Gordon Ralph Fairweather

Gord was the beloved husband of the late Marie Virgo and proud father of Don (Sherry), Doug (Audrey), and Susan Fairweather. He was Grandpa to Katelyn Nowocin, Kristie Nowocin, Michael Malloy, Chris Malloy (Weronika), and Great Grandpa to Henryk Popis Malloy. In his golden years, Gord was blessed to be married to the late Jean Scott. He was predeceased by his brother Alvin and sister Aileen Fairweather.

Gord was raised in Toronto and arrived in Cornwall with his new bride, Marie, in 1948 after graduating from the Electrical Engineering program at the University of Toronto. He was hired by the Cornwall Street Railway to oversee the design and installation of the infrastructure to support new electrical trolley buses for the city. Gord loved his work and remained a loyal employee with Cornwall Street Railway for 41 years, eventually becoming the company’s Vice President and General Manager. He played a significant leadership role in overseeing the purchase of the St. Lawrence Power Company by the Cornwall Street Railway, transforming CSR into Cornwall Electric, relocating Cornwall Electric from the Cornwall Square property to its current location on Sydney Street, and managing the evolution of Cornwall Electric from a privately owned utility into a city owned entity. The origins of the attractive electricity rates that Cornwall residents enjoy date back to some of the contracts that Gord negotiated.

While Gord moved away from eastern Ontario in retirement, he loved living in Cornwall and Long Sault, and was an active community volunteer. He worked tirelessly on the capital campaign to create the former YM/YWCA complex on Fifth Street so that youth and families would have a place to gather. He was Chair of the Board of the Cornwall General Hospital, assumed leadership roles as a member of Knox United and St. Andrew’s United Churches and was a member of the Cornwall Kiwanis Club. Most recently, he served as the President of the Residents’ Advisory Council at his retirement home in Barrie. Gord loved boating on the St. Lawrence River with his family and friends and, in retirement, he cherished going to his winter home in Florida, where he enjoyed golf and lawn bowling. He was particularly thrilled to be the first family member to attain a hole in one.

The family will receive visitors at the Lahaie and Sullivan Cornwall Funeral Home, West Branch, 20 Seventh Street West (613 932-8482) from 2 – 4 PM and 7 – 9 PM on Friday, September 30, 2016 and on Saturday, October 1, 2016 from 11:30 AM – 1 PM, with a funeral service to follow immediately afterwards in the Memorial Chapel of the funeral home. Interment will be immediately after the service at the St. Lawrence Valley Cemetery. As expressions of sympathy, memorial donations may be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Cornwall Community Hospital, Children’s Treatment Centre or any other charity of choice. Messages of condolence may be left at www.lahaiesullivan.ca.