With deep sorrow and great love, we announce the passing of Clarence (Clary) William Westhaver, age 56, on April 16th, 2025, in Toronto. He died peacefully at home.

Clary was born in Chester, Nova Scotia. From his modest beginnings, the ambitious and enthusiastic young man went on to work and travel the world, having multiple careers. Still, he never forgot his Maritimes roots, often calling his mother for one of their family’s favourite recipes.

With a growing interest in fashion, he moved to Toronto and earned a BAA in Fashion Design at Ryerson University in 1994. Working for GAP Inc. brought him to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1999, and from there he moved to Paris, where he earned an MBA in luxury brand management from the ESSEC Business School. This led to positions for large fashion brands in France, Spain, and Hong Kong. He returned to Toronto in 2013, ran a successful boutique property rental company, and then got his hands dirty daily as a gardener for the City of Toronto. He loved beauty in all its forms, whether an elegant leather handbag, striking art at the Venice Biennale, or blooming spring flowers.

But Clary’s most remarkable talent was his ability to make you feel special and loved. Throughout his life, he won people over with his humble charm, warm and generous spirit, and the bright spark of his personality. He will be dearly missed and remembered by all those whose lives he touched worldwide.

Clary will forever be in the hearts of all who knew him. He leaves behind his husband, John L. Q. Zhang, his father, Bruce Bond (Debbie) of Chester, his sister Cindy (Darrell), and his niece, Caelyn. He was predeceased by his mother, Linda, sister, Deanna (infant), and nephew, Cody Bremner.

The funeral service and celebration of life will be held at Mount Pleasant Funeral Centre, 375 Mount Pleasant Road, Toronto, on Friday, April 25th. Visitation commences at 3:00 p.m., with the celebration of life from 5:00-6:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Follow donation links at the top or bottom of this page.

The celebration of life will be broadcast on Friday. A link to the livestream will appear at the top of this page at roughly 4:45pm on Friday. If the link is not appearing, please refresh the browser.