Harold Gilbert Wilbur

Harold Gilbert Wilbur was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy and traditional in his approach to his life and in his relationships. He was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was also a man who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything he undertook. Realistic about life, he was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

His parents were Irene and Harrison Wilbur. Harold was raised in Oshawa. He was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

Growing up in the Wilbur household was a bit different than most homes. There were good times to be had, but just as often there was a fair share of challenges as well. However, Harold was able to work through the usual family problems when they appeared, and he was the one person in the family who seemed able to keep the stress at bay. Harold was raised with two siblings. He had a sister Margaret (Peg) and a brother Frank. Harold was constantly involved in activities with his brothers and sisters. Harold and his siblings may have had the typical rivalries while growing up but Harold was always consistently loyal to his family.

As a young child, Harold was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. He wasn’t pushy and never forced his way into games or other activities. Harold developed a variety of interests, though, and the things he enjoyed doing he did well. He was always curious about the world around him and was often eager to explore it. Harold took part in baseball and hockey. He was also a Scout. However, what Harold enjoyed most was simply playing and spending time with his many friends.

While his teachers and even his friends generally thought of Harold as being a serious person, he managed to have a pretty good time in high school as he made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. He graduated from O'Neill Collegiate Vocational Institute in 1954. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favourite classes and teachers. Harold was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using his exceptional memory, he was able to learn much through observation. Harold always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though he could easily master any problem that might be presented to him.

On April 21, 1956 Harold exchanged wedding vows with Margaret Rose Tougham at Harmony United Church in Oshawa, Ontario. He took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it his total commitment.

Harold brought the same traditional values in his marriage to bear on how he raised his children. He was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in his dealings. He would always listen carefully and think things through before he acted, even when it was an adverse situation. Harold was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. Harold was blessed with five children, Douglas, Randy (predeceased), Deborah, Shelley and Lori. They were also blessed with seventeen grandchildren, Genevieve, Martin, Lisa, Todd, Lindsay, Rhonda, Ryan, Michelle, John, Micheal, Melanie, Mark, Chris, Kristian, Courtney, Brandon and Cassidy.

Harold greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a hard worker who expected the same in return from his co-workers. He was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. Harold enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Harold was excellent at meeting deadlines. He was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. His primary occupation he owned a variety store and fish n chips restaurant. Harold worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

Harold liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into his hobbies, where he was very methodical in how he organized his activities and categorized things. Since he enjoyed his private time, Harold always tried to allocate a specific time for working on his hobbies. His favourite pursuits were wood working and fishing. Harold was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.

Harold found pleasure in sports. Being a person who was comfortable making win/lose decisions throughout life, he could appreciate that athletes made those types of decisions in sports. He applauded those who won, and he enjoyed the statistical data and sports facts and could find himself wrapped up in those details. In high school, Harold played hockey. Recreational sports included bowling and skating. He would watch his favourite sporting events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were baseball and hockey.

Harold enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Since he was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with Harold appeared effortless. He enjoyed researching all of his examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where he traveled, Harold always had a back up plan at the ready, just in case. Favourite vacations included Florida.

Harold was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. One of Harold’s favourites was Sam, a Sheltie and Candy a poodle. They were best friends, he had Sam for 3 years and Candy for 12 years. His family was rounded out by his Ginger a cat and a gold fish.

When Harold’s retirement finally arrived in 1995, he was well prepared. He always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things he knew, so he was very confident in planning his retirement. He had begun the process early and had his retirement all laid out well in advance. His new life involved him staying in Oshawa. In retirement, he found new pleasure learning and playing on the computer. Even in retirement, Harold continued to stay in touch with his old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. He was active in his community and felt fulfilled.

Harold Gilbert Wilbur passed away on January 3, 2017 at Lakeridge Health - Oshawa, from Cancer and COPD. He is survived by his wife Margaret, his children Doug, Debbie, Shelley and Lori and his seventeen grandchildren. Services were held at Oshawa Funeral Home. Harold was laid to rest in Mount Lawn Cemetery, Whitby, ON.

Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Harold Gilbert Wilbur. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved.

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WILBUR, Harold Gilbert

Peacefully at Lakeridge Health Oshawa on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2017 at 77 years of age. Beloved husband of Margaret (nee Todgham) for 60 years. Loving father of Doug and his wife Debbie, Debbie and her husband Leo Delisle, Randy (predeceased) and his wife Tiffany, Shelley and her husband Dave Heron, Lori and her husband Carlos DaSilva. He will be sadly missed by his 17 grandchildren and many great grandchildren. Predeceased by his parents Irene and Harrison. Dear brother of Peg Hart, Frank Wilbur (predeceased) and his wife Irene. Brother-in-law of Brian, Allan, the late George and the late Ruth Todgham. Harold will be fondly remembered by his extended family and friends. A special thank you to Dr. Graham and Dr. Noble, the PSW’s, especially Celeste and the nurses in Palliative Care for their wonderful care of Harold. Visitation will be held at the OSHAWA FUNERAL HOME, 847 King Street West (905-721-1234) on Sunday, January 15th from 1:00 until time of Service of Remembrance in the Chapel at 2:00 p.m. Memorial donations to Durham Lung Association or Durham Hospice would be appreciated.