"SRI" 2006 Obituary

SRIDHAR  SRIGLEY  SRIHARSHA  SRIKANTHAN 

SRIDHAR o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2006-04-15 published
SHERBANIUK, Douglas John, Q.C., L.L.M.
Retired Professor Of Law, University Of Toronto Former Director Of The Canadian Tax Foundation
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Douglas John SHERBANIUK on April 8, 2006. After a long, courageous battle with prostate cancer, he passed away peacefully at his home, with his family at his side. Predeceased by his wife, Joyce SHERBANIUK (née LOVESETH) and by his brother, Doctor James SHERBANIUK of Vancouver, he was deeply loved by his three children, Martha, Kathy (John) and Doug. He will be fondly remembered by his brother, Doctor Richard SHERBANIUK of Edmonton and by many Friends and colleagues in Canada and abroad. Douglas was born in Vegreville, Alberta on April 11, 1929. He received his B.A. in Modern Languages from the University of Alberta in 1950, followed by his L.L.B. in 1953. After additional studies in law at the University of Toronto, Douglas returned to Edmonton where he was appointed Associate Professor of Law at the University of Alberta. In 1960, Douglas continued his studies at Columbia University, completing his L.L.M. in 1962. Soon after, he was invited to join the research staff of the Royal Commission on Taxation (1963-1964). Douglas joined the faculty of law at the University of Toronto in 1965, where he taught tax law for thirty years. He became the Director of the Canadian Tax Foundation in 1967, a position he held until his retirement in 1994. As Director, Douglas was instrumental in assisting the Foundation to meet its mandate of providing expert tax research to both its membership and the government of Canada. A renowned expert on Canadian income tax law, he wrote numerous articles for a variety of publications, notably The Canadian Tax Journal. In 1990, Douglas was honoured to receive the Law Society of Upper Canada medal in recognition of his service to the legal profession in the field of taxation law. Douglas was a gifted administrator and legal scholar and derived great satisfaction from teaching law. He followed the careers of many of his former students with much interest and was always pleased to hear about their achievements. Upon his retirement, Douglas combined his passion for travel (Spain, Russia and China) and tennis, attending both the French Open and Wimbledon. He was a wonderful father and friend. Among other things, Douglas will be remembered for his generosity, sense of humour and appreciation for the simpler things in life~Sunday New York Times, a cup of good, strong coffee and classical music on the radio. We would like to express our sincere appreciation for the wonderful care provided by nurses from Bayshore, Spectrum and Thornbrook Home Care Agencies. We would also like to thank the doctors at Princess Margaret Hospital, especially Doctor SRIDHAR and Doctor TAMBER (and their assistants), and the nurses in the Chemotherapy Day Unit and the Transfusion Unit. As per Douglas' wishes, a private celebration of his life has been held. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation and/or Ian Anderson House.

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SRIGLEY o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2006-05-19 published
DOAN, Phyllis (née DAWDY)
Of Saint Thomas, beloved wife of Robert Doan, passed away at the Saint Thomas-Elgin General Hospital on Wednesday, May 17, 2006, in her 73rd year. Loving mother of Sheri HILL and her partner Phil HOUGH, and Alan DOAN and his partner Jodie BOYD, all of Saint Thomas. Cherished grandmother of Adam and Jaden HILL, Shaye, Amber and Riley DOAN. Dear sister of Rena SRIGLEY, Fay McELROY and her husband Rod, all of London, and the late Marion WILCOX (2002). Also remembered by several sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, and many nieces and nephews. Born in Saint Thomas, September 18, 1933, she was the daughter of the late Orton E. "Al" and Fern (NEAR) DAWDY. Friends will be received at the Sifton Funeral Home, 118 Wellington Street, Saint Thomas on Friday evening from 7-9 p.m. where the funeral service will be conducted Saturday at 1: 30 p.m. Interment in Elmdale Memorial Park. Memorial donations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario or the Parkinson Society Canada gratefully acknowledged.

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SRIGLEY o@ca.on.middlesex_county.london.london_free_press 2006-06-06 published
MANNING, Robert J.
After a short illness at Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital on Saturday, June 3rd, 2006, Robert J. MANNING of London in his 83rd year. Predeceased by his wife Geraldine (1993). Dear father of Gail (Verne) HALONEN of Mount Brydges. Dear grandpa of Jenna Ellen (Jamie) GARNER of Mount Brydges. Brother of George "Kitch" MANNING of London and Marie SRIGLEY of North Bay. At Mr. MANNING's request, there will be no funeral home visitation or funeral service. Cremation with interment Forest Lawn Cemetery, London Elliott-Madill Funeral Home (264-1100) entrusted with arrangements.

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SRIHARSHA o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.toronto_star 2006-04-26 published
OGDEN, John Archibald
Peacefully, on April 25, 2006 at Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Hospital. Dearly loved husband of Una (BOOTH,) and brother of Bob OGDEN (Greta). Devoted father of Gail UPTON (Dennis KOCZKA) of Toronto, and Carol LLOYD (Eric) of Orillia. Beloved grandfather of Christina UPTON (Stephen TASSIE) of Toronto, Rebecca HEARNS (James) of Mississauga, Joshua WOLKOWSKI and Sarah LLOYD of Orillia. The late Mr. John OGDEN will rest at the Mundell Funeral Home, 79 West St. N., Orillia, from 7-9 p.m. Wednesday and 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Thursday. Funeral Service in the Chapel on Friday morning, April 28th at 11 a.m. Interment St. Andrew's-Saint_James' Cemetery, Orillia. World War 2 British Merchant Navy Radio Operator, and employee of the British Marconi Company. Former proprietor of Budget Rent-a-Car Orillia and Barrie, and owner of Quilter's Woodwork. The family would like to acknowledge the support of Doctor PALLOPSON, Drs. LAM, POULOPOULOS and SRIHARSHA, the staff of Main and E2 Dialysis, and the nurses on Harvie IV and Soldiers I. We would also like to thank Diane RUYTER for all her help and support over the years. We strongly urge everyone to sign their organ donor cards in John's memory. Donations may be made to the Trillium Gift of Life Network. Messages of condolence are welcomed at www.mundellfuneralhome.com

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SRIKANTHAN o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.toronto_star 2006-07-15 published
Four homicides, one long night
Police chase leads in garage slaying of man, woman
Other victims are man who was shot, Brampton mother
By Thulasi SRIKANTHAN, Meghan HURLEY and Betsy POWELL, Staff Reporters with files from Jim WILKES
Virgilo CUEVAS often used the garage of his home for refuge, and to smoke -- and that's where he and a female "acquaintance" were shot dead, leaving Toronto police searching for a motive and the killers.
"We're still working on a couple of theories, but there's nothing concrete that I can say yet," homicide Det. Wayne FOWLER said yesterday.
CUEVAS, 31, and a 56-year-old woman were found lying on the concrete floor of the attached garage of a house near Steeles Ave. E. and Markham Rd. on Wednesday night. Police were waiting to notify next of kin yesterday before releasing the woman's identity.
Meanwhile, police on the other side of Toronto were investigating the Wednesday evening slaying of a man in his 40s, and Peel Region police were probing the death of a 31-year-old mother of two whose body was found early yesterday.
A man identified by Friends as Gerald McDONALD may have been killed over the cash he was carrying when he was shot in an apartment building on Weston Rd. near Eglinton Ave. W., a friend speculated.
"He had $1,700 in his pocket. Maybe someone knew that he cashed his cheque and that he had this money," said Nancy IANNRELLA, owner of Nancy's Bar and Grill, next to the apartment.
McDONALD had been released from jail just two hours before he was killed, she said, and had dropped into the bar before going to cash the cheque.
Police were called to the building at about 7: 23 p.m. Wednesday after someone reported hearing gunshots.
The victim died in hospital yesterday.
About 90 minutes later, in Scarborough, CUEVAS' wife, Maria, found her husband and his friend after she drove up to the house around 8: 45 p.m. Wednesday.
The garage door was partly open, and when she drove in she could see one of the bodies, FOWLER said.
She then went inside, where the couples' three young children were with their grandparents.
FOWLER said no one in the house is a suspect.
CUEVAS was home all day and had gone on his own into the garage, where he was joined by the woman.
"The purpose of her visit, I don't know," FOWLER said. She doesn't live nearby and was driven to the address. The wife knows "her husband's friend" by sight.
There was no romantic relationship, he added.
witnesses: described two men, of Asian or Filipino descent -- as were the victims -- wearing light-coloured jackets or jerseys running away from the scene.
No firearms were located.
The wife's father, who asked not to be identified, said he saw his distraught daughter early yesterday morning.
The only thing she would say was that her husband was gone. "That's all," her father said. "She was crying really hard."
The children do not really know what is going on, he said. Two of them are staying with him. "They are sad, they cannot sleep."
Neighbours say they often saw the children running around the red-brick home, cycling and spending time with their father in the backyard, where they often barbecued.
Yesterday, a shiny blue bicycle with training wheels sat on the freshly cut lawn.
"Nothing like this ever happened on this street before," said Darrell RUBIO, who has lived there for three years. He said the family held a lot of parties, and there were always people coming in and out.
Rayne DOOKIE was in her home relaxing when she thought she heard a loud noise.
"I heard a shot. I thought it was a car backfiring." She said she quickly dismissed it because she couldn't imagine anything like a murder happening in their quiet neighbourhood.
Councillor Raymond CHO was going door-to-door in his ward to reassure citizens.
"I was totally frustrated, shocked and angry, because this is a good community," he said.
Meanwhile, Peel Region saw its fourth homicide this year with the death of Malena MORALES, whose body was found in a 12th-floor Brampton apartment early yesterday.
Police found MORALES's body showing "obvious signs of trauma" when they responded to a call at about 2 a.m., said Const. Jennifer BRYER.
Homicide detectives sealed off the building, on Steeles Ave. W. near Hurontario Street, and officers canvassed other residents throughout the day.
Residents said the woman lived with a man and two children, but it was not known whether she was married.
Two boys, a 10-year-old and his younger brother, were being cared for by relatives as police searched for a male suspect.
"This used to be a good building," said a woman who has lived there 16 years.
"But it's been going downhill for the last year or so. There have been a lot of drugs and dealers and the police have been here many times."
An autopsy is planned today at the Centre of Forensic Sciences in Toronto.
The gunning-down of the man Friends called McDONALD, whom police have not officially identified, makes him the fifth homicide victim killed somewhere along Weston Rd. in just a few months.
On July 2, a 25-year-old man was gunned down outside a bar on Weston south of Rogers Rd.
Three men tried to steal the money being collected at the club's front door, police said. A second victim caught in the crossfire was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
On June 13, police found Clive McNABB, 39, stabbed to death in his Weston Rd. and Eglinton Ave. W. apartment, just steps from the scene of Wednesday's shooting.
A week before McNABB's death, 22-year-old Gabriel JARAMILLO was shot dead in the area around Weston Rd. and Lawrence Ave. E. Peyton BADIRU, 26, has been charged with second-degree murder in that case.
And at the end of March, Romaine LAWRENCE, 18, was killed when bullets tore through the window of a pizza parlour at Weston Rd. and Eglinton Ave. W.
"We've been directing our resources along that stretch of Weston Rd.," Staff Sgt. Gary MULHOLLAND, of 12 Division, said in response to a question about the cluster of homicides.
"Over the past few years we've had initiatives to lower violence and we will continue to do so."
MULHOLLAND said that while it is "unsettling for the neighbourhood," the violence mostly seems related to activities of criminals in the area. "It's not just the average citizen walking down the street."
That's little comfort to McDONALD's bar-owner friend, since he was shot steps away from where she works.
Someone came running into the bar screaming to call the police after the shooting, IANNRELLA said.
She was working when it happened and saw the victim in the hallway when she went upstairs.
"I can't sleep because I'm in such shock because it happened in my neighbourhood," IANNRELLA said.
"I know when I go home in the night I get scared."

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SRIKANTHAN o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.toronto_star 2006-07-21 published
Victor HUM went 'the extra step'
Lawyer helped young colleagues
Family 'leader' was their 'safety net'
By Thulasi SRIKANTHAN, Staff▼ Reporter▼
Victor HUM was the kind of older brother who shielded his siblings from racial taunts, telling them to run away while he took the kicks and punches from neighbourhood bullies.
He was the kind of man who rose from a blue-collar neighbourhood to high-powered Toronto lawyer but never forgot his roots.
He was the kind of father who, despite the long hours he worked, stayed close to his children, knowing the littlest details about their lives, from their Friendships to report cards.
HUM, 47, died last weekend at Sunnybrook hospital from a brain aneurysm that struck as he was running on his treadmill Saturday morning.
His death came out of the blue for his family, who say HUM was the picture of health, working out three times a week with a trainer.
"I am tired," he said before taking a Tylenol and trying to sleep it off. The subdued reaction was characteristic behaviour for a man who never liked to worry others, said his younger brother, Lyndon HUM.
HUM was rushed to Sunnybrook, where he was hooked to life support and where his family clung to hope, waiting for a miracle that never came.
Instead, on Sunday night, with his wife, children, mother and siblings gathered around him, HUM was removed from life support.
"A huge part of our family has passed away; our leader, our safety net is gone," his brother said.
HUM was born on December 4, 1958, in a blue-collar area of Ottawa. He was the eldest of five children, one of three brothers and two sisters.
For many years, the HUMs were the only Chinese family in the neighbourhood and other schoolchildren taunted them because of it. When the abuse went from verbal to physical, HUM would tell his siblings to run away so he could deal with it.
"He got bruised and kicked around for us," Lyndon HUM said.
As the eldest child growing up in a traditional first-generation Chinese family, HUM carried the weight of his parents' expectations on his shoulders. His father, a restaurant owner, never wanted his children to follow in his footsteps. He wanted them to do something bigger and better -- become lawyers or doctors.
As a child, HUM strived to live up to these expectations. He pushed himself to get straight A's in school. His parents rarely had problems with him and he kept aiming high until he got accepted into McMaster University's bachelor of commerce program, becoming the first in the HUM family to go to university.
Straight after McMaster, he headed to U of T's law school. He articled at what is now Fraser Milner Casgrain, which was so impressed with him that he was hired right away.
HUM, described by his brother as a creature of habit, never thought of leaving the firm.
"You get a sense that if he is comfortable with what he has, he doesn't change."
That type of loyalty extended to his barber, whom he visited religiously for 25 years. He would always go every third Saturday at 7: 50 a.m. because he wanted to be first in line.
It was the same with his red 1985 Honda Prelude. It was his first car and instead of upgrading, he kept pouring out more and more money to keep it in mint condition -- much to the dismay of his wife, family members say.
As HUM and his siblings grew up, he became concerned with keeping the family close. He organized many family dinners at his house and was planning to host one for his newborn nephew on the same day the aneurysm struck.
To stay in touch, the family also got together for regular golf games -- which they called the Hum Classic -- and HUM, an avid golfer, was always upgrading his equipment in hopes of one day defeating his siblings.
For his family, HUM would do anything. When his father became ill, HUM flew at a moment's notice to see him. "To shield us from any concern and to comfort my mother, he would go first and care for both my parents' needs," Lyndon HUM said. "Victor did not want us to worry, he would do it for us."
At work, colleagues knew him as the man who always kept his door open, especially for younger colleagues. HUM, who was a partner, made a point of approaching younger colleagues to see how they were doing and if they needed any help, said Christopher PINNINGTON, managing partner at the law firm.
"I think Victor was one of those people who was made up to be a genuinely caring compassionate person," he said. "He was very interested in people, in what made them tick and how he could be helpful."
When PINNINGTON returned to the firm after a lengthy absence, he said it was HUM who helped make him feel comfortable.
"Victor was one of those people who reached out to make the transition very smooth."
HUM was also very involved in the management of the firm. He was a member of the sexual harassment committee and a previous manager of the Toronto office's business law department.
HUM's absence at the firm has been difficult, PINNINGTON said. Staff held a meeting early this week to share their memories of HUM. The firm will also create a bursary endowment at the University of Toronto in HUM's name to support diversity in the law profession -- a cause HUM was passionate about.
HUM also kept busy outside the law firm, taking an active role in the Greater Toronto Marketing Alliance, where he served as director and chair of the nominating and governance committee.
"He was always someone you could go to," said Karen CAMPBELL, president of the alliance. He was passionate about promoting diversity and said he wanted to be a role model for young professionals, particularly minorities, she recalled.
HUM was also vital in promoting Greater Toronto for foreign companies and investment, she said. When a trip to New York to attract American business came up, CAMPBELL said HUM jumped at the chance, even though he didn't have to go.
"That was in my mind, going the extra step."
HUM leaves his wife of 17 years, Marion, and three children, 15-year-old Courtney, 13-year-old Alexander, and 10-year-old Andrew. A funeral was held Wednesday.

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SRIKANTHAN o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.toronto_star 2006-11-06 published
Arthur JOHNS, 70: Engineer mentored young colleagues
He 'gave a lot to the profession'
Remembered as loving family man
By Thulasi SRIKANTHAN, Staff▲▼ Reporter▲▼
It was a make-or-break moment for Arthur JOHNS.
He was 29 years old and relatively fresh on the engineering scene when his bosses told him he was going to be involved, in a huge way, in the biggest job their company had done in its 20-year history.
The Medical Sciences building at the University of Toronto needed to be built and someone was going to have to design its structure.
Years later, JOHNS would say it was because he was so "scared to death" that the project went so well. JOHNS would go on from that assignment to become one of Canada's most distinguished engineers, leaving his mark everywhere from the Gardiner Expressway to the Health Sciences complex at Memorial University in Saint_John's. Along the way, he would pick up the profession's top honours, receiving gold medals from the Professional Engineers of Ontario and The Ontario Society of Professional Engineers and the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers.
On October 24, the man who rose from a child of the Depression era to become the president of Morrison Hershfield died one day after his 70th birthday following a nine-month fight with multiple myeloma.
His death, though expected from cancer of the immune system's plasma cells, devastated his family, who described him as a loving man who would do anything for his family.
"He was my strength," said his son, Scott JOHNS. " You couldn't ask for a better father."
At work, colleagues are still grieving the loss of the man who guided the firm from a small Canadian company to a North American entity. A grief counsellor was brought in because JOHNS, who stayed on after retirement as a special consultant, was considered a mentor to many at the company.
"He was a passionate man who gave a lot to the profession," said Catherine KARAKATSANIS, senior vice-president at Morrison Hershfield Ltd.
"Because he was such a brilliant engineer and so strategic, he could solve technical problems through innovations and ingenious adaptations of existing engineering problems. These innovations advanced the practice of engineering in Canada."
JOHNS was born in Toronto on October 23, 1936, to Charles JOHNS and Josephine TEMPLETON, two immigrants from England and Ireland. He was the youngest of two children.
Though JOHNS didn't start off as the most studious lad, he buckled down to study as the years passed, becoming the first in his family to go to university.
"They were very proud of that," said his wife and high-school sweetheart, Ruth JOHNS.
It was when he was studying at University of Toronto that he would meet the men who would change his life: Carson MORRISON, Mark HUGGINS and Charlie HERSHFIELD. The University of Toronto professors would go on to hire the youngster at their company, where JOHNS would remain for more than 40 years.
"Those were his mentors and heroes," said his son, Scott JOHNS. "I think he was so successful in that company because he wanted their names to continue in the engineering industry."
Though he gave his heart and soul to the job, his wife, Ruth, remembered him as a very involved family man.
"He made time and he was always home in time to put the kids to bed and read them stories, help bath them."
If a high school soccer match or hockey game was being played, JOHNS made sure he made it out to see his children.
"He was always there for us, and I know he was incredibly busy with work," said his son. "Work was always important but I think family was first.
"He always made time for those important things."
It was a love that continued even as he grew older and become a grandfather.
"He would come to my son's baseball games or T-ball game; he came even though it was a 45-minute drive," his son added.
This was evident even after JOHNS became sick, his son said.
"His concern through this entire illness was my mom and how it was affecting our lives," he said.
"If he wasn't going to get back to where he was and couldn't do all the things he wanted to do, then he didn't want to be around because he felt he was a burden for my mother," he said. "Right up to the end, he was very unselfish."
Though engineering and his family were his primary passions, JOHNS was also an artist who loved to draw pictures of people and events.
"He did pictures of all of us at some point," said his son.
At work, JOHNS rose through the ranks quickly, inspired by a belief that engineering was about public service. Part of the reason for his father's success, the younger JOHNS said, is the way he treated people.
"I think it was the way he did business, with integrity and fairness. He wasn't a back-stabbing person, he didn't fight his way up the ladder. He did it with integrity and respect.
"He made decisions for the right reasons, not just to make money."
JOHNS also believed a key to success was being alert at serendipitous moments. A work colleague offered this statement JOHNS wrote some time ago: "In order for serendipity to take place, people have to have their antenna up and tuned in at all times, because 'valuable and agreeable' things are often fleeting opportunities. Sometimes, they just make you feel really good; other times, they can change your whole life, or, in a corporation such as Morrison Hershfield, they can create growth or new business opportunities."
JOHNS' style helped him win many fans at the firm, said colleague KARAKATSANIS.
"He always took the time to help, listen and pass on his knowledge and experience," she said. "He truly was a remarkable person, a very rare person."
In his later years, JOHNS was sought after to provide expert testimony at trials.
An annual Arthur B. Johns Scholarship is being created at the University of Toronto to assist a civil engineering student in need.

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SRIKANTHAN o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.toronto_star 2006-11-13 published
Dentist helped all who needed him
By Thulasi SRIKANTHAN, Staff▲▼ Reporter▲▼
When Doctor Surender WADEHRA arrived in Canada in the early 1970s, he was in for a cruel awakening.
The young dentist, like so many others before and after him, was tossed into a vicious cycle where his credentials went overlooked.
Instead, he found himself sweeping hair from the floor of a local salon.
Though many doubted he could be a dentist again, he was determined to prove them wrong. Gifted with a photographic memory and driven by a desire to make a difference, WADEHRA worked hard to pass the National Board Examinations required to practise dentistry in Canada.
In the next 30 years, he established a reputation in Toronto as a practitioner who opened his door to thousands of patients, including many who didn't have any money or coverage to pay.
WADEHRA, 66, died last month at Toronto's Saint_Joseph's Health Centre with his family by his side.
"The clinic wasn't about the money. It was about his desire to help," said son Manish, one of WADEHRA's three children.
"My father was the type of man that would be hard-pressed to turn anyone away from treatment regardless of them having coverage or not," he said. "Payment was always a secondary issue."
WADEHRA was born the fourth of seven children in Jammu in northern India on January 23, 1940. His father had served as a doctor in the Indian army and WADEHRA also put his medical skills to use in the military, serving in Punjab, India.
"He had great respect for his father and he wanted to do it to honour his family," said his son.
In 1971, WADEHRA married Raman MEHRA, with whom he had corresponded as Friends since she visited from Alberta.
"She came back and they had a whirlwind courtship of four to five days," their son said.
The pair was apart six months. In early 1972, he flew to be with his wife in Edmonton. They later moved to Toronto. WADEHRA also worked for many years as the dentist to the Indian High Commission. At the same time, he ran his own practice at Bloor and Dufferin Sts., helping more than 5,000 patients from 1978 to 2006. His son says he loved his multicultural surroundings.
"This was a sentiment close to my father's heart as he himself was an immigrant and enjoyed Canada's diversity."
Although he stayed in Canada, WADEHRA kept a home steeped in Indian culture.
He gave so many Bollywood films to visitors that his children nicknamed him "Indian Blockbuster."

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SRIKANTHAN o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.toronto_star 2006-11-17 published
Helen ALLEN, 99: Wrote Today's Child
Children found homes thanks to her columns, television show
Journalist helped 'hard to place' kids find a family
By Thulasi SRIKANTHAN, Staff▲▼ Reporter▲▼ with files from the Star's Archives and Wire Services
Once referred to as the "fairy godmother of adoption," journalist Helen ALLEN tirelessly worked for 18 years to find homes for 11,000 children who had no parents or relatives to take care of them.
In her column, Today's Child -- which began in the now-defunct Toronto Telegram but later continued in the Star -- ALLEN often wrote about children who were deemed "hard to place" by children's aid societies. This included a youngster born with no arms or legs and another battling Down's syndrome. Even sets of up to seven siblings, who often faced separation, found families due to ALLEN.
"She had a place in her heart for every child who needed a home," said one of her close Friends, Victoria LEACH/LEECH/LEITCH, who worked with ALLEN over the years on adoption cases.
ALLEN's columns and later her television show, Family Finder, drew thousands of readers over the years and became an invaluable resource for children's aid societies across Ontario.
Last week, the 99-year-old, who was an Order of Canada recipient, died at Leaside Retirement Residence.
ALLEN was born on August 16, 1907 to Rev. and H.H. ALLEN in Dundurn, Saskatchewan, their only child. The family moved to Aurora when she was young.
She later attended the University of Toronto, and had plans to become a teacher, until she met the managing editor of student newspaper The Varsity who assigned her to cover the freshman tea.
ALLEN would recount later in the Star that she was so fresh to journalism that she had to ask what the word "cover" meant.
She later told the Star: "From my first day on The Varsity, I could think of no other career but journalism."
When she finished her modern languages degrees in 1929, she went to the Telegram seeking a job and was immediately hired.
She was supposed to host a tea party for her former staff at The Varsity that afternoon, but her plans were interrupted when the Telegram city editor in their morning meeting unexpectedly told her to start later that day.
"Instead of pouring tea, I was in a boat in Toronto Harbour with delegates to the convention of American Prison Association, asking what they thought of Ontario jails," she later told the Star.
She quickly rose through the ranks, working as women's editor and covering a variety of beats for the Telegram.
In the mid-1960s, ALLEN's fortunes would rise even further when an Ontario member of provincial parliament approached the Telegram about starting a program to help children who were hard to place.
As one of the best reporters at the paper, ALLEN was a natural choice for the editors. When she first broached the idea with more than 50 children's aid societies in Ontario, all but three turned her down.
Pictures and biographies were soon given in her columns and the results were tremendous: 18 out of 23 children were adopted immediately. When the other agencies saw the response, they joined on.
The project, which began as an experiment, was here to stay.
"She was the catalyst that brought together families and children," said LEACH/LEECH/LEITCH.
When the Telegram folded in the 1970s, she moved to the Star, where she would remain for about a decade.
Throughout, she took great pains to be honest in her columns about both the good and challenging qualities of the children she profiled.
"I feel it is better to tell what a child is like at the beginning then prospective parents are much more likely to follow through," she later told the Star.
As for the love of her life, it ended up being an old friend from her University of Toronto days, Col. Charles P. STACEY.
He was a Canadian military historian and also a member of the Order of Canada.
Though they went out a few times in their university days, he ended up marrying another woman.
When they met at a reunion more than four decades later, they ended up getting married. They married in 1980 when she was 73.

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SRIKANTHAN o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.toronto_star 2006-12-17 published
'She had the heart of a hero'
Girl tried to save mom, family says
By Thulasi SRIKANTHAN, Staff▲ Reporter▲
In the cold morning wind yesterday, the women wailed and wailed, their faces streaked with tears, hands raised to the sky.
Behind them, a makeshift memorial rested on the front lawn, a tribute to 15-year-old Priscilla ASANTEWAAH. Family members say she rushed into her burning home on Humber Blvd., near Black Creek Doctor and Weston Rd., last Sunday to save her mother, who she thought was trapped upstairs.
Priscilla perished inside, unaware her mother, Mavis SERWAAH, had already jumped from the third floor to safety outside.
But yesterday a little glimmer of hope appeared for the family, who lost their home and everything in it, when they received two $500 cheques from the Toronto Professional Fire Fighters' Association and the firefighters' Operation Christmas Tree. The family also received toys from the firefighters' toy drive.
"This is a tragic situation… sometimes we don't have answers," said King Kwaski OPOKU, a community leader who spoke for the family. "Support like this gives us encouragement."
At Saint Michael's Hospital, SERWAAH cried out and clung to her 11-year-old son's shirt as relatives and Friends appealed to the public to help the family this Christmas.
"She was such a wonderful girl, it just hits the whole community," said John FORSON, Priscilla's uncle. "A life is lost, her mother is critically ill, a young boy left alone and all property lost. It is a tragic moment for us, and we urge the community to show their support."
FORSON said his niece was devoted to taking care of her mother, who is battling arthritis and breathing problems.
And he painted a picture of a friendly, athletic high school student who dreamed of building a better life for herself, attending university and becoming a dentist and mother.
"Unfortunately, those dreams did not realize," FORSON said.
'She knew that she had left her mom, who was incapable of getting out of this fire.
"She had the heart of a hero, doing everything for the mom," he said. "She knew that she had left her mom, who was incapable of getting out of this fire. She came out and decided to go back to get her mom.
"For a moment," FORSON said, "you have to stay back and think about the heart of this girl."
After the fire, Toronto Fire Chief Bill Stewart stressed the need for fire sprinklers in newly constructed buildings, while acknowledging that retrofitting older buildings would be an expensive process.
"The only way we are going to effectively stop this fire death problem is to bring in sprinkler legislation," he said.
"Residential sprinklers are the answer; 88 per cent of our fire deaths happen in our homes.
"There are 220 jurisdictions in North America that have legislation in place now," said Stewart.
"The City of Vancouver has had this legislation in place since 1990, and not had one fire death, so this is not new."
Meanwhile, the firefighters are also appealing for the public's help in dealing with a severe shortage of toys for their toy drive.
"We are especially in urgent need of toys for both girls and boys above the age of 9 years," said Rick BERENZ, executive officer for the Toronto Fire Fighters' Association.
A viewing for Priscilla will be held at 10 a.m. December 30 at All Nations Full Gospel Church, 4401 Steeles Ave. W., followed by a funeral service at 8 p.m. in the Church of Pentecost banquet hall, 2256 Sheppard Ave. W.
A trust fund has been set up to aid the family. Donations can be made at any Royal Bank branch.

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