Read, Gordon Henry Hale
Peacefully passed away in Barrie Ontario on December 2, 2017 at the age of 89. Beloved husband of the late Catherine MacKinnon Read. Survived by daughters Elspeth Read (Terry Lewis), Diana Read Miedema and grandchildren Joseph Miedema (Christianne), Esther Lysakovsky (Maxim), James Miedema (Laura), great grandchildren George, Henry and Luke and girlfriend Doreen Justin. Predeceased by son Ian Walter Read. Guests will be received for a celebration of life gathering at the Waterford Retirement Community, 132 Edgehill Drive, Barrie on Friday December 8, from 2 pm to 5 pm. Arrangements entrusted to Steckley-Gooderham Funeral Home, Barrie, Ontario. Donations to your local Alzheimer’s society to further Gord’s efforts to help fight this devastating disease in lieu of flowers are greatly appreciated. On line condolences and memories may left at www.steckleygooderham.com
Gord left us. He was in no pain and the people at RVH in the palliative care ward were great. Dad was a cat....he just stopped eating and let nature take its course.
I told him when Mom died that I’m too young to be an orphan and we have had the most amazing 5 years. We were the 3 amigos, Dad Terry and I, and we could take on the world.
I saw a post making fun of Trudeau for having tears in his eyes. Men like Dad and him are the real men, not the macho guys. Dad was a hockey player and could be very strong and not give in especially when it came to supporting the good human traits like compassion, kindness, caring for people in need...he believed in talking not fighting because he saw the futility in fighting. He could also be gentle and loving to humans and animals. He had tears when he was sad like when he and I had to take Heidi (dog) in to put her down. He was a real hands on Dad decades before that became more the norm.
Gord was a half full kind of guy. He was always looking for the best in people and finding hope in every situation. He laughed a lot, had a wicked sense of humour and liked to tease. He planted a vegetable garden down east but the deer ate most of it. He planted again the next year because the deer were so beautiful to watch!
All the people at RVH who have worked with him have commented on how nice and how patient he is, how kind and friendly. He has touched so many people’s lives in such a positive way. Can’t ask for a better legacy.
Elspeth
My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.
Jack Layton