John died peacefully at his home at The Balmoral Club in Toronto on the day of his choosing, January 31, 2022, with his four daughters by his side.

Born in Windsor and raised in Toronto, John was the son of Charlotte and Skip (Randolph) Whittaker, and husband to Beverley for 63 years. He is survived by his four daughters, Kelly (David), Sandra (Stephen), Lara (Peter), and Joanne (Kerry). John was the loving Puppa of Charlie, Virginia and Riley; Charlotte, Calvin and Fiona; and Hannah, Rebecca, and Bridget.

John was a force – an avid businessman who proudly built and grew his construction equipment firm over decades, serving major clients and projects throughout Toronto. His business interests were wide-ranging and his knowledge of stocks, deals and investments was prodigious. His work was a large part of his identity and he revelled in the challenges. He also loved using the English language correctly and properly. We all remember his grammatical corrections and his delight in baffling us with new words.

Growing up during The Depression had a life-long effect on John. “Waste not, want not” was a common refrain during meals; “eat your cabbage because Napoleon’s troops did” was another. The most enduring characteristic, though, was our father’s sheer determination: mind over matter in everything. We never counted him out because he was a Phoenix and rose again and again from multiple health scares.

Life without his wife, Bev, however, proved too much. Although she had lived with dementia for 18 years, our father’s daily life was attuned to hers. When she died on October 31, 2021, the light went out of his eyes and he was more than ready to join her.

Our sincere thanks to the staff at Balmoral, especially Girlie, Yonnie, Luz, Paolo and Ollie and the care and kindness of Brianna, Vici, and Laurie during the last weeks of his life.

Please consider a donation in John’s name to the Dementia Research Fund c/o Baycrest Foundation or the Sunnybrook Foundation supporting The Dr. Sandra Black Centre for Brain Resilience and Recovery.

A private family interment will take place.

If ever there comes a day
We can’t be together
Keep me in your heart
I’ll stay there forever
A.A. Milne