John Landy Plunkett died early in the morning on Sunday, January 7th at the age of 92. John lived a full, rich life. From his early adventures as a water taxi driver on Centre Island to managing and growing a small business in downtown Toronto (Landy’s Church Supplies), to becoming a savvy dividend investor, he displayed a willingness and talent to enter into and conquer any new challenge.

However, his greatest adventure and smartest decision was marrying a young Mary Strauss. For sixty years they have danced through life’s challenges with a shared sense of purpose, spiced with humour and marked by love. Anyone who had the privilege to witness the interplay between them was blessed by the experience. They had rewarding work lives and travelled extensively but the bond they shared was the magic at the heart of their lives.

Although having no children, John and Mary “adopted”, mentored, loved and financially supported an ever growing number of nieces and nephews who have been forever marked by their love and kindness. Over large family dinners held at their home, stories were spun, debates were conducted, and wisdom dispensed. Always at the heart of these gatherings was the importance of family.

Outside of his relationship with Mary, John’s commitment to his Catholic faith was the other core component of his life. Through his early education at St. Michael’s Choir School and De La Salle Secondary School, his years of service at St. Gregory’s Parish, and his forty years working in leadership roles with the Serra Club, his devout Catholicism was worn proudly and lived daily.

John will be deeply missed by all those who were fortunate enough to have met him but especially by Mary and the Calzavara, O’Gorman, and Plunkett families he “adopted”, mentored and loved.

A funeral mass will be held at St. Gregory’s Parish, 122 Rathburn Rd., Etobicoke, ON, M9B 2K6 on Wednesday, January 17th at 10:30am.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in John’s name to Dorothy Ley Hospice or Serra Club of Toronto.