Wall-Custance Memorial Forest Program

A tree will be planted in memory of Patricia A. Cook in the Wall-Custance Memorial Forest. 

Rissa (Nerissa) Douglas passed away on Tuesday night, January 13th, 2026. She was surrounded by talk of happy memories. Her husband Olly (Oliver) Douglas, daughters Clare and Liv (Olivia) Douglas, and grandson Haydon Douglas-Jaynes, took turns being with her in her last few days. She was 79 years old. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022. We were fortunate to have 4 years more with her than expected. 

Rissa worked at Linamar (Spinic) in Guelph from about 1990 to 2008. She was most known for her time in HR, where she was a listening ear to all who needed it. 

Thank you to all the nurses at Paramed and Bayshore Home Care. You will likely remember Rissa as a woman full of stories. You were an amazing support to her over the last four years. Thank you as well to all the PSWs, nurses, staff and volunteers at Hospice Wellington. You made us all feel warm, safe, and cared for during a most difficult time. We will be forever grateful. 

Rissa was never one for sentimental words. Here is the poem that was read as she left the Hospice on Tuesday night:

***

From Wales, to England, to Canada I roamed

But close to the sea is where I felt at home

My passion was stories from people and books.

I could tell you a story with a nod or a look.

People said I could TALK, and frankly that’s true.

But if you had good stories I could listen well too.

I loved cats, my garden, and all nature’s lights

Like sunrises, sunsets, and auroras in the night

I traveled through the US, in Spain and Peru. 

My souvenirs were stories (and magnets too).

I can now travel anywhere my spirit may lead

Since insurance is no longer something I need.

Lastly, I loved frogs, move forward they must.

That’s what I’m doing now. In that you can trust.

So whether you call me mother, grandma, or wife

Please, always look on the bright side of life.

***

At Rissa’s request there will not be a funeral. We intend to have a celebration of life in the spring. If you wish to be notified of the date please let us know.  Arrangements entrusted to the WALL-CUSTANCE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL 519-822-0051 / www.wallcustance.com.

Memorial contributions to the Hospice Wellington are welcome.

A tree will be planted in memory of Rissa Douglas in the Wall-Custance Memorial Forest.

HODGSON, Dale Michael 

June 9, 1953 ~ January 13, 2026

With heavy hearts, we announce the peaceful passing of Dale Michael Hodgson on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, at the age of 72. Dale took his final breath surrounded by the love of his family, just as he had lived his life.

The cornerstone of his family, Dale was the loving husband and best friend of Darlene for 47 wonderful years. He was a devoted father to his son, Kory (Daisy), and the proudest grandfather to his two cherished granddaughters, Audrey and Evelyn, who were the lights of his life.

The eldest of three brothers, Dale shared a lifelong bond with Kim and Derrick (Iva), both of whom remained constant, supportive fixtures by his side throughout his health journey. He was predeceased by his parents, Ken (1990) and Kay (2008), and his sister-in-law, Mary (2000). He will be fondly remembered by many nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended family members.

A life of service and connection Dale’s career was defined by his tireless work ethic. He was a familiar face at Biltmore Hats until their closing, and later dedicated 36 years to Gay Lea Foods. Ever the entrepreneur, Dale built a successful tax business from the ground up; to him, his 800 clients were more than just files—they were friends who will deeply miss his guidance and integrity.

In retirement, Dale found joy behind the wheel of a school bus for Switzer-Carty (2020–2024). He was a favourite among parents and children alike, known for his gentle way with the little ones and his unwavering reliability.

Dale and Darlene shared a deep love for travel, particularly enjoying the relaxation and adventure of cruise ships as they explored the world together. He was a man who famously lived by the clock. Darlene often remarked that for any appointment, Dale would insist on leaving far ahead of schedule, playfully exclaiming, “Maybe they’ll take me early!” While he was always the first to arrive, his family feels that, in this instance, he was taken far too early.

The family wishes to extend a special thank you to Dr. J. Laird and Dale’s palliative care nurse, Kaitlyn, for their compassionate care.

Cremation has taken place. A memorial visitation will be held on Friday, January 16, 2026, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Wall-Custance Funeral Home, 206 Norfolk St., Guelph to celebrate Dale’s life.  Arrangements entrusted to the WALL-CUSTANCE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL 519-822-0051 / www.wallcustance.com.

Memorial Donations In lieu of flowers, donations in Dale’s memory may be made to Diabetes Canada or to the Canadian Cancer Society.

A tree will be planted in memory of Dale M. Hodgson in the Wall-Custance Memorial Forest. 

Richard “Dick” Marvin was born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, July 4, 1942, at Providence Hospital. His early years were shaped by the disruptions of the Second World War. While his father, Wendell Marvin, was in hospital in England recovering from battle wounds suffered during the Italian campaign service, Dick’s mother Elise, ran away with a CPR brakeman bound for Vancouver, leaving three-year-old Dick in the care of his paternal grandparents, Amos and Rose Marvin. As both were working full-time and raising teenage children, they were unable to care for Dick long term, and placed him in the care of the Sisters of St. Louis, at St. Louis College in Moose Jaw, where he lived until he was eight, visiting his grandparents once a month.

In 1949, Dick moved to Regina to live with his father, and new stepmother, Neva Thornton. Wendell had begun working at the architectural firm of Van Egmond and Story, which he would eventually come to own, the firm becoming Marvin and Vanstone. On Sunday afternoons at his stepmother’s parents’ home—where play and conversation were discouraged—Dick and his father would sit at the dining room table copying the images of the great 20th century American illustrators whose work was found in magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post, McCall’s, and Ladies’ Home Journal. Those sessions sparked Dick’s fascination with illustration and his early desire to become an illustrator himself. Dick attended Victoria Public School and later Balfour Technical High School, where his artistic talent began to emerge under the mentorship of art teacher Margaret Messer, who guided him towards the Ontario College of Art (OCA) in Toronto.

In February 1960, Diane Miller invited Dick to the Sadie Hawkins dance after which they became a couple and later married in Toronto, on August 31st 1963. They were married until her passing on October 9, 2013.

In July 1960, shortly after turning 18, Dick moved to Toronto, to enter the Foundation Studies program at the OCA, studying under instructors such as  Jock MacDonald, Eric Freifeld, and Lilly Maley, who gave him a grounding in drawing, painting, and design. By second year, Dick’s confidence and technical ability had grown significantly when he began specializing in advertising illustration. The focused instruction of his courses, and close camaraderie of his fellow illustrators helped him thrive creatively over the next three years.

Upon graduating in 1964, Dick began his illustration career at the full service art studio, Studio 43, where he worked briefly before being laid off when the studio lost a major client. This first and only salaried position helped him build important professional connections. He then transitioned to freelance work, and gained experience with steady work from a number of firms while developing his own client base. Invited by mentor Will Davies to share studios at 33 Avenue Road in Yorkville for nearly two years, Dick described the period as invaluable professional training. After travelling to England and Europe in 1967, he returned to Toronto to freelance out of John Moles & Associates, producing TV storyboards, advertising layouts, and finished art. From 1976 to 1989, he leased a studio at 62½ Yorkville Avenue, sharing it with fellow illustrators Will Davies, Tom Bjarneson, Tom McNeely, and Roger Hill. In 1973, Dick and Diane moved to Moffat, Ontario.  By the late 1980s, with the advent of call forwarding and fax machines, he was able to work exclusively from his home studio. Over a 26-year freelance career from 1964 to 1990, Dick built a strong reputation through hard work, networking, and perseverance, working with major clients such as Fisher Price Toys, Uniroyal, British American Oil (Petro Canada), Plymouth Chrysler, United States Travel Service, Gilbey’s Gin, and Reader’s Digest.

In addition to freelancing, Dick was an instructor at OCA.  In the fall of 1974, he began teaching a core course called An Introduction to Traditional Media. Dick declined the offer twice before due to a lack of formal teacher training, but accepted on the third request and found the experience both successful and rewarding. He continued teaching the course annually until 1988. Having taken Media as a first-year student himself, Dick recognized opportunities to strengthen the course. He used his professional experience to redesign the curriculum, making it more practical, engaging, and relevant to students’ future careers.

Recognizing the industry shift from print, to television and digital media, Dick and Diane established two successful side businesses alongside his freelance illustration career: Merri-Mar Maple Products and Marvin’s Pick-Your-Own Orchard. Merri-Mar started as a small seasonal project with friends Don and Brenda Merriman, making just a few gallons of syrup on the side of the driveway in a 3 x 6 foot flat pan. It later grew into a full-scale operation with a sugar shack, 2,600 taps on vacuum, and an oil fired evaporator. To support its main line of production, maple confections, Merri-Mar annually purchased more than 3,000 gallons of maple syrup from two large Quebec producers. Using this additional supply, the company produced an annual total of 38,000 pounds of maple confections, which were sold across Canada and promoted at the spring and fall national gift shows at the CNE in Toronto.

Started in 1975 with apple, pear, and plum trees, the orchard expanded over three years to 2,200 trees on 15 acres. In 1987, Dick and Diane built an 11,000 square foot roadside market in Aberfoyle complete with restaurant, bakery, flower shop, deli, produce, and cold storage. The market however, was ahead of its time, and managing a 30-person operation became overwhelming. When the Village of Aberfoyle rezoned the property from agricultural to residential, Dick and Diane took advantage of this and closed that chapter of their lives.

In October 1989, a transformative opportunity arose when Dick’s friend Dudley Witney invited him on a month-long trip to England where Dudley gathered imagery for his book The Moorlands of England. The experience offered a much-needed reset and reignited Dick’s commitment to his artistic roots, leading him back to painting landscapes both en plein air and in the studio.

In the spring and summer of 1990, Dick and Diane built a 3,000 square-foot, two-storey Georgian home with a spacious studio on a two-acre severance at the northeast corner of their farm. Over the next two years, Dick focused on honing his watercolour techniques and began teaching a 20-week Saturday morning watercolour workshop for twelve students, establishing a new chapter in his creative life.

In 1991, through Diane’s connection at a bookkeeping client’s office, Dick was asked to create illustrations and sales brochures for Charlie Kuiken, who was launching Charleston Homes. Impressed by his work, Kuiken invited Dick to assist with design and sales while he managed construction. Dick accepted and worked with Charleston Homes in a Sales and Marketing capacity from January 1992 until June 2008.  In 2001, Dick and Diane moved into a Charleston Homes townhome in the village of Rockwood.  While at Charleston Homes, Dick maintained his parallel career as a plein air and studio painter.

Sadly, Diane passed away shortly after their 50th wedding anniversary in 2013. In time, Dick was fortunate to find profound love again. The following year, on November 28, Dick married fellow artist Judy French, and together they settled in the picturesque Village of Elora, Ontario, where they maintained their home and studios. They opened their studios to the public during the annual Elora Fergus Studio tour between 2015 – 2024.

Between 2002 and 2016, Dick spent most summers travelling and painting en plein air across Canada, from coast to coast, as well as in the western United States. His artistic focus encompassed the field patterns, traditional rural architecture, and local wildlife of these regions, along with the farms of Wellington, Huron, Bruce, and Grey Counties in Ontario, which became central themes in his work.

Since 2020, a decrease in Dick’s mobility necessitated a switch in focus from en plein air landscape to still life painting. Looking for learning opportunities during the COVID lockdowns, Dick discovered painters Paul Foxton and Ian Roberts, both of whom had established sophisticated, interactive workshops. These experiences invigorated Dick’s exploration of an expanded range of subjects and variation in technical approaches, with a renewed sense of focus and perspective.

Dick participated in a variety of sports and recreational activities throughout his life. In his youth, he played interschool ice hockey, and little league baseball for the United Commercial Travellers Cubs (UTC Cubs) in Regina. During high school, he was part of the Balfour Redmen football team. Outside of organized sports, As a young adult, Dick enjoyed duck hunting with the springer spaniels he raised and trained, as well as fishing, working in the woods, and raising his children, Jenny and Peter. His interests also included travelling to new places, experimenting with cooking, and hosting gatherings where he brought people together over good food, drink, and conversation. He was particularly known for his excellent storytelling, which made him a lively and engaging presence at any occasion. Finally, Dick had been a Blue Jays fan since their establishment in 1977, something that he and Judy took very seriously and enjoyed immensely. Should you wish to see them during the season, you had to be willing to watch the game!

Dick is survived by his wife, Judy French; his children with his late wife, Diane Miller, Jennifer Marvin (Cameron) and Peter Marvin (Charity); his grandchildren, Kiran and Jonah Marvin, Owen and Robert Murphy; brother Ken (Cheryl) Marvin and sister Ann (Ken) Albertan; and brother-in-law to Irene Campbell, Robert Galbraith, and Jennifer McCleese. He was also uncle to Darren, Angela, David, Brianne, and Beth.

He was predeceased by his wife, Diane (Miller); his parents, Wendell Marvin and Elise (Belevance); his stepmother, Neva (Thornton); his uncle, Ron Marvin; his aunt, Marie Roman (Marvin); his brother in law Grant Campbell, and his niece, D’Arcy Campbell.

A celebration of life will occur late spring / early summer. Arrangements entrusted to the WALL-CUSTANCE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL 519-822-0051 / www.wallcustance.com.

Donations to Hospice Wellington in Dick’s name would be greatly appreciated.

A tree will be planted in memory of Richard (Dick) W. Marvin in the Wall-Custance Memorial Forest. 

CUSINATO, Pierina – peacefully with her family by her side, Pierina passed away on Sunday, January 11, 2026, at Hospice Wellington. She was 87 years old.

Dear wife of the late Sandro Cusinato. Loving mother of Annalisa Cusinato (Jimmy) of Toronto and Manuela Hallchurch (Shawn) of Fonthill. Dear Ninni to her loving grandchildren Johnathan, Katelin and LilyRose. Loving sister to Pietro (Peter) Polo, Giuseppina Cremasco (Polo) of Guelph and Giovanna Gesuato (Polo) of Italy. Dear sister-in-law of Mina Polo (Dametto) and Gemma (Possobon) Polo. Pierina will be sadly missed by her many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Predeceased by her parents Rosa Eda and Vittorio Polo and her siblings Angelo, Luigia, Lorenzo and Giovanni.

Our eternal gratitude goes to Guelph General Hospital Emergency Staff and the 7th Floor Nurses and Doctors. A special gratitude to Dr. Adam Minich for his compassion and his tireless work with our mother. Thank you to the Hospice Wellington for their compassion and care of our mother and family.

At my mother’s request, there will be a private ceremony and vigil. Arrangements entrusted to the WALL-CUSTANCE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL 519-822-0051 / www.wallcustance.com.

Memorial contributions to the Hospice Wellington or the Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto would be appreciated.

A tree will be planted in memory of Pierina Cusinato in the Wall-Custance Memorial Forest. 

HAND, Joan P. – Passed away suddenly at the Woodstock Hospital on Sunday, January 11, 2026, at the age of 81 with her loving family by her side. Joan is now at peace and at home with the Lord.

Beloved wife of Ron, who preceded her in death in 2022, after 58 years together. Loved mother to Arlene, Elaine, and Allen. Loving grandmother to Michael, Caitlyn, Hailey, Justin, Logan, and Emma. Daughter of Stewart and Hilda Hamilton. She will be missed by many family and friends.

Arrangements entrusted to the WALL-CUSTANCE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL 519-822-0051 / www.wallcustance.com.

A tree will be planted in memory of Joan P. Hand in the Wall-Custance Memorial Forest.

BARR, Jack Francis – Jack was born in Renfrew, Ontario on July 19,1937.  He passed very unexpectedly, but very peacefully, in his home, on January 10th, 2025, with dear friends visiting and a scotch in hand.  His parents, Murray and Georgette, had a long and wonderful marriage and raised Jack and his older brother Don, literally on the banks of the Bonnechere River.  Born into the depression era, and with two parents who suffered through serious tuberculosis, the upbringing was challenging but Jack rose to the occasion.  There were few things he could not fix, and his passion for the outdoors began with the hunting, fishing, and trapline work on the river. And his world class swimming began here with years as a lifeguard…literally saving lives by running off their front porch on occasions.  It was here that Jack first met his eventual wife of 60 yrs, Joan Rowsell, and they were later married in England as he, and his pilot and lifelong friend Bob “Nick” Nicholson were test crew for the CF100 in Europe with the RCAF. 

After 9 yrs in the Forces Jack chose to study Biology in Guelph over art in Berlin and he completed his PhD in Ornithology in 1972.  His work on loons was world renowned, and between raising loon chicks in our basement, studying mercury poisoning in the Wabigoon River system, and helping to establish the North American Loon Fund he left his mark in wildlife research. The Barr family, Jack, Joan, Sean and Joel, has been on Forest Street in Guelph since 1965.  What was once a wartime bungalow on the city outskirts became 60 years of memories in the city and a unique house that reflected his absolutely unending curiosity, artistic nature, and desire to live the fullest of lives.  Seemingly nothing, certainly not age or injuries, could stop him from a creative project, whether in his garden, in his carvings or with his famous desserts at Sunday dinners. 

Joan sadly passed three years ago, but Jack continued to move forward. Another wonderful Christmas was just spent with Joel, Diane, and his grandchildren Kiersten and Brendan; the presents so well chosen, and wrapped so beautifully, and complete with calligraphy cards.  While a quiet and soft-spoken person, his assortment of lifelong friends from around the world was inspiring…he would say that true friends are those with whom conversations pick up and flow seamlessly over distance and years.  In more recent times his devotion to the neighbourhood’s dogs, and their owners…thou he seldom remembered the people’s names, was legendary and was his way of being with his community.   Jack was honourable and loyal to a fault, a sometimes intimidating representation, and mentor, of persistence, excellence and decency, but he quietly and continuously showed his love and friendship to his family and friends through his thoughtful actions. He will be dearly missed but his legacy lives.

There will be a small gathering of family and his close friends in the spring.  Arrangements entrusted to the WALL-CUSTANCE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL 519-822-0051 / www.wallcustance.com.

Memorial donations can be made to The Nature Conservancy of Canada. 

 A tree will be planted in memory of Jack F. Barr in the Wall-Custance Memorial Forest.