I remember Aubry Searching for his sister Pam who went to sleep crying under her bed when we were little kids, did I find her? We were then living in the police quarters in Parel, Bombay if I recall it was around 1949-50. Imagine meeting up at a party in Lasalle, Montreal in 1973??  We were a small group of friends and enjoyed family get togethers often until Aubry, Clare and the two children moved to Toronto! Life is a true story and Aubry had quite a few to share, with a smile and lovely sense of humour.
Rest In Peace my friend until we all meet again in Christ!
And to dear Clare, John Abby, grandchildren and extended families May you treasure the special moments as you continue to journey! Peace, love a prayer.

Laurie and I first met Aubrey and Clare when they came to stay with us not long before they moved to begin their new life in Canada. 

We stayed in touch over the years and we reunited with Aubrey many times during this time. 

We spent a lovely holiday with Aubrey and Clare in Canada, the highlight being our trip to Niagara Falls whilst much of the area was still frozen. Aubrey had a lot of knowledge of the area which made the visit more interesting. 

Laurie would have had lots of tales to share of when they grew up as children in India. Sadly he passed away in April 2021 but I am sure they will be reminiscing up in Heaven.

God bless you Aubrey. 

Sending lots of love to Clare, John, Abigail and family.

 From Carol, Sally, Tracy and their families xxxx 

My earliest memories of cousin Aubrey are from stories Mum (Auntie Dolly) told me when I was a child.  I first met Aubrey when he, Auntie Marj, Pam and Judy all lived at Newbury Park in London.  I clearly remember coming up to London with Mum and Dad and staying with them all where we had good times, enjoying much fun and laughter all those years ago.

When Aubrey and Clare emigrated to Canada Mum kept in touch with them through her passion for letter writing - well before the Internet days.  Aubrey had a great interest in the family history and often relied on Mum for snippets of information especially important family dates for which she had a photographic memory.

After an absence of so many years I am glad Veronica and I had the opportunity to see him again last year albeit briefly through the magic of Zoom.

God bless you Aubrey.  
Rest in peace.
Barry and Veronica



Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace
according to thy word.
For mine eyes have seen
thy salvation;
Which thou hast prepared
before the face of all people;
To be a light to lighten the Gentiles
and to be the glory of thy people Israel

The passing of my cousin Aubrey this year has reminded me that life again has changed and things will not be the same.  Aubrey was five years older than me and I have very few memories of him growing up in Bombay.  This was probably because of the age difference.  What teenager wants to hang out with a 6-8 year kid.  Our family visited my Aunt Marj and Uncle Gerry often, and I played with my cousin Judy who is a half year younger than I am.  It seemed that my cousin Pam was always reading a book and Aubrey was off somewhere.  We immigrated to the US when I was eight and most news of the Ballantine’s arrived through the post and occasional visits.  It was after Aubrey moved to Canada that we became closer and communication was more frequent.  The most enduring memory of Aubrey for me was his constant devotion as to the welfare of his Uncle Buddah (my dad) and  Aunt Doreen.  He continued his sincere interest in my family till his memory faded.  Things may not be the same but what fonder memory can I have of him than his devotion and care of all who were his family.  God bless and keep you Aubrey.

Dear Clare and family, my deepest sympathy. I have many great memories of Aubrey from BMO, lots of lunches and those pot-luck dinners at our place at Easter, not to forget those wonderful dinners at your place.  It seems that most of my memories revolve around food, but I am sure Aubrey would approve.

We first met Aubrey at a Christmas party in  Montreal in 1969. Needless to say he kept us in splits with his perfectly accented “Indian Jokes”. We are from Chittagong and were surprised to learn that his father owned one of the  “ghats” (pier) on the Kanafuli River in Chittagong, locally known as the Ballantyne Ghat. He was of great assistance to me during the A.I. International convention held in Toronto in 2010. Aubrey will be sorely missed. Rest In Peace our friend.

We are old family friends. The gang who went on picnics with all the grub in tow. Also as a member of the AIAC, of which both Aubrey and Clare were members for so many years. Aubrey did a lot of volunteer work for the Association. We worked tirelessly together on the Anglo Indian World Reunion, where Aubrey set up the on-line registration portal, which was a huge project with people from all over the world registering to come to Canada. Aubrey was a genius and way ahead of his time. He had a sense of humour like no other and was a prankster. His stories, one in particular (“Hop it”) were hilarious and I will always remember him this way. Behind every great man is a woman. Clare may you find comfort and peace knowing that you are not alone. May God bless and keep you and the entire family in this time of sorrow.
 


One of my memories of Uncle Aubrey was when his was in England on a visit and I as driving him around.  He got a bit worried as he thought I was driving on the wrong side of the road and he took a very long inhale of breath before he realised he was not at home  :0)    I grew very fond of him and always looked forward to seeing him again on his visits. Even as an adult, every time we spoke on the phone, he would always ask how I was and if I needed anything at all.  Candice

My memory of Aubrey was that we did not always see eye to eye, however there was always a great fondness between us both as we were good friends.  Aubrey was very kind and considerate to Mum and Dad (Rondo) and always had them over to Canada.  Aubrey, I found was very caring, soft hearted and willing to help even from across the sea.  I have a lot of memories of him, which I will treasure.  Mini



Aubrey,  I have so many memories of you.  Not least when you stayed with us in Ealing and used to try to get to the Daily Telegraph crossword before my Dad.  We had so many laughs about our lives in Bombay.  You were a great wit and mimic.  You also did a lot of DIY in the kitchen and breakfast room in Ealing to help out - we had just moved into an old Victorian house. Lots more memories.  My deepest sympathies to Clare and all the family.  God bless you and may you rest in peace.
Maureen Stewart (née Griffiths

Too many thoughts, memories, and prayers to share, so here are just a few. One of the best memories I have is of my Dad teaching me how to ride a bike around our neighborhood in Montreal.  He was very patient and encouraging and I still love to ride.  
The notes on this page and the conversations of love and support for my mother highlight the great friendships my parents, and therefore, our family enjoyed.  I am grateful to you all. The Anglo-Indian “Aunties and Uncles” were real aunts and uncles to us growing up as a nuclear family. My dad loved to be around people and we all enjoyed the children’s Christmas parties in Montreal, the camping trips, and the many, many, picnics.  Curry definitely tastes better cooked on a Coleman stove in the open air! 
Dear Jesus, please bless and keep my dad with you always.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
~Amen~


We first met Aubrey and Clare in the mid-'70s, when we lived at opposite ends of the same street in Guildwood. One morning Aubrey drove up our driveway with their son, John, a classmate of our son, Andrew. Aubrey was keen to get to know someone with a similar upbringing in India. That was the start of a long-lasting friendship that survived our move away from Toronto to Ottawa for 35 years. While we were there, Aubrey in his special way ‘adopted’ my Uncle Tony Lumb, and the two of them shared many happy chats. We came back to Guildwood a couple of years ago but, sadly, were never able to re-connect. And now we can never again meet Aubrey, an outstandingly gentle, considerate, thoughtful and always entertaining companion. We shared an abiding interest in all things Anglo-Indian. In 2007 we worked together on the World Anglo-Indian Reunion in Toronto, and we were able to meet a few times when I came in for planning sessions. Invariably, that also meant a good lunch somewhere as we sought ways to spice up the reunion agenda. While we offer our deepest condolences to Clare, Abbey and John, we also look forward to the day when the blight of Covid passes, and we can get together to remember a great friend.

My brother.  What can I say?  We will all miss you very much.  

Aubrey was a premature baby and so tiny that my mother had to put him in a shoe box for the first days of his life to keep him snug.  Stories were told about him being fed on fresh cow's milk and when he was 6 months old he was so chubby that he could barely lift his head when put on his tummy.  Mischief with our cousins Percy and Laurie when they came home from boarding school and stayed with us.  Lots and lots of happy memories. 
 
He was a year younger than my sister, Pam.  Both started at the Cathedral and John Connon School in Bombay and then Aubrey was sent to a boarding school in Jubbalpur for a couple of years.  After our father died in 1954 (he was 14/15) he went off to Victoria School, Kurseong, in the Himalayas.  Aunt Rosaline was Head Teacher at the girls' school and was there to 'keep an eye on him'.  He did say that these were the happiest days of his young life. He went up in March and returned in November and we only had three months of him being with us during this time. 

He was there for mum and me when we arrived in England in 1963 and got me my first job in Stratford, East London.  He took good care of us and was especially close to my mother.
  
He met and married Clare in 1966 and she has been a wonderful wife, mother and sister-in-law. She has supported and cared for the family from those first years in Montreal and to the end as the best carer I have ever known.   We love you Clare and will always be there for you.  Abbey and John, my niece and nephew, Charles, Julia and James we love you too.  We have had weekly chats on Zoom over the last couple of years, with Aubrey's intermittent and spontaneous input at times and have kept the family as close as we possible can with the distance between us.  

Be at peace.  With love from us all  XXXX

We met Aubrey when we first immigrated to Canada and have always been grateful for his advice in helping us settle down. Over the years we enjoyed his rye sense of humor and got to know that he was some years my senior in school in Bombay.

Our sincere condolences Clare.
Shirley & Graydon Halge

Aubrey shared our family home in Ealing during the 60s and we have very fond and happy memories of this time.  He had a mischievous sense of humour.  He was a great tease and we can still hear his laugh when he recalled some of the antics he had got up to or some funny incident that had occurred. He had a kind and generous nature and was a real gentleman - in every sense of the word.  Rest in peace dear Aubrey- we send you much love.
Jill and Peter 

Preview your Memory
Jill Pears
FRIEND
1/11/2022
Aubrey shared our family home in Ealing during the 60s and we have very fond and happy memories of this time. He had a mischievous sense of humour. He was a great tease and we can still hear his laugh when he recalled some of the antics he had got up to or some funny incident that had occurred. He had a kind and generous nature and was a real gentleman - in every sense of the word. Rest in peace dear Aubrey- we send you much love. Jill and Peter Pears

Aubrey shared our family home in Ealing during the 60s and we have very fond and happy memories of this time.  He had a mischievous sense of humour.  He was a great tease and we can still hear his laugh when he recalled some of the antics he had got up to or some funny incident that had occurred. He had a kind and generous nature and was a real gentleman - in every sense of the word.  Rest in peace dear Aubrey- we send you much love.
Jill and Peter Pears

My sisters Gillian Featherstone (Brewster) Brenda Marr  and I, have known Aubrey ever since he was a shy teenager walking across a schoolyard,  of an all girls boarding school  (Dow Hill in Kurseong) from the adjoining boys’ boarding school (Victoria) to visit his Aunt, Miss Rosalind Ballantine, who was the Headmistress of Dow Hill. He was a very good sport about being teased by all of us girls in the schoolyard during that long walk.  Since then, we met up as adults in Canada in the early 70’s and have had some very memorable picnics, and school reunion lunches and dinners. Aubrey was very instrumental in getting reunions organized and keeping school friends in touch. He designed and maintained a VADHA  (Victoria and Dow Hill Association) website with school pictures, photographs of friends, and contact information. Thank you Aubrey for being a good friend and for all that you did for us. We will always have happy memories of the Hilltop, and your sense of humour.   
 RIP my friend. 🙏

My sincere condolences to Clare and family.  I will always remember Aubrey for his thoughtfulness and kindness in giving me a ride to our annual general meetings, I did not even have to ask.  Our phone conversations Clare with you and Aubrey were always a pleasure.
 
Love and God Bless 
Evelyn (Eade)

Aubrey, 2 words will always describe you for me - mischief  & fun. 
There was never a dull moment with you, with practical jokes galore especially when you duped me in my teens in the 60's  into thinking I had a secret admirer with a Valentine's Day Card.  Thank you for the  wonderful roadtrip to Quebec City  with Clare a few years ago,  for special memories over the years & all the laughs.  Rest in peace dear friend.....and  try to behave up there!
With  fondest love, Brenda  (Stewart - nee Griffiths)


Aubrey and I first met when we were computer operators in London, England in 1965. After we both became programmers Aubrey came to Canada and I followed 2 years later. We worked together again in Montreal until I moved to Ottawa and Aubrey to Toronto. We continued to stay in touch for a number of years until, sadly, we lost contact. I regret I wasn't there for him in his later years.
Aubrey was a special guy and a good friend. Go with God Aubrey


Remembering many happy fun filled hours in Ealing in the 60s.  You were always full of mischief and fun Aubrey.
Two generations of friendship was shared by our families.  Our mums were great friends and nurses in Bombay where they trained and shared many happy times together.
Dave & I will remember you with great fondness.
Jenny & Dave Fulton,
Chesham 
England.

Aubrey and I met in 1965 as computer operators in London, England. After we both became programmers Aubrey came to Canada and I followed 2 years later. We worked together in Montreal for several years until I moved to Ottawa and Aubrey to Toronto. We kept in contact and occasionally visited each other, but sadly we eventually lost touch. I regret not being there for him in his later years. He was a true gentleman and a good friend. My deepest condolences Clare.

The first time I met Aubrey was in 1965 on route to Canada. He jovially cautioned me to stay away from “snow balls!”
Aubrey married Clare and we met again in Canada and they even attended our wedding.
Aubrey loved telling us “sardarjee” jokes which he precisely imitated and got the gang in splits of laughter! Besides that, he was a kind and caring friend. He bought big bags of pet food  for his backyard critters. He would stand amidst his 6 or 7 friends and feed his hungry pals. Clare always shared her garden plants with me.
To Clare, John and Abbey Gale we offer you our deepest sympathy on such a great loss. He was and always be remembered as a good friend. God keep you in peace at last and forever.
Mel and Evelyn Kenny

Aubrey and I worked together in the 70's during some quite challenging times for budgets, projects and deadlines. Whatever the time, subject, or issue, Aubrey never raised his voice, always stayed with the task, and each iteration of the work, he simply worked smarter, harder, and longer. During very long days and nights, Aubrey never blinked, complained, or blamed anyone but himself. Once, near midnight, when Aubrey, Nazarene and I each had different numbers, he questioned his calculator. He never considered that maybe his numbers might be the correct version! We had a laugh, found our collective issue, and moved on. He was and is special, a wonderful person who was fun to be around, gracious to others, and helpful to anyone in need. His dry wit certainly helped reduce the tension at many serious sessions. 
Rest In Peace, Good Friend, and may your family find some measure of peace, knowing that you are a wonderful gift to anyone who ever met you.
Loran and Nazarene Fite 

Clare & family,  Aubrey was a very good friend & officemate.  I used to have lunches with him and shared a lot of stories & jokes with him while we were at BMO.  Sorry to hear about his passing. May the choirs of angels and saints escort Aubrey to paradise where he can enjoy God's eternal peace and love

Philip & Clarita Malolos 

I had not seen Aubrey since he left BMO. I worked for him and with him. He brings back many fond memories. He was always a kind gentleman no matter the situation. 

So sorry to hear of Audrey's passing. We met at BMO and were together in AD&D and Business Systems for many years. A wonderful colleague with a great sense of humour. Rest in peace Aubrey. 

Dear Clare.  I am so sorry to hear the news about Aubrey's passing. My condolences to you and the family. 
I have many good memories of Aubrey from the Bank of Montreal days. Lots of hard work and lots of laughter!
Heather Shepherd and Tom Hamblin

Aubrey was a gentleman, a friend and good colleague.  He is already missed.
Love to Clare.

Tom and Marilyn Mahan

Rest in Peace Aubrey, 
You were one of the first people I met when I started working for BMO in the 70's.  Thanks for the encouragement, mentorship  and humour you shared throughout the years.
Sincere condolence to your family.


I worked with Aubrey at BMO in the 70s but still remember his warmth and sense of fun. May he Rest In Peace.



I'm saddened by the news of Aubrey's passing. I met Aubrey at the Bank of Montreal and spent many years working in Project Management along with him. A very nice man,  with a great sense of humour, always happy to lend a hand or give advice. Rest in peace old friend.

RIP Aubrey!  Be strong Clare!  Take your time to plan next steps.  It has been uphill for so long.

Sylvia

I enjoyed the years that Aubrey and I worked together at BMO, and the many times that we went out for Indian food.

My sincere sympathy to Clare and the family.


OBITUARY

Aubrey Ernest Ballantine

26 July, 1939 – 3 January, 2022

Giffen-Mack Funeral Home & Cremation Centre

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