October 3, 1928, June 13, 2018, age 89.

At Silverthorn Community Care, Mississauga, Ontario.

John had a long and productive life until gall bladder surgery (1998) followed by a stroke with left side disability left him wheel chair bound after 2006. He was the first son, second child in family of 10, born to Henry Cecil Powell (1955) & Mary Elizabeth Weir Powell (1996). Predeceased by brothers William (1935), Lindsay (2006), James (2007), Frederick (2008), sister Margaret (1927). Survived by brothers Wallace, (Betty), of Penticton, B.C. Norman (Nancy) of London. Sisters- Azalia and Marie Pearson Mississauga. Fondly remembered by siblings, many nieces, nephews, remaining close friends and neighbours. John loved a good laugh.



Graduated Grade 8 at age 13 in 1941; from S.S. # 6 Blanchard Township, Fish Creek Public School at Prospect Hill.
In St Mary’s High School, he enjoyed wood shop and science, he was a keen learner of how-to science projects, creating and building things and from plaster molds and wire floral art; a major hobby was constructing model structures like buildings, bridges, etc. from balsam sticks. Easily solved problems and had submitted four applications for patents but they never materialized.


Being born 5th generation Canadian in a field stone home built 1867, on a Century Farm homesteaded in 1828; located Lot 36, Concession 2, West Nissouri Township, Middlesex County-20 miles north east of London, Ontario and born between two world wars with early childhood in the depression years of the 1930s, occupations developed working skills from the many jobs of short duration within the economic conditions of those times.

Occupational summary

Working on the family homestead farm, meant planting, growing and harvesting mixed crops, taking it overland to the mills 20 miles south; caring for pigs, milking cow, beef cattle, hens, turkeys, dogs, cats and teams of horses, driving them especially at harvest. During the winter, trees were cut from the farm bush and the wood hand sawed for farm building and wagons and burning in the furnace. Some were left for making maple syrup in the early spring. Enjoyed making apple cider and got a crusher from Niagara.
Away from the farm harvested tobacco for one summer; first pay being $10. /day, with brother Lindsay, outside of Tillsonburg, Ontario. The two kinds of tobacco were Burley for pipe and chewing and Virginia having a different leaf shape for cigarettes. This was well before bug killing chemicals were used after the war, making tobacco bad for human health then.
In 1942 he left high school mostly because it was seven miles from the farm one way and during World War 11, could work with Dad and his younger brothers at Geary Lumber on York Street in London, driving nails to build boxes to transport army trucks. Over the winter and next spring work was at
Quality Steel Works, near Victoria Hospital where he pounded ingots, that were loaded onto rail cars for shipment to Ohio to be made into surgical instruments. Then worked at General Steel Wares on York Street beside the post office putting enamel on bed pots and making wash tubs. For two summers, he worked at Smith Construction in London crushing gravel in Simcoe, Orangeville and Fullerton.
At the age of 16 in 1943, he left the farm to work at McCormick Biscuits in London, Ontario making candies .. jelly beans for one. Next job was with Orange Crush, driving truck, delivering orange crush soft drinks on routes to Aylmer, Glencoe, Rodney, St Thomas, Port Stanley, Komoka, Delaware, Parkhill and Strathroy. In September 1944 work was found at C & D Sugar Plant at Wallaceburg, Ontario as a sample boy beet juice dipping liquid sugar. The Village of Granton also had a sugar beet plant. Having some money and travel experience, hitch hiked to New Orleans, through Ohio. Between 1946-1949 was employed by Imperial Oil Ship Lines at Sarnia travelling the Great Lakes transporting thousands of barrels of oil; jobs were fireman then to an oiler. 1950 to 1951, back farming at home; always hard work but lots of good food.
Between 1951-1955 employed by the London Transit Commission as a city bus driver in the City of London, Ontario, when fares were five cents. September 1952, Mother won a draw at Thorndale Fair for a television—a CBS Columbia and we watched the war chronicles.

Dad died in November of 1955 and he was left his 1954 green Ford truck with black fenders, which was sold to buy a red transport tractor truck to haul large mobile homes mostly to construction sites from London to Vancouver twice, once to Winnipeg, once to Edmonton, once to Ramouski, Quebec, once to Blind River and three times to Halifax.
Joined up with two younger brothers having moved to Drumheller, Alberta in 1957, where he worked at Century Packers, Calgary driving large cattle trucks 500,000 miles. Then worked as a ranch hand at Dalemeade, Alberta followed by work at Calgary Slaughter Houses working for Emores Cattle Liners, again hauling cattle. In 1967 worked for Louis Cleveland east of Calgary, running a gravel pit and hauling gravel. Becoming an accomplished welder in Calgary, continued repairing truck boxes, grain hoppers or any large metal equipment until 1979 when returned to Ontario to reside on the home farm mortgage free, being the eldest son, after Mother retired. With the hundred thousand saved, bought two dump trucks, a front-end loader with a back hoe and an old feed mill by mortgaging the farm. High interest rates of the 1980s got him into trouble at cost of the home farm. After the auction, in 1980, at age 52, flew back to Calgary to work and live on a ranch outside of Calgary. 1983 worked for Emores Cattle Liner hauling cattle and gravel until retirement age 65 / 1993. Continued to reside in a mobile home on the ranch until 1997 age 69, when good health took a turn; shingles in June1996 and on to gall bladder surgery Calgary General Sept1998 followed by subsequent stroke upon discharge.
He lived with his brother Wallace in Penticton, B.C. between October and May again hospitalized for a hernia repair and post stroke walking and physiotherapy with little improvement.
Returned to live in Jacques Nursing Home in Calgary,---passed out---to Peter Lougheed Hospital, then to Glen Forest Nursing Home between January 14, 2000 and June 4, 2000 being able to walk with a cane; brother Jim collected and accompanied for return to Mississauga, Ontario to live with Jim and sister Marie; highlights here were annual family reunions, visiting old friends, connecting with brother 20 years younger for a bus ride as they shared a common employer; Dec 2005 tripped on a blanket corner fracturing hip.

Interment in family plot North Nissouri Cemetery 24058 Fairview Road, in Thames Centre Township in Middlesex County, south of Hwy 7, west of St Mary’s, Ontario. Expected arrival about three p.m. for graveside funeral service. Memorial donations to a charity of one's choice appreciated.

May he have eternal rest.