Dennis Punter, 84, passed away peacefully in Toronto on January 30, 2023, due to complications related to end-stage Parkinson’s. He is loved and missed by Cathy, his wife of 60 years; his adult children Jennie, Brian, and Keith; grandchildren Evan, Charlotte, Derek, Tori, and Hazel; and brother Fred.

Dennis was the second of four children raised by Albert and Mildred Punter in a North Toronto household bustling with extended family and musical activity. His inquisitive mind, industrious ethos, and gentle demeanor opened doors and sparked friendships throughout his life. Like his father, Dennis was a gifted musician. In his youth, he studied piano, cello, and pipe organ privately with notable Toronto musicians, and co-led a popular high-school dance band. An active professional church musician during his life, he developed concert programs and legacy projects for many Canadian congregations. He had perfect pitch, could also play by ear, and was an impressive jazz pianist and improviser (always a hit at parties!).

He and Cathy were high school sweethearts and alumni of U of T’s Victoria College. They married in 1962 in Toronto, raising their family primarily in Ottawa, where Dennis began his career in the federal public service. Moving from trade policy areas to senior positions in foreign affairs, Dennis took consular and embassy positions in Australia and Austria, then lent his expertise to the trade commissioner service in Halifax and, after retirement, to Acadia University.

In Canada and abroad, Dennis enjoyed an array of cultural, social, travel, and sport activities with Cathy, family, and friends. After returning to Toronto in 2002, he continued music, volunteer, curling, social, and family activities until his Parkinson’s advanced. The Punter family thanks Kensington Gardens’ East Palmerston team for their exceptional care of Dennis in the last three months of his life and for many acts of kindness offered in his final days.

Friends may call at the Turner & Porter Yorke Chapel, 2357 Bloor St. W., at Windermere, east of the Jane Subway, on Tuesday, February 14, 2023 from 2:00 until the time of a Funeral Service in the Chapel at 3:00 p.m. Reception to follow.

Dennis supported many causes and charities. In lieu of flowers, the family invites friends to donate to a charity of their choice, and to share memories of Dennis.

Online condolences may be made using this website.