Major John Tattersall was my Battery Commander in Shilo,  I was a new lieutenant.  He taught me so much.  He was a tough boss who demanded the best you could give.  You didn’t have to be the best soldier, you only had to do the best you could do.  I met up with LCol Tattersall later, in Camp Borden.  He was still the perfectionist and despite the difference in rank, a good friend.  Fond memories include “Fire Mission Battery” at CB Shilo,  and the fire mission in LCol Al Wells driveway at CFB Borden.  LCol John was a Leader of men, who had the innate ability to inspire all those who worked with and for him.  I will never forget him and will always be grateful for his leadership and guidance.

John, my friend and mentor.  What a man!  John garnered more respect from those that served with him then most people could ever wish for.  His love of the North (where we served together) showed in everything that he did.  There were many trips we had together throughout the Arctic.  He sense of humour, love of all people, and adventurous spirit always kept us moving forward no matter what adversity we came upon.   Always full of energy with just a touch of devilishness was what John was about.  He showed great respect and honoured those soldiers under his command.  We became long lasting friends over the years, exchanging letters and cards.  I always looked forward in hearing from him.  I feel deeply bereaved on his passing and saddened.  I not only lost a friend and a truly wonderful human being.  Know John that we will meet up and share our passion for what we both loved about being alive...  Love you my friend.  Please be kind to God with your sense of fun...

We were deeply saddened to hear the news of John's passing.  He will forever be remembered by our family as a man of his word, someone who was beyond intelligent, always learning, reading and sharing his knowledge and insights with us at the lake.   And quite the writer too, for my wedding he penned a lovely poem for me which was very special.  He was very much the Mayor of our great lake and appreciated by many for his countless hours of dedication to preserve and maintain our paradise.  Deacon Lake may not be what it is today if it weren't for John.  We will be forever grateful to him for all of those efforts.   

If there is one thing I will always remember about John is what he always said..."a promise made is a debt unpaid".  Those words have become part of who I am now and I am thankful to him to have shared that with me.  

John always greeted me with a warm smile and hug and I will miss those now.   Even though he is gone now we will all still feel his presence at Deacon, always.    

Our deepest condolences to the entire Tattersall family. 

Rest in peace Iron Duke and thank you for your service.

With love,
The Cox Family

Truly a sad day when we heard the news of John's passing. The silver lining is the fact that he passed while at place he and so many of us cherish deeply, Deacon Lake.  John was truly one of a kind and tough as nails. We will miss our visits filled with old stories and of course a good joke......and one of our favourite sayings will live on in his memory, "you got a beer for an old soldier!" And of course, we always did.

Rest well John, with love and respect, 

Jason, Christine , Sydney and Paige. 

I  work at Johnsons and use to chat to John when he came in to get his crossword book I really enjoyed the chats and I always asked after his dog  My thoughts are with the family at  this time  God Bless  

We didn't get together to often but thought of you a lot. Will miss you John .

My deepest condolences to the family on the sad loss of Colonel Tattersall.  I was fortunate to have met Col. Tattersall after being introduced on Remembrance Day by Dave Fraser many years ago.  Col. Tattersall always remembered my name and that I  had been a gun sergeant.  Whenever we were fortunate to run into each other in town, he always referred to me by name and inquired as to how I was doing.  He was delighted that his daughter outranked him and was now a General.   A great and kind man whom I will truly miss seeing.  I will always fondly recall him as Kenora's "Iron Duke"

Peter Hall   

I and my sister and brother are devastated at the loss of our "Dear John " . He always called me his "Girl Dear" but teased me about being the oldest . We grew up close  together during the war years so had a very special bond . He valued family , good friends  and  serving his country with passion and respect. He had a brilliant  and creative mind . I am sure he is solving Fermins  black hole theorem and all other universe questions wherever he is . He loved and was proud of his family .He especially loved Deacon Lake and its special community . My special thanks to all the Kenora people who were  a significant part of his world.
H.O.P.E.  hearts open please enter.
Sandra

Fond memories of attending Johns graduation from Kingston with Sandra, Uncle Dick and Aunt Mina.   Loved receiving his cards every Christmas, actually had the 2018 one sitting in front of me on my kitchen table when opened email from June advising of such a devastating loss.   Another sad but wonderful memory was when John attended Dads funeral (Uncle Ernest to him) in his full dress uniform, such a sign of respect, it still brings tears to my eyes, 36 years later.   Hugs to everyone he left behind.  Love Dorothy

March 28, 2019

Where to start? So many memories, and a dear friend lost!
As fellow cottagers at Deacon Lake, our friendship with John has grown steadily since he retired. We followed suit 10 years ago and have spent May through October living at the lake. This meant almost daily visits with John, sharing the news,  working on projects or just relaxing.  John was truly the steward of the lake, taking on tasks without any prompting and always finishing what he started. He piloted our 2 year initiative with the Kenora landfill, worked diligently to protect neighboring lakes on recent logging projects, and maintained the lake road on behalf of other residents. He was named an Honorary Member of the cottagers association at Austin, Grassy and Schnarr last year for his efforts.
John lived by his word, "A promise made is a debt unpaid",  and he had little tolerance for dishonesty and deception. This of course made for interesting political discussions, which were regular fodder for our visits. He was fondly called the Mayor of Deacon Lake by our family around the lake. He was an avid reader and learner, spending the long winter months with hundreds of books at his side.
There will not be a replacement in our lives for this man as he was an original. He had faith and was not afraid of what was ahead. He admired strength of conviction and lived life the way he envisioned it should be lived.
Where to end? Perhaps  the "rockets red glare" - John's 2018 annual fireworks photo.
Farewell good friend!
Lorraine and Len Hampson



We were so sad to hear of John's passing. We will certainly miss our visits with him during our stays at the cabin on Deacon Lake, especially listening and watching for him to come across the lake every Tuesday and Friday morning on his way to town.

We send our sincerest condolence to John's family.

Russ Jackson, Joanne Geysen and Family


My husband Gerry served in the artillery until a transfer in 1964 and met  John at that time in Germany. When we moved to my hometown Kenora  on his retirement  we  found that John also had retired  here.  We had  the pleasure of a delightful day at  Stormaway  with John.  Although  not close friends  we  often  met at  Safeway and exchanged  Christmas  cards.  At Remembrance Day ceremonies, after Gerry passed away,  John, who  was  always there and always upholding the appearance of  an army  officer, and I would greet one another warmly as we left the ceremonies. That memory will always stay with me and I will miss that familiar face. 
My sincere condolences to his family.

Many years ago, John's family lived at the Tattersall Farm location. We as children played together and helped out with the the crops. Even when they moved away John would come to visit and still helped in the fields. I'm sure that even in the afterlife he is helping someone and enjoying it.

Very saddened  to get the call that he had passed away but glad that he was doing what he wished. Have faith family and God bless all. 

Cousin June (Tattersall ) and Lee Moir  from Orangeville.
 


All our love and prayers for peace are with you Virginia, Jennifer, Catherine and Richard. For us, John will always be John: John 'James Dean' of Simcoe working the fields and repairing his motorcycle; John ' the mad hatter' of Kenora to the boys; and John the survivalist of woods and words.
May the love of good friends and funny memories comfort you in the months to come. We are so proud of the lives you've led.
With love and memory, 
Kara, Rod, Seumas and Niall xo

I have a number of memories, but one of my favourites was the following.

I'll never forget the day John took me to the end of his boat dock at Deacon Lake and asked me quite bluntly  - "What are your intentions toward my daughter?".  

I wasn't completely certain  whether or not I would soon be swimming across the lake at that point. 

John will be sorely missed.  

My  most heart felt condolences to Carol, Virginia, Catherine, Jennifer, Richard and the entire Tattersall family.

OBITUARY

John Tattersall

10 June, 1940 – 22 March, 2019

Brown Funeral Home & Cremation Centre

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