Obituary for Jack Monteith
John Thomas Monteith "Jack"
April 18,1929 - December 5, 2022
Well Dad you’ve had a year in the Big Jazz Club in The Sky. Hope you finally got to talk with Dizzy Gillespie and Dave Brubeck about how their album liner notes were wrong!
Dad was born in Toronto’s Parkdale neighborhood to Hazel Gladys King Henderson Monteith (Nana!) (1899-1976) and Thomas Harold Monteith born in Belfast Ireland (1902-1957). Dad was baby brother to Gord, Murray, Hazel and Gladys Henderson. Dad attended Wright Avenue Elementary School and his first year at Parkdale Collegiate Institute before heading out to the working world. We’re not sure of Dads first few jobs in his teen years pre Mom but we do know that Dad was probably the most consistent, dependable and reliable employee any business could ever have! Too young to help his big brothers out in service for the war Dad did what he could to help on the home front like recycling, bottle and food drives (during his dementia he told some funny stories about loading and unloading and delivering in Toronto!). Dad rowed at the Toronto Argonaut Rowing Club and that’s where he met Mom (what were you doing there Mom?!). Dad married Jean Logan Brown on October 18,1952 and they celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on October 18, 2022!
In their youthful wisdom Mom and Dad made the courageous decision to leave Toronto and move to the far away town of Oakville to a beautiful little new home on Joshua Creek, where they stayed for more than 60 wonderful years! A child’s idyllic paradise! They proceeded to have four of us and Dad would emphatically state our names in order if he needed one of our attention- Jim, Lori, David, Janet!!! Until the culprit looked guilty enough when their name was called! Dad’s entire married life focused on his wife and children (and wide range of cats we brought home as kids and later his grandogs!!). Uncle Jack loved to tease his various nieces and nephews and in laws! Though Dad rarely missed a day of work on the Toronto Stock Exchange floor in all the years we knew him- it was simply a job and a means to provide for his family. Every day he took the same train, had the same coffee and muffin at Union Station and took the same train home. And there was no better sight in the world than seeing Dad come down the street home from work! Dad was the most caring human being any child could ever dream of, up for his kids fixing breakfast ( even when we were grouchy sleeping in teenagers!!), getting them ready for school or Saturday morning activities, taking them shopping, picking them up, driving them, washing their cars, making bonfires, playing games, going camping…whether we were “thumping” through the house doing gymnastics, building forts, riding mini bikes, playing hockey in the basement or using the yard for who knows what with a gang of neighborhood kids ( including his amazing annual rink!), Dad was there to supervise, not criticize, to empathize, encourage, comfort forgive and love us unconditionally…and whether it was The Life Cycle of a Frog, a Disney movie, Anne Murray, the CFL, Hockey Night in Canada, and of course Wheel of Fortune, we’d snuggle right in to watch it with him. But his lawn? DON’T touch that!! He’d playfully loosen his belt or threaten the “fly swatter” when we pushed the limits but his gentle smile and twinkling eye made you giggle!
Over the years he welcomed our friends, boyfriends and girlfriends and ultimately our spouses (Dianne Rose d 2012 (Dave), Gregg Hayes (Janet) and Terry Lehne (Lori)) and his beloved Grandchildren Darren (Robyn) and Logan (Ben) Monteith and Tory and Dana (Drake) Hayes who delighted playing “Jack’s Bar” and Great Grandchildren (Beth Monteith and Mason and Kaiden Hayes) who could still dance while standing on his feet. Even in his last year after the final stages of dementia had stolen his memory, he remained “Jack”- a pure man with a kind heart and gentle soul, joking, silly, reading his beloved paper every day with a coffee and cookie in hand, walking, enjoying Frank Sinatra or any other song from his extensive music collection (yep only Jim inherited Dad’s musical prowess but we all embraced Dad’s thirst for knowledge and his endearing and constant questioning, investigating, researching and bartering!). Dad would go to the store and come home with the cashiers’ life story! He welcomed all with a smile and his famous “Hello”, helping anyone who asked, loving his wee Jeannie and going to bed religiously at 9 pm, even in his final night upon which he peacefully went to sleep forever. To the staff at Centennial Place in Millbrook, Ontario we are forever grateful for your love and kindness towards Dad, and understanding that he was a rule follower and a pleaser when he continued to follow the directions on the fire alarms- “Pull Here”!
All Dad would ever want as a legacy is that you choose kind and pay it forward at every chance you get…we love and adore you Dad!
God Bless.
April 18,1929 - December 5, 2022
Well Dad you’ve had a year in the Big Jazz Club in The Sky. Hope you finally got to talk with Dizzy Gillespie and Dave Brubeck about how their album liner notes were wrong!
Dad was born in Toronto’s Parkdale neighborhood to Hazel Gladys King Henderson Monteith (Nana!) (1899-1976) and Thomas Harold Monteith born in Belfast Ireland (1902-1957). Dad was baby brother to Gord, Murray, Hazel and Gladys Henderson. Dad attended Wright Avenue Elementary School and his first year at Parkdale Collegiate Institute before heading out to the working world. We’re not sure of Dads first few jobs in his teen years pre Mom but we do know that Dad was probably the most consistent, dependable and reliable employee any business could ever have! Too young to help his big brothers out in service for the war Dad did what he could to help on the home front like recycling, bottle and food drives (during his dementia he told some funny stories about loading and unloading and delivering in Toronto!). Dad rowed at the Toronto Argonaut Rowing Club and that’s where he met Mom (what were you doing there Mom?!). Dad married Jean Logan Brown on October 18,1952 and they celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on October 18, 2022!
In their youthful wisdom Mom and Dad made the courageous decision to leave Toronto and move to the far away town of Oakville to a beautiful little new home on Joshua Creek, where they stayed for more than 60 wonderful years! A child’s idyllic paradise! They proceeded to have four of us and Dad would emphatically state our names in order if he needed one of our attention- Jim, Lori, David, Janet!!! Until the culprit looked guilty enough when their name was called! Dad’s entire married life focused on his wife and children (and wide range of cats we brought home as kids and later his grandogs!!). Uncle Jack loved to tease his various nieces and nephews and in laws! Though Dad rarely missed a day of work on the Toronto Stock Exchange floor in all the years we knew him- it was simply a job and a means to provide for his family. Every day he took the same train, had the same coffee and muffin at Union Station and took the same train home. And there was no better sight in the world than seeing Dad come down the street home from work! Dad was the most caring human being any child could ever dream of, up for his kids fixing breakfast ( even when we were grouchy sleeping in teenagers!!), getting them ready for school or Saturday morning activities, taking them shopping, picking them up, driving them, washing their cars, making bonfires, playing games, going camping…whether we were “thumping” through the house doing gymnastics, building forts, riding mini bikes, playing hockey in the basement or using the yard for who knows what with a gang of neighborhood kids ( including his amazing annual rink!), Dad was there to supervise, not criticize, to empathize, encourage, comfort forgive and love us unconditionally…and whether it was The Life Cycle of a Frog, a Disney movie, Anne Murray, the CFL, Hockey Night in Canada, and of course Wheel of Fortune, we’d snuggle right in to watch it with him. But his lawn? DON’T touch that!! He’d playfully loosen his belt or threaten the “fly swatter” when we pushed the limits but his gentle smile and twinkling eye made you giggle!
Over the years he welcomed our friends, boyfriends and girlfriends and ultimately our spouses (Dianne Rose d 2012 (Dave), Gregg Hayes (Janet) and Terry Lehne (Lori)) and his beloved Grandchildren Darren (Robyn) and Logan (Ben) Monteith and Tory and Dana (Drake) Hayes who delighted playing “Jack’s Bar” and Great Grandchildren (Beth Monteith and Mason and Kaiden Hayes) who could still dance while standing on his feet. Even in his last year after the final stages of dementia had stolen his memory, he remained “Jack”- a pure man with a kind heart and gentle soul, joking, silly, reading his beloved paper every day with a coffee and cookie in hand, walking, enjoying Frank Sinatra or any other song from his extensive music collection (yep only Jim inherited Dad’s musical prowess but we all embraced Dad’s thirst for knowledge and his endearing and constant questioning, investigating, researching and bartering!). Dad would go to the store and come home with the cashiers’ life story! He welcomed all with a smile and his famous “Hello”, helping anyone who asked, loving his wee Jeannie and going to bed religiously at 9 pm, even in his final night upon which he peacefully went to sleep forever. To the staff at Centennial Place in Millbrook, Ontario we are forever grateful for your love and kindness towards Dad, and understanding that he was a rule follower and a pleaser when he continued to follow the directions on the fire alarms- “Pull Here”!
All Dad would ever want as a legacy is that you choose kind and pay it forward at every chance you get…we love and adore you Dad!
God Bless.