BLANDFORD, John Charles – John passed away on Friday, July 27th 2018 at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto, at the age of 83, just two months after a diagnosis of cancer. John was predeceased by his partner of 33 years, Vern Geauvreau, (2003). John will be greatly missed by his countless friends and in particular Dorothy Blandford, his friend of 57+ years, Gary Toneguzzo & Ken Hankanen, friends of both John and Vern for 38+ years and Judith Christiani, good friend and help-mate, especially in his last few months. John worked as a dental technologist, highly skilled and respected, which he only completely retired from last year. He was an avid sailor, having spent about 2 years sailing with Vern through the Great Lakes, down the eastern seaboard and throughout the Caribbean, in their trimaran, Cirrus II, which they lovingly restored and rebuilt. John was also an avid car buff, gardener, photographer, historian, antique and clock collector and was well-read on many topics. He was actively involved at Melville Church where he sang in the choir, tended the cemetery gardens, sat on the Board of Managers and did or supervised endless repairs and maintenance projects. He had a spectacular garden in his ground floor condominium, which over the years expanded out of his own private patio all along and around the south west corner of the building, attracting constant admiration from neighbours and passersby. Never one to be idle, John found more ways to engage with his community: volunteer driving and food bank volunteering for the AIDS Committee of Durham, bowling (top score in the season ending in May!), playing cribbage every Tuesday at Parkway with “the old folks” and holidaying in Cuba several times a year, where in typical John fashion, he made a plethora of new friends, both local and vacationers, with whom he kept in touch. There will be a celebration of John’s life at Melville Presbyterian Church, 70 Old Kingston Road in Scarborough on August 10, 2018 at 11:00 am with interment to follow. All are invited to join. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Melville Church, for repairs and maintenance (www.melvillechurch.ca) , or to the AIDS Committee of Durham Region (www.aidsdurham.com).
If there are no gardens in heaven, there will be soon!
Gone to sail in the heavens with Vern.