Clergy, Educator, Counsellor, Consultant
January 29, 1940 – April 8, 2024
A phenomenal man who was fully engaged in family, work and the community, John died peacefully and lovingly supported by family and friends following a lengthy battle with kidney cancer. He is greatly missed by his devoted wife of 59 years, Barbara Ellen (nee Bowman); son, Dylan Tudor Harries, (Jean-Michel Beliveau); daughter Kristina Irene Crabbe (Scott); and number one grandson, Blair John Crabbe. He is also remembered by his sister Tanya Lewis, his sister-in-law, Sally Kennedy, and extended family members, colleagues, and friends. He was predeceased by his parents, Tudor and Isabel Harries, his brother (Baby Harries) who died in infancy, his sisters Verna, Lynn, Norma and John Farkas (his brother-in-law).
John was born and raised in Toronto. Following his elementary years at General Mercer Public School, and his secondary education at North Toronto Collegiate Institute. He completed his undergraduate studies at Victoria College, and his post-graduate work at Emmanuel College. John's career was seeded at Manor Road United Church, the Montreal Y.M.C.A’s Camp Kanawana, at Central Neighborhood House, (a community social work agency in downtown Toronto), and at Regent Park United Church. Following his ordination into full-time United Church ministry, John became minister of four gold mining communities near Kirkland Lake, ON. While serving as Senior Minister of St. Andrew’s United Church in North Bay for five years, he was named an Honorary Fellow of Huntington College at Laurentian University in Sudbury, for his tutoring in two long distance adult education credit courses. In 1976, he was appointed Program Director of the United Church of Canada’s Cedar Glen Conference and Education Centre, near Bolton, Ontario. Following this he established a part time human resource counseling and organizational consulting practice, working first with the King-Bay Chaplaincy, the United Church’s national Division of Mission in Canada, and Humanities Employee Assistance Programs. With his pioneering work in career/life development strategies this led to his appointment as Director of York University’s Career & Placement Centre in Toronto. He was later appointed a Fellow of York’s Vanier College for establishing and teaching a credit course in “Career Development: Theory and Practice” in the Faculty of Arts. In 1992, he was called as Minister of Education and Congregational Development at Timothy Eaton Memorial United Church in Toronto. Following his retirement, John coordinated outreach initiatives to retired ministers in the United Church’s Living Waters Presbytery. He also continued private practice initiatives and served as a part-time minister in two congregations - Browns Corners and Lemonville United Churches.
While in Kirkland Lake John had a column in the local newspaper called “You were asking”. You may be surprised to know that, as a youngster, he had prize winning guinea pigs shown at the Toronto Winter Fair. John was fun loving, a real people person. He enjoyed parties, the symphony and going to the theatre. John loved nature. He loved to go cycling and poking around the garden, his neighbors would come around to admire is beautiful geraniums. He and his family enjoyed many happy times at Maple Lake in the Haliburton Highlands. John’s father was a tailor and following the tradition he was always sharply dressed. Like his father and grandfather John enjoyed singing. He will be so deeply missed by his family and by all who he touched during his amazing life.
Special gratitude is expressed to all of John’s medical team for their many years of expertise and care.
A Funeral Service will be held at Aurora United Church currently meeting at Trinity Anglican Church, 79 Victoria Street, Aurora, ON. on Thursday, April 18th at 1pm.
A reception to follow at the Summit Golf and Country Club.
In lieu of flowers, a memorial donation in John’s memory to the “Margaret Bahen Hospice” @ www.myhospice.ca or “Kidney Cancer Canada” @ www.kidneycancercanada.ca
“He who kisses the joy as it flies, lives in eternity's sunrise.” William Blake
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