Robert Marshall Willson

Robert was born in Iroquois Falls, Ontario, Canada, at Ansonville General Hospital.

His father, Walter Earle Willson, was a Forestry graduate from the University of Toronto (1925), working in the Woodlands Department at Abitibi Power and Paper Company.

His mother, Bess McConnell Willson was a Registered Nurse who trained at the Wellesley Hospital in Toronto.

Robert attended John Wanless Public School and Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute in Toronto, graduating in 1950 and 1955 (with the gold medal in mathematics) respectively. He studied Chemical Engineering at the University of Toronto, graduating in 1959. Summer jobs were at Provincial Paper in Thorold, Ontario, Abitibi Research Division in Sault St. Marie, Ontario, and two summers at Polymer Corporation in Sarnia. After graduation, he worked at International Nickel Company in Sudbury, Ontario (1959-1960), Polymer Corporation in Sarnia, Ontario (1960-1964), and Fluor England in London, England (1964-1966), before finishing his career with Imperial Oil Limited in Sarnia, and Toronto, Ontario (1966-1997, including a year and a half at the Exxon Refinery in Baton Rouge, Louisiana).

Robert and Barbara met in London, England in 1964, while Robert was working abroad and Barbara was on a working holiday with her best friend Ellen Carson. He would walk her home through London's interconnected parks, and the romance of the timeless city worked its magic. They had a small church wedding in Finchley Central in 1966, attended by friends and Barbara's parents who had traveled from Australia. They moved to Canada to start a family.

After retirement he took up golf again, after having previously given it up in frustration in 1963. Now he had the mental maturity to thoroughly enjoy the game in spite of never achieving his goal of breaking 100. He played every Tuesday with the Esso Annuitants Club Toronto North. Genealogy was another passion where he documented many century-old photos and letters along with cousin Helen Barker for future generations. He also embraced watercolour painting and printmaking, becoming a prolific artist and creating several works which are treasured by the family.

He leaves his wife Barbara, sons John (Tricia) and Robert (Shizue), and grandchildren Emma and Ethan.

He is predeceased by fondly remembered parents Walter Earle Willson and Bess (McConnell) Willson, and brothers William Earle Willson (Jo-Ann) and John Lambert Willson (Lorraine).

As his sons were growing up, he served as a cub leader and scout leader in First Thornhill Scouts from 1978-1988. Highlights of those years were camping trips around Ontario, and canoe trips in Haliburton and Killarney Provincial Park. When his son Robert moved to Japan and married Shizue, he became deeply interested in the culture of his son's new home and family.

He was an enthusiastic grandfather. He took care to pass along skills of making and mending, and regularly did projects with his grandchildren such as printmaking and woodworking – sharing his passions and theirs.

He volunteered as a member of the Board and the Management Committee with Annswell Court Foundation for over ten years. He volunteered with the Willowdale Group of Artists, documenting the weekly demonstrations and issuing the newsletter. He volunteered as a member of the Board of Directors of historic Heintzman House for over fifteen years. Robert's calm deportment was appreciated by every board and committee to which he gave his time. He was part of the group that brought back the annual Heintzman House Art Show & Sale, in 2006, after a lapse of more than ten years, and eventually chaired that committee. It continues as an important community event.

The family would like to express deep thanks to the staff at Sunnybrook Hospital and SRT MedStaff for their compassionate care.

A private service will be held by the family at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family asks you to consider a donation in Robert's memory to Doctors Without Borders.