Frederick G. Howlett
Frederick George Howlett
(August 1930 – September 2025)
Fred was born on a small farm near the village of Palgrave. Early in his childhood he moved to Toronto with his mother to a house on George Street. He attended Duke of York Public School and, despite not being able to read at age 7, he quickly caught up to his peers. At Jarvis Collegiate, Fred won The Henry Moses Aiken scholarship in English and two foreign languages. The scholarship covered his fees to attend the University of Toronto where he studied French, Latin, ancient Greek and ancient history, earning a B.A. and an M.A.
In 1956, on a blind date, Fred met Joyce Monkman. They fell in love and were married in August 1957. They were married for 68 years and had six children: John (deceased 1969), Mary (Michael Nero), Nancy (Peter Wedel), Alice (Peter Hartmans), Peter and Royal Nahbexie. Fred is also survived by his wife Joyce, 10 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren, all of whom brought great joy to his life.
Fred was a Latin and French teacher in North York (Toronto) for 31 years. He was also a consultant and wrote two widely-used French textbooks. Fred loved teaching and was honoured by the French teachers of Ontario for making a significant contribution to the teaching of French.
Having experienced the grace and support of others in his life, Fred felt the need to give back. In 1970, he organized a food drive in Rosedale, Moore Park and Leaside (Toronto). He continued to oversee it for the following 19 years with over $25,000 in food being distributed to downtown missions. In 1989, Fred was awarded the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship for his volunteer work.
Fred and Joyce moved to Guelph in their retirement and thoroughly enjoyed their new community. They were active members at Dublin Street United Church and the YMCA. He found joy in sailing, gardening, woodworking, cycling, playing bridge, meeting with the Dublin men’s group and doing cryptic crossword puzzles with Joyce. He also dearly loved escaping to the cottage in Port Elgin and visiting friends in France.
Ever a learner, Fred took courses at the University of Guelph into his 90’s and received top marks in all of his courses. He also found time to write a book of poetry, in which he shared his deep love for his wife and his appreciation for a full and beautiful life.
After Joyce’s stroke in 2020, Fred lovingly cared for her. They made the best of their time together, enjoying the simple pleasures – ginger cookies, going out for coffee, holding great-grandchildren and many visits with loved ones.
A memorial service will be held at Dublin St. United Church, 68 Suffolk St. W., Guelph at 2:00pm on Sunday, September 28, 2025. Arrangements entrusted to the WALL-CUSTANCE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL 519-822-0051 / www.wallcustance.com.
We sincerely thank all who have supported Fred in recent years, including the amazing Arbour Trails team, Dr. Kotalik and staff, Peace of Mind and the Guelph General Hospital.
In lieu of flowers, donations to Dublin Street United Church, Guelph General Hospital, the Canadian Cancer Society or the Heart & Stroke Foundation would be appreciated.
A tree will be planted in memory of Frederick G. Howlett in the Wall-Custance Memorial Forest.