Obituaries

My sincere condolences to John’s family. I had the distinct pleasure of working with John at Motorways. He was a true gentleman and such an avid outdoorsman. John was always so detailed and never an angry word about anyone. Such a kind soul. Danny Kowarchuk ( Friend)

John was a true gentleman in every way, always kind and always humble. We had a number of mutual interests and was a mentor to me in a variety of fields. I have many great memories of him from church, choir, and fishing & hunting trips. He treated me like a son, and I am deeply honoured that he did that.John was also an extremely accomplished outdoorsman who had an uncanny sense for wildlife behaviour. He was also amazingly fit well into his seventies and eighties. Whether he was hauling a heavy pack (full of fishing gear, fancy food, scotch and a couple of bottles of wine) for a mile plus over mud soaked Canadian Shield or running on snowshoes in chest deep snow chasing moose in January, he did so at a pace that few people 1/3 of his age could maintain.If John did something, he would do it exceptionally well, yet he would always do it quietly without ever calling attention to himself. Most importantly, John was a great man of great faith. He lived and breathed his faith in everything he did without needing to preach about it. Whether or not someone shared his faith, they could recognize right away that his faith was real and that he would be readily willing to share his faith with anyone who asked.

Johnny',(as my Dad referred to him), was a true friend to my dad, Harold Biddulph. He and my father enjoyed many trips to the Lake George lodge, where they spent hours fishing, and even more hours sharing memorable stories and recollecting life's events together. Having spent some time at the lodge with my father, I can visualize the two of them sitting out on the cliff taking in the late day's sun together. My father always held Johnny in high regard, and spoke fondly of him often. My deepest condolences and prayers are with you at this time.

One of my favorite things about John was how good it made me feel that he always had a big smile for me, and was so glad to see me. I loved our Bible discussions, me as the analyzer and John as the ardent faithful follower; we had quite a few passionate discussions about this. He will always remain an inspiration to me for continuing to do all the physical activities he loved right up until last year. I'll miss you John

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family as I reflect on what a wonderful person John was. Although I was no longer an immediate part of the Brett family, I still saw John regularly and he was always gracious, kind and warm to me and my husband Jim, and I thank him for the wonderful influence he had on my children. He will be dearly missed.

John will be missed in our neighbourhood. He was known by many as the apple tree expert, trapper (and releaser) of squirrels, raccoons, etc. and all around kind and compassionate man. Always interested in the comings and goings of those around him we had many lengthy conversations in the back lane as we took breathers during heavy snow shoveling or yard work during hot summer days to exchange stories of life, family, hunting and fishing. We are blessed to have had John as our neighbour.

When I first began making wine, John was one of my mentors. I learned much from him. I really enjoyed sharing fishing stories with him. He will be sorely missed by many.