November 30, 1960 – May 20, 2020
Passed suddenly at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Toronto on Wednesday, May 20th, 2020 at the age of 59. Cherished husband & best friend of 15 years to Lynn (nee Stone). Beloved son of Coral Ifill of England and Everton & Myrlene Callender of Brampton, loving father of Andre Ifill of Sept-Îles, Quebec, Larry Thompson of Kitchener and daughter Decasta Driscoll of England. Dearest brother of Lloyd, Kim and Kirk of Barbados, and Sonia of England. Dearly loved son-in-law of Bill & Darlene Stone of Barrie. Treasured by his sister-in-law Cheryl Claringbold & her husband Chris, and brother-in-law Dave Stone & his wife Rhonda. An adored uncle, he will be deeply missed by his nephews Devin & Blayne Stone, Benjamin “Lad” Claringbold, and his precious and sweet Stephanie Claringbold of Barrie, Candice and Christian of Shelburne, Chanika and Chaunice of New York. Loved by his cousins Cheryl of Cambridge and Ingrid of Shelburne, Henderson of Barbados, his dearest Aunt and Uncle, Yvonne and Jeff of Cambridge, his very special McLarnon family in Montreal, and many other extended family members and friends throughout Canada, the US, England and Barbados.
Anyone who knew Johnny, knew how much he loved life. He saw every day as a blessing and in turn blessed all of us who knew him. He thought he was just an ordinary man, but he was so much more, in fact he was quite extraordinary. He did not realize the impact he had on those around him. From his bright white smile, to his gentle hand, from his beautiful voice, to his warm embrace, Johnny truly was one of a kind. He lived by the motto, “Don’t worry, be happy”. He loved the simple things in life like his flowers, his car, his home, his guitar, his job, his friends and his entire family. He was a proud and active member of the Orillia Soccer Club and enjoyed hanging out with friends at the local pub, Friday night karaoke, playing cards, or spending time with his family and playing the guitar.
Admired and revered for his carefree attitude, he showed us all what it was like to be thoughtful, kind, and compassionate, to see the beauty in each day and to live life to the fullest. A humble man, Johnny never wanted to be looked at as a hero, a superstar, or like he was better than anyone else. Nothing in his life was about him. To him, life was about relationships and his priority was taking care of others. He exemplified humility and loyalty and a deep caring of those around him. To Johnny, it didn’t matter if you were a family member, a friend, a neighbour, a teammate, the lady at grocery store or the garbage man. He believed that people needed people. He taught us all to be better versions of ourselves and ultimately, how to love one another unconditionally.
In keeping with Johnny’s wishes, cremation has taken place. “It’s a Wonderful World Karaoke Party” will take place in Johnny’s memory at a later date. The family would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the doctors, nurses and staff at the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre, Princess Margaret Hospital and Mt. Sinai Hospital for the incredible care and compassion they gave Johnny during his journey. Johnny believed that charity begins at home. So, in the spirit of Johnny, the family respectfully requests that donations are made to front line health care workers or to someone in need in your family or community. Online condolences and memories may be left at www.steckleygooderham.com.