Henry Sissons

Sissons, Henry Johnathan – July 15, 1915 – May 12, 2013 Henry was the last surviving of four sons of U of T Victoria College Classics professor, historian and author C B Sissons and Anna Normart from Philadelphia. Henry and Annabel Kennedy Holdsworth of Hamilton were married in August 1969, merging two families of 4 and 5 children respectively, ages 11 to 20, a prescription for 21 future grandchildren. Henry was privileged to have had a liberal education at UTS, Victoria College and at an especially talented Department of Political Science and Economics in the U of T during that challenging period between the Great Depression and World War ll, to say nothing of the invaluable learning experience of labouring on the family farm at Orono in summer and the discipline of hockey at Varsity Arena and Stadium each winter. On graduating he spent a summer prospecting for gold and then a season playing hockey on scholarship in Germany as the war clouds gathered. During World War ll he played a major role in pioneering an integrated Priority system for the orderly flow of critical materials in Ottawa and Washington in an increasingly desperate battle to preserve our civilization. Always with a bias towards the public sector, he then worked for Ontario Hydro in senior Executive capacities during 32 years of dynamic economic growth and technological development. Along the way he served on the Boards of a wide variety of “worthy causes” including Victoria University (chair), the Ontario Science Centre (founding member), the Canadian Club of Toronto (VP), The Canadian Stage Theatre and the Canadian Association for Adult Education. Retiring in 1980, he returned to the family farm converting it to a commercial landscape tree farm in accordance with the ecological temper of the times. Twenty five years later he laid down his tools again and retired to the Village by the Arboretum adjacent to Guelph University. He left this world with all its opportunities and warts in the profound hope that it is none the worse for his presence on the bench and in the actual team play. All who knew and loved him know that this is so. Henry was predeceased by his first wife Samena Coleman, their youngest daughter Samena Jeffery and his youngest stepson James Holdsworth. He is survived by his wife, Annabel, and seven children, Bill, Brenda, John, Mary, Judy, David and Sue, twenty-one grandchildren and four great grandchildren. His family will receive friends at the Gilbert MacIntyre and Son Funeral Home, Hart Chapel, 1099 Gordon St., Guelph on Wednesday, May 15, 2013 at 12 noon followed by a service in the funeral home chapel at 1:00 p.m. A celebration will continue in the Fellowship Lounge following the service. A private family interment will take place at a later date. If so desired, memorial donations in Henry’s memory made to the charity of one’s choice would be appreciated. Cards are available at the funeral home 519-821-5077 or condolences for the family may be left at www.gilbertmacintyreandson.com.

A Service will be held in the funeral home chapel on Wednesday, May 15, 2013 at 1:00 p.m.