LOCAL HAIL AND FAREWELL
Some of the notable Hamilton-area people who died in 2017
IN 2017, the world lost singer Gord Downie, CBC storyteller Stuart McLean, beloved actress Mary Tyler Moore, broadcaster Betty Kennedy (from Milton), Tom Petty, Jerry Lewis, Batman (Adam West), James Bond (Roger Moore) and a Partridge (David Cassidy). The Hamilton-area also lost some notables:
Brian Torsney
Died Jan. 16 at age 58. A whiz in advertising, marketing and on political campaigns for such people as Terry Cooke; also served on Creative Arts and the Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation; brother of former Burlington MP Paddy Torsney.
Marvin Caplan
Died Jan. 31 at age 75. Served as councillor for Ward 1 from 19942003 and ran Gentlemen’s Apparel in downtown Hamilton for years; he later worked in real estate and wrote a clothing column for The Spectator.
Ray Edwards
Died Feb. 6 at age 96. Jumped to prominence in 1958 for the Ward 8 election by beating longtime alderman Ken Crockett, known as the “Mayor of the Mountain.” He served from 1959-1963 as Liberal MLA for Wentworth.
Erkki Ahonpa
Died on Feb. 14 at age 96 .A native of Finland, he served with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry; the Caledonia man took part in the disastrous Dieppe Raid in 1942, was wounded but was rescued and brought back to England.
Catherine Martin
Died Feb. 21 at age 52. Corporate communicator (spokesperson) for 12 years for the Hamilton Police Service and also worked at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Hamilton Conservation Authority.
Douglas Charles Marrs
Died Feb. 25 at age 103. Worked at Westinghouse Canada for 45 years and served as one of its last presidents and chairs of the board from 1974-1984; Pittsburgh-based Westinghouse came to Hamilton in 1903 but disappeared from the city when it sold off its plants and in the late 1990s.
Rev. George Horton
Died Feb. 26 at age 82. Minister at Stewart Memorial Church from 1999-2006. The church was founded by freed and escaped slaves from the United States in 1835. Horton met Martin Luther King Jr. in 1962 and called it a life-changing experience.
Dr. William Benson
Died March 15 at age 67. A nationally recognized rheumatologist who was also a famous art collector. The Ancaster resident was called a towering figure in Hamilton and Canada’s cultural landscape.
Ray Silenzi
Died March 19 at age 83. President from 1985-1988 of Local 1005 at Stelco. He took part in one of the most contentious elections in what was then Canada’s largest steelworkers’ local. He ousted incumbent and controversial president Cec Taylor.
Gisela Tobien Sherman
Died March 26 at age 69. The former teacher-librarian was the author of five young adult books, the last called “The Farmettes.” It had been nominated for a couple of book awards in 2016.
Ruth Slater
Died April 9 at age 90. Was a mezzo soprano, manager of Opera Hamilton, marketing director of Theatre Aquarius and one of the first female cantors in Canada; first sang at a St. Catharines temple but in 1982 moved to Temple Anshe Sholom in Hamilton.
William Young
Died April 21 at age 98. A member of the family that ran the Hamilton Cotton Company on Mary Street and served as its last president when it ended textile operations in the 1960s after 80 years; sat on many corporate boards and was a well-known philanthropist.
Ellie Voortman
Died April 23 at age 73. She and her husband John founded Oakrun Farm Bakery in a kitchen at their farm near Carluke in 1978; when they sold the business in 2007, it had grown to factory size and employed more than 400 people.
Peter George
Died April 27 at age 75. Served 15 years as president of McMaster University (1995-2010), the institution’s longest-serving president; came to McMaster in 1965 to take a teaching job. A June memorial was attended by then-Gov. Gen. David Johnston.
Bob Maxwell
Died May 1 at age 69. Served with the Hamilton police for 32 years (1973-2005) and was founder of the Police Honour Guard.
Ted Hendry
Died May 3 at age 88. Member of family that had iconic shoe store on Barton Street East with art deco sign and vintage clock; ran his own retail chains between the 1950s and 2012; his brother, Allan, whom he partnered with in some of the shoe shops, died July 5 at the age of 93.
Leonard Wareing
Died May 6 at age 70. Operated Mr. Used for 32 years; it ended as a warehouse operation off Barton Street East and closed in 2015; his slogan was that he had something for everyone.
Mary McMaster
Died May 9 at age 101. Matriarch of family that ran McMaster Pottery in Dundas between the 1940s and 1980s; its ceramics were sold in department stores across Canada and are now collectors’ items.
Glenn Mallory
Died May 17 at age 85. Founded the Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra in 1965; was music supervisor for the Hamilton board of education from 1967-1990.
Judge Nick Borkovich
Died May 19 at age 81. Served as an Ontario Superior Court justice from 1982-2010; articled for John Munro, then opened a practice with Walter Stayshyn (who also became a judge) in 1963.
Richard Waugh
Died July 17 at age 62. Worked in ambulance-paramedic work for three decades and was deputy chief of Hamilton Emergency Medical Services.
Ralph Hyslop
Died July 21 at age 94. Built and ran the Mount Hope Golf and Country Club until it was bought in 1988 by the Hamilton airport; built and opened Chippewa Creek Golf Club in 1990.
Tom Woodhouse
Died July 25 at age 86. Graduate of engineering from Queen’s University, spent his entire career and served as general manager of the former Hamilton Hydro.
Jim Hansen
Died Aug. 6 at age 85. Superintendent at the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board; introduced the concept in the late 1960s of bringing children with special needs into general student population; called Each Belongs, the program has been studied by boards throughout the world.
Albert Marrone
Died Aug. 30 at age 73. Sat on Stoney Creek council for 12 years and served as city’s last deputy mayor (1997-2000); commonly called the “Mayor of Winona.”
Skip Prokop
Died Aug. 30 at age 73. Was considered one of the top rock drummers of his time and described as the biggest rock ’n’ roll star Hamilton ever produced; he co-founded Lighthouse in 1969 and performed with Janis Joplin, Mama Cass and Carlos Santana.
Dr. Iain Stewart
Died Sept 1. at age 92. Chief of staff at Hamilton General Hospital and worked on the merger with ChedokeMcMaster Hospitals and the creation of Hamilton Health Sciences in 1996.
Bernie Custis
Died Sept. 23 at age 88. A CFL legend, coach, teacher and mentor; was first African-American to become quarterback of a professional team in North America when he took command of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Aug. 29, 1951; he was a star quarterback at Syracuse University; went on to coach Burlington Braves, Sheridan College Bruins and McMaster Marauders; inducted into Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1994.
Rev. David Mainse
Died Sept. 25 at age of 81. Pastor of Hamilton Bethel Gospel Tabernacle but resigned in 1971 to focus on television; launched “100 Huntley Street” in 1977 and in 1998 founded Burlingtonbased Crossroads Television System; also has stations in Calgary and Edmonton and is now Yes TV.
Ann Sloat
Died Nov. 21 at age of 89. Served on Ancaster council as mayor and deputy mayor between 1973 and 2000; mother of six was also a school board trustee and Tory MPP for Wentworth North in 1985.
Fire Chief Robert Peters
Died Nov. 25 at age 76. Served as a firefighter for 36 years, was deputy chief and the last fire chief of Dundas.
Roger Brabant
Died Nov. 26 at age 89. Ran a chain of weekly newspapers in the Hamilton and Niagara areas that included the Stoney Creek News and Hamilton Mountain News; many prominent journalists passed through the doors of Brabant Newspapers; bought by Southam in 1987; now owned by Torstar and is called Hamilton Community News.
Bob Dawson
Died Dec. 10 at age 85. Played for Hamilton Tiger-Cats from 1953-1959, winning Grey Cups in 1953 and 1957; coached McMaster Maurauders and Burlington Braves and taught advertising and media at Mohawk College.