Wall-Custance Memorial Forest Program

POLLARD, Beatrice May – Of Guelph, passed away at Guelph General Hospital on Monday, September 9, 2024, in her 100th year. 

Beloved wife of the late Ross Pollard (2001). Loved mother of Gloria Meron (Jim Smith), Gail (Richard) Goodchild and Cathy (Don) MacNeil. Loving grandmother of Skye Lynn, Nathan, Nicole, Stephanie, Chad and their partners. Great grandmother of Jayme, Danya, Reese, Alyssa, Aliya, Abram, Camden and Bailey. 

She spent her early years in Acton then moved to Guelph before serving in the Navy. She married Ross Pollard on May 4, 1946, and together they raised three lovely daughters. She loved to travel, visiting many countries and islands and was always on the move. It might be golfing, Casino trips, playing cards, planning Birthdays or any special occasions or Holiday dinners.

Her home was always open to all. She loved her family and having them around her.

Her smile was always present and the word “Negative” was not part of her vocabulary. She touched the hearts of many people, and the World would be better place if more were like her.

Friends will be received at WALL-CUSTANCE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL, 206 Norfolk St., Guelph, Thursday, September 19, 2024, from 10:00am – 11:00am. Funeral service will be held in the funeral home chapel on Thursday, September 19, 2024, at 11:00am. Reception to follow in the Wall-Custance Family Reception Centre.  Interment at Memory Gardens Cemetery, Breslau. Arrangements entrusted to WALL-CUSTANCE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL (519-822-0051 / www.wallcustance.com).

Memorial contributions to the Heart and Stroke Foundation would be appreciated.

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

MOORE, Tony – It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Tony Moore, who was raised in Wyoming, Ontario, and later lived in Blenheim, Ontario. Tony passed away in Fergus on September 8, 2024, at the age of 79, leaving behind cherished memories.

Tony was predeceased by his parents, Clinton and Gladys Moore, as well as his aunt Hazel Lamont and uncle Orvil Matthews. He leaves behind his beloved wife, partner in adventures, and co-pilot of 59 years, Jane (Mitchell) Moore. Together, they raised their cherished daughters, Barbara Moore and Carrie (husband Wayne) Carroll. Tony was immensely proud of his grandchildren, Andrew and Erin Carroll, and Hunter Moore, frequently sharing their accomplishments and latest activities with those around him.

Tony will be remembered for his infectious smile, laughter, and the twinkle in his eye as he spoke about his friendships, adventures, and various employment roles. He worked with dedication at the Southwest Regional Centre, providing opportunities for individuals with disabilities and fostering connections with the broader community. After retiring, he continued to serve the local community through his work at RONA (Elora). Tony’s greatest hobbies included woodworking, fly fishing, camping, and canoeing, pursuits he joyfully shared with his family and friends.

In accordance with Tony’s wishes, there will be no funeral service. Arrangements entrusted to WALL-CUSTANCE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL (519-822-0051 / www.wallcustance.com).

Those who wish to honor his memory are encouraged to make donations to the following organizations: March of Dimes Canada After Stroke Program and/or Aboyne Rural Hospice

His family extends heartfelt thanks for the support and expressions of love during this time of mourning. Thank you to Dr. Brault and his team, the Guelph General Hospital and Groves Memorial Hospital. Tony’s spirit will live on in the lives he touched and through his grandchildren, who were his pride and joy.

A tree will be planted in memory of Tony L. Moore in the Wall-Custance Memorial Forest.

Frook, Barry Maurice (1941-2024)- of Belwood

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Barry Frook at Guelph General Hospital on Saturday, September 7th, 2024, in his 84th year.

He is predeceased by his wonderful wife, Thais, (nee: Morrison), and was extremely proud to be married for 62 years. Loved father of Dee Litt (Wade), Dynette Simm, and David Frook (Velda). He was a proud grandfather of six grandchildren and three great grandchildren. Dear brother of Ken Frook and his wife Mary. Dear brother-in-law of Denny Morrison and his wife Bonnie. Loved by his nieces and nephews, many relatives, and friends. He cherished his time with his many friends at Pine Meadows Retirement Community.

Barry was born in Owen Sound and became a Manager in the grocery industry for several years. The entrepreneurial spirit then led him to own several successful businesses. He loved to volunteer and to give back to his community. He was an active member of both the Bramalea and Caledon Lions Clubs and was extremely proud to raise funds to help children in need. Barry loved snowmobiling, and many years of boating with Thais, while residing in Washago. While living on the horse farm, he could always be found in the barn. He was proud of raising and boarding several horses, and one could say that the barn always had the cleanest stalls and floors!

Special thanks to the Staff, Doctors and Nurses of both, Groves Memorial Community Hospital and Guelph General Hospital for their attentive care, compassion, and dedication demonstrated towards our Dad. Your efforts were truly witnessed everyday!

As an expression of sympathy, donations to the Guelph Humane Society would be appreciated by the family. Our Dad would only love it if you gave your favourite pet an extra snuggle today.

At Barry’s request, cremation has taken place, and no service will be held. Arrangements are entrusted to WALL-CUSTANCE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL (519-822-0051/ www.wallcustance.com).

Our loving parents and highschool sweethearts are finally reunited and can celebrate their 64th wedding anniversary in Heaven, together. XO

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

MacINTOSH, Margaret Wilma

January 27, 1918 – September 7, 2024

Of Guelph, passed away at the Elliott Community Long Term Care residence on September 7th at the age of 106.

Margaret (nee Swanston) MacIntosh, beloved wife of the late Roderick Allan MacIntosh (1977).  Loving mother of Carol (Len) Fay of Breslau and Howard (Sharon) MacIntosh of Petersburg.  Dear grandmother of Julie (David) Harris, Bonnie (Stuart, deceased 2022) Fay Fergie, Colin (Jessy) MacIntosh and Annie (Jeremy) MacIntosh.  Lovingly remembered by great-grandchildren Robyn and Ian Harris and Reid MacIntosh.  Margaret will be missed by many nieces and nephews who kept in touch.

Predeceased by her parents, William and Isabella (nee Weir); five brothers, Milton, Gordon, Leslie, Clifford and Walter, two sisters, Beatrice and Jean and daughter-in-law Nancy MacIntosh.

Margaret walked on the sunny side of life, always looking for the best in others.  Throughout her very long life she remained young-at-heart with a zest for various card games, knitting, baking, bowling, entertaining and travelling.  She took great interest in world events, friends and family, with special pride in her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Margaret had a loving and generous spirit, touching many lives with her loyal friendship, outgoing nature and cheerfulness.  Margaret was a faithful lifelong member of the Presbyterian Church, most recently Knox Church, Guelph.

Margaret was born at home on the 3rd Line, Eramosa Twp.  Schools attended include SS#2 Eramosa, Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute and Guelph Business College.  Margaret was employed as a waitress, University of Guelph dormitory, bookkeeper, Guelph Creamery, bookkeeper, Kralinator Filters, Preston and co-manager, Mac’s Custard Stand, Preston.

Group affiliations included Eastern Star, Wingham, bridge clubs, bowling league, and Evergreen Seniors Centre, Guelph.

Margaret’s family would like to express their gratitude to the staff of the Elliott Community, Guelph, for their compassionate and exceptional loving care over the past 15 years that she resided there.

In accordance with Margaret’s wishes, there will be a private family graveside service with internment at Johnson Cemetery, Wellington County.  Arrangements entrusted to the WALL-CUSTANCE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL 519-822-0051 / www.wallcustance.com.

Donations can be made to the charity of your choice, The Elliott Community, 170 Metcalfe St, Guelph N1E 4Y3 or Knox Presbyterian Church, 20 Quebec St, Guelph.

A tree will be planted in memory of Margaret W. MacIntosh in the Wall-Custance Memorial Forest.

BARD, Susan – We tragically lost Susan Bard on September 6, 2024.

Susan was a loving Mother, Grandmother, Sister, Aunt and a friend to everyone she met.

Details on a Celebration of Life will be announced at a later date. Arrangements entrusted to WALL-CUSTANCE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL (519-822-0051 / www.wallcustance.com).

If you would like to honour her memory, please donate to a charity of your choice.

She was taken too soon, but will never be forgotten.

A tree will be planted in memory of Susan C. Bard in the Wall-Custance Memorial Forest.

O’Neill, Emmett J. R. – Emmett passed away surrounded by the love from his family at Guelph General Hospital on September 6, 2024.

Emmett is survived by Nancy and their four children: Liam (Genevieve), Monica (Dave), Keith (Josie), and Natalya. He was the grandfather of Eleanor, Charlie, and Isabelle. Emmett is also survived by his brothers Thomas and Christopher (Sharon), his sister Connie (Kevin), his sister-in-law, Maggie (Ken), and his many nephews and nieces. He was predeceased by his parents, Thomas and Miriam, and his younger brother Greg (Leatrice). 

Emmett was born and raised in Toronto. His love of hockey and the Leafs started at a young age as the son of a former Toronto Maple Leafs hockey player and Stanley Cup winner, Thomas “Windy” O’Neill. Windy and Miriam raised their five children in the neighbourhood of Etobicoke and later Forest Hill where Emmett made lifelong friends: Barry, Rory, Les, and Bob, among many others.

One of his many passions was music and although The Rolling Stones was by far his favourite, he immersed himself in a variety of genres and artists. Through his love of music he formed a rock band, Genesis 1, and at one of his ‘performances’ he met the love of his life, Nancy.  They married in 1975 and moved to London, Ontario, to attend Teachers College and have their first child, Liam. Emmett briefly returned to Toronto to teach at Runnymede Collegiate where he mesmerized his students with the ability to bring humorous, interesting and sometimes downright bizarre examples to the lesson of the day.

In 1982, Emmett and Nancy moved to St. Catharines where he became a teacher for Ridley College and had two more children, Monica and Keith. His favourite times were in the classroom teaching economics and history, and coaching hockey and football.  Emmett treasured his four field trips to Russia where he fell in love with Russian literature and culture. These trips were not only educational for the students. Emmett was able to withstand the Canadian winters wearing his Russian fur hat, and Russian language became part of his regular vocabulary. In January 1989, when the Russian Red Army was playing Buffalo during the NHL Soviet Super Series, Emmett used his grasp of Russian language and mannerisms to deceive security in the guise of the Red Army staff. He secured a signed Russian Red Army hockey team photo from the team’s coaches for his 9-year-old son, Liam. Just one of the many superhero-like things he did for his children’s happiness.  

In 1991, Emmett and his family moved to Owen Sound where he taught high school and had his fourth child, Natalya. Early on at this new teaching venture, word spread about Mr. O’Neill and students flocked to his classes. There were instances of a history class size doubling in attendance by the end of Week 1 of the semester. When he wasn’t in the classroom, he could be found at one of the beaches on Georgian Bay teaching his kids how to swim, or taking them to the library and teaching them how to read. 

He spent many of his summers at the cottage and camping with his wife and his kids. He loved swimming with his kids and throwing them in the lake, taking out the canoe, roasting marshmallows, playing Crazy Eights, and sitting at the end of the dock reading the world’s ‘greatest’ book. 

He attended all four of his kids’ hockey games, baseball games, piano recitals, theatre performances, dance recitals and competitions, always armed with a book in hand for any breaks in play. You never saw this man without a book, except while driving through snowstorms to hockey tournaments or when he was coaching baseball to ensure his kids were on the same team as their friends. He was a ‘SuperDad’, somewhat ironic for a man who despised superhero movies! 

Emmett moved to Guelph and in retirement, it was no surprise that he did not slow down.  He continued his passion for helping people. He became a successful mentor and sponsor for numerous members of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). He also volunteered for a non-profit called Action Read, teaching adults to read, for which he received the Betty Bean-Kennedy Award for Outstanding Literacy Volunteer from the Mayor of Guelph in 2016.

He had the gift of seeing the good and the potential in people and ensuring that they realised it too. He gave his time to others to make their lives better. He would make you realise your strengths and self-worth, and that your life was valuable. He would make you laugh or cry, angry or happy, but everything he did made your own life more meaningful and precious.

Emmett’s father was known for his ‘fisticuffs’ on the ice as well as his mastery in the courtroom, and Emmett channelled that strength, determination and perseverance even more as he battled cancer. Emmett was a fighter until the end, like his dad in hockey. He continued to make his attendance at the ‘nooner meeting’ and trips to the library despite his declining health. He received his 12-year medallion with great pride and emphatically refused to break this achievement even on his last day. He knew before anyone else that his work on earth was done and it was his time to rest from all the ways that he had helped others.

Despite spreading so much love to so many people throughout his life, it was just a small fraction of his heart compared to the love he showed his wife and kids. Of all of his many accomplishments, he was most proud of being a husband and father. He spent his last day in joyful tears and laughter with his wife and kids. Although he knew it was the end, he continued to describe the day as “just like Christmas.” 

Life will be far less exciting without Emmett’s love, kindness, stories and wit. He will be greatly missed.

Love you Honey, Daddo and Friend! 

The family is inviting friends to join them for a memorial visitation to be held on Saturday, September 21, 2024 from 1 pm until 4 pm at the WALL-CUSTANCE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL, 206 Norfolk St., Guelph.  Arrangements entrusted to the WALL-CUSTANCE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL 519-822-0051 / www.wallcustance.com.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in memory of Emmett be made to one of the following:  Acton Read, Mount Forest Louise Marshall Hospital Foundation (Please indicate in the Details section that the donation is in memory of Emmett O’Neill towards the oncology unit.), or Princess Margaret Cancer Centre Lodge.

A tree will be planted in memory of Emmett JR. O’Neill in the Wall-Custance Memorial Forest.

Rev. Dr. Ronald Ernest Baxter, born in Belfast, Northern Ireland on August 30th, 1938, he was welcomed into Heaven at Lisaard House, Cambridge on September 6th at the age of 86.

Loving husband of 66 years to Glenys Baxter (nee McDougall). Predeceased by his son Stephen (2016), his parents Samuel and Florence Baxter and siblings Eric, Florence, Gwen, Samuel and Cecil. Loving dad to Stephen Baxter (Pam), Anne Cook, Caroline Gordon (Warren). Grandfather to Erin Melo (Andrew) and Heather Baxter, Amanda and Jeff Cook, Michael (Stephanie Cote) and Stephanie Gordon. Great Grandfather to Peyton, Victoria, Dominic, Brandon, Brody and Bentley. Loving uncle and friend to many.

Ron was a pastor in the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches and served in Ajax, East Kildonan, Timmins, Brantford, Whitby and London as well as Interim Pastor at several other locations across Ontario. He also served as President of the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Canada for a term. Ron made it clear to his family in his final days that he was ready to meet his Saviour and was looking forward to going home to heaven. His greatest desire was that all would trust the Lord as Saviour so that he would one day see them again in heaven.

John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Special thanks to the staff at Cambridge Memorial Hospital as well as to Lisaard House for their exceptional care over the past week, and to the care team at Seasons Retirement for all their kindness shown over the past four years.

Visitation will be held at WALL-CUSTANCE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL, 206 Norfolk St., Guelph on Monday, September 9th from 1-3pm with interment to follow at Everton Cemetery. A celebration of life will be held at Crestwicke Baptist Church, 400 Speedvale Ave E., Guelph on Tuesday, September 10th at 1pm with a reception to follow.

In lieu of flowers, donations to Heritage College and Seminary to the Steve Baxter scholarship fund or to Lisaard/lnnisfree House would be greatly appreciated.

A tree will be planted in memory of Ronald E. Baxter in the Wall-Custance Memorial Forest.