4806 - JOHN GILLIES WHITAKER RMC CLASS OF 60
John passed away peacefully in the early hours of January 25th, 2022 in the palliative care unit of St. Michael’s Hospital Toronto. And he couldn’t have picked a better day – his cousin Mary’s birthday so I now imagine the best bridge game ever being played in the celestial plain.
John had many accomplishments, too many to mention, some of the highlights were rides in the back seats of CF-104s duals, and after his early retirement from the Coast Guard in Sarnia due to a heart attack, his writing. It was never dull living with writer John. Sometimes there was a blurry line between John and his action hero David Reasons – a guy who went under the radar to take justice into his own hands.
Of his many loves were taking off in the Whitakers motorhome for camping adventures (oops, I think it’s called RVing), but it was always camping to the Whitakers. It was wonderful that John got to spend some awesome camping adventures with his wife Lynda, sons Todd and Mark, and certainly last but not least his always adventuresome granddaughter Julia. He loved getting away with his sons Mark and Todd for a guy’s cottage weekend. Loved the Hamilton Ti-cats and wore the awesome Ti-cats jacket his son Mark had given as a birthday present. He cherished the love of jazz he shared with his son Todd.
The ones that will miss him the most will be his wife Lynda of 31 years, his son Todd and Mark (Cynthia), granddaughter Julia (Nick) and great-grandson Ray, grandson James(Shannon,) sister Jeanette (Ray), niece Nicole (Todd) and son Cameron and nephew Brent (Melanie) and cousins who adored him and he adored them all.
John’s death was a blessing after 3 very difficult years, but throughout that time he never complained in spite of having such a decline in mobility and so many other health issues.
So in remembrance whenever you are sitting on a sunny patio raise a nice cold beer to an amazing man. If desired, donations may be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.