploding shell. After more than a month in hospital he recovered.
Mr. VENESS retired from the army in 1946 as a major with many medals, including the War Medal, being mentioned in dispatches, Croix de Guerre 1940 with Palm, Chevalier of the Order of Leopold II with Palm (Belgium), The Defence Medal and the 1939-45 Star.
"He had a high respect for the veterans all his life," Mr. Dickson said. "I really [think] he felt he owed a debt to his fellow soldiers."
After returning home to New Brunswick after the war, Mr. VENESS returned to the University of New Brunswick and graduated in 1950 with a degree in civil engineering. He spent four years working in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, and Banff, Alberta., then returned to New Brunswick to work for the Department of Highways. He retired in 1983 as director of traffic engineering.
In 1948, Mr. VENESS married Jere WOOD from Saint Martin's, New Brunswick They had one son. In 1976, after almost 30 years of marriage, Mr. VENESS lost both his wife and mother in a tragic car accident, while the two women were driving home to Fredericton from St. Andrews, New Brunswick Two years later, Mr. VENESS married Freda LOCKHARD. The couple enjoyed travelling and visited Europe to pay homage to fallen soldiers at military cemeteries and to attend commemorative services.
In addition to travelling, Mr. VENESS was also an active member of the community. He volunteered with a number of organizations, including the Young Men's Christian Association, where he served on the board of directors; the Masons; the Canadian Legion; and the Fredericton Garrison Club, where he was president.
Mr. VENESS's strict, early military training stuck with him throughout his life. Mr. DICKSON/DIXON remembers that a telephone call to his friend meant a brisk talk to convey a message and no idle chitchat.
"He was a little gruff at times," Mr. DICKSON/DIXON said.
Mr. VENESS died of a heart attack on June 30 while playing snooker at his home in Fredericton.
He leaves his wife Freda, son Randy, daughter-in-law Angela and two grandchildren.

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DICKSON/DIXON o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-08-06 published
Laura Barbara DICKSON/DIXON
By Ruth TAILOR/TAYLOR Wednesday, August 6, 2003 - Page A16
Mother, grandmother, poet. Born May 7, 1907, in Nelson Township, Ontario Died July 6, in Eden Mills, Ontario, of natural causes, aged 96.
Born Laura Barbara PRUDHAM on the family farm, my mother was the daughter of Charles and Anna (PICKETT) PRUDHAM. She was a fifth-generation Canadian, a grand-niece of Laura SECORD. She was the middle child of a family of five, with two older brothers and two younger sisters. Proud of her heritage, Laura was destined to become the family historian.
Laura had many wonderful memories of her childhood: of Christmas trees lit with real candles, of rides over the crisp snow to church, sleigh bells jingling all the way. She had vivid memories of the first automobile, the first airplane. She lived through two world wars and the Great Depression, saw man walk on the moon.
The farm was a busy place, with everyone contributing: Laura raised chickens, milked cows, made butter, sold produce at the Hamilton Market. They left the farm at 2: 30 a.m. to travel through the snowy roads in winter. Bricks were heated in the wood stove, put in the bottom of the horse-drawn sleigh box for warmth. Buffalo robes helped keep them warm on that long dark trip. In summer, they worked the farm fields from dawn until dusk; the only day of rest, Sunday.
It was Laura's dream to go on to high school after passing the entrance exam, but it was not to be; she was required at home. A determined young lady, she took courses, and studied independently. She won two scholarships for short courses at the Macdonald Institute, now the University of Guelph.
Laura taught Sunday School, she played the church organ after teaching herself to play the piano, she sang in the choir. Along with her sister, Anna, they became a popular singing duo in the area. Tea Meetings, and young people's groups were a part of her life within the church. Laura and Friends produced plays to entertain and compete in the area.
Laura met her husband, Lorne DICKSON/DIXON, at a community dance. They dated, and were married February 14, 1940. They resided on the DICKSON/DIXON family farm, Limestone Hall, near Milton, Ontario, where they farmed until 1961. Lorne and Laura's children, Ruth and Robert, grew up on that farm, a wonderful place for children.
Laura's many hobbies included watercolour and oil painting, photography, gardening, baking, and most of all, writing. Walks in the spring wildflowers inspired her first lines of poetry. Later she wrote: "I took a walk in the woods today / Down winding paths where I used to play." She had three books of poetry published, including Changing Seasons in 1997. She won the Milton Heritage Writing Award in 1998 for her collective works. Her poetry was chosen in 2001 to be part of a diary of new and established Canadian poets.
Laura was a life member of the Women's Institute, and lived by their motto "For Home and Country." She was a life member of the Women's Missionary Society, a member of the Milton Horticulture Society, and the Milton Historical Society.
In later years, after Lorne passed away, her greatest love became her grandchildren; they gave her many years of joy. She loved to play, and led them on adventures to the mall, travelling all over on the bus, supplying treats as only grandmothers can. She listened to their dreams, gave encouragement. All the while, she continued to record her life in poetry.
She loved her family, her community, her country -- she was one of that special group of women, born around the turn of the 20th century, who had to create their own opportunities, find their way in a world that was not quite ready to give equality to women. Laura accomplished a great many things, and through it all, she remained a lady, loved and respected by all who had the pleasure of knowing her.
Ruth TAILOR/TAYLOR is Laura's daughter.

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DICKSON/DIXON o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-09-27 published
COONEY, Roger Peter Patrick
Died suddenly of a massive and final heart attack in the arms of Elizabeth, his devoted wife of thirty years. Roger resided in St. Andrews, New Brunswick for the past 10 years. Born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, he was the son of the late William and Veronica (FARCAS) COONEY. Predeceased by brothers, James and Bernard; sisters, Helen COONEY and Jeannette BARLOW. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth (DICKSON/DIXON) COONEY; daughter, Kathleen sons, William and D'Arcy all at home; sister, Ruth CAVERLEY (William) of Don Mills; brothers, John COONEY (Brenda) of Markham, Gregory COONEY (Eva) of Oakville; nieces and nephews, John, Patricia, Theresa, Margot, Peter, Veronica, Marlene, Paul, Shannon, Erinn, Clifford, Karen, Steven and Renee; mother-in-law Peggy DICKSON/DIXON of St. Andrews; brother-in-law, James DICKSON/DIXON of St. Andrews. Resting at the St. Andrews Catholic Church, with visiting on Monday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9. The funeral will be held 12 noon on Tuesday from the church, with Reverend Bill BRENNAN officiating. Interment will take place at the St. Andrews Catholic Cemetery. For those who wish, donations to a charity of the donors choice would be appreciated. MacDonald Select Community Funeral Home, 20 Marks Street, St. Stephen, New Brunswick in care of arrangements. www.macdonaldfh.com

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DICKSON/DIXON o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-11-19 published
JOHNSON, E.D. Julianna "Julie" (née TOOLE) (March 27, 1912 - November 13, 2003)
Julianna (TOOLE) JOHNSON died comfortably and peacefully at Lake of the Woods District Hospital on November 13th, 2003, age 91½, having lived a full and happy life.
Born March 27, 1912 to George and Eleanor TOOLE, she was a lifetime citizen of Kenora except for her upper schooling years in Toronto (Havergal College graduate with the Herbert Mason Gold Medal for high character, 1931; University of Toronto B.A. 1934) and Vancouver (Vancouver General Hospital, R.N. 1938). She married Larry P. JOHNSON (Johnson's Pharmacy 2nd Street,) on June 28th, 1939. They produced 8 children and had a busy, happy 58 years together.
Julianna was predeceased by her parents, her husband L.P. JOHNSON, brother Laurence (Donalda) TOOLE, brother Michael TOOLE, sons Paul JOHNSON in 1952 and Terry JOHNSON in 1996, great-grand_son John WAGENAAR in 2001. She is lovingly remembered and survived by son Larry (Lyn) JOHNSON, Calgary, daughter-in- law Sue JOHNSON, Kenora, daughter Eleanor (Bill) KYLE, Kenora, daughter Mary Pat (Rob) DICKSON/DIXON, Winnipeg, son Bill (Janet) JOHNSON, Winnipeg, daughter Elizabeth/Honey (Tony) JONES, Mississauga, son Kevin (Deborah) JOHNSON, Calgary; grandchildren from Australia to England to the U.S. and all across Canada -- Peter, Tim, Paul and Stephana, Joe and Jaye, Beth, Mark Johnson, Nancy and Kevin WAGENAAR, Rob and Melissa JOHNSON, Larry and Susan KYLE, Shannon and Phil EDGELL, Dave and Dominique, Brad KYLE, Chris, Susie and Billy DICKSON/DIXON, Diane and Eric JOHNSON, Trevor and Evan JONES, Charlie, George, Andy and Julie JOHNSON; great-granddaughters Hailey JOHNSON, Beth WAGENAAR, Ericka EDGELL, Olivia JOHNSON; brother Ned (Anne) TOOLE, Edmonton; sisters-in-law Evelyn INGO and Marjorie Merceline PIGOTT, Vancouver; many kissing cousins, nieces, nephews and Friends.
Julianna's main focus in life was her large family to whom she devoted vast amounts of time and energy. She was a patient, wonderful, caring mother and grandmother, a whiz at accomplishing many tasks in a calm and unflappable manner, an excellent cookie and pie maker, and a gracious hostess. Over the years her fingers were rarely idle as she created items for the Hospital Gift Shop or knitted goods, especially sweaters, for her own family. She was active in the community being a lifetime member of St. Alban's Cathedral and St. Alban's Altar Guild. Of her many volunteer activities she really enjoyed helping children from Kin Valley School at their swimming classes in the (now) Lakeside Inn and delivering Meals on Wheels with daughter Eleanor. She was a member of the Ladies Hospital Auxiliary for many years taking a turn as President. She enjoyed Friendships with many people including her square dancing group and her afternoon Bridge Club with whom she played bridge until she was 89. Truly her favourite time of year was summertime when she loved sharing the family island on Lake of the Woods with her ever growing and changing family. She took great pleasure her whole life long in boat rides, picnics and sunsets on beautiful Lake of the Woods. Julianna will long be remembered as a kind, considerate and dear person.
Immediate cremation has taken place. A memorial service and celebration of her life will be held at St. Alban's Cathedral, 312 Main Street South, Kenora, on Saturday, November 22nd, 2003 at 1: 30 p.m. A reception downstairs in the church hall will follow immediately afterwards.
As an expression of sympathy, those who wish may make a donation in Julianna's memory to the Lake of the Woods C.T. Scanner Fund, 21 Sylvan Street West, Kenora, Ontario P9N 3W7 or to St. Alban's Cathedral, 312 Main Street South, Kenora, Ontario P9N 1T2, or to a charity of one's choice.

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