Paul Anthony Dufort

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father Paul Dufort, at 91 years old, in Peterborough, ON on March 11, 2024. Surrounded by loved ones, he died following a brief, unexpected illness while recovering from a hip fracture in hospital. Paul was born in Montreal in 1932, to Oliva and Catherine Dufort (Potvin), the youngest of eight siblings. He met his future wife Arlette (Cote) in Montreal and married in 1955, beginning a union that would last for 66 years.

After earning a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Sir George Williams (now Concordia) and brief employments at CIL and Stelco in Montreal, he studied to become a teacher at UBC and earned his teaching certificate in 1960. So began a three-decade teaching career that, coupled with a strong wanderlust, took him to the Northwest Territories/Nunavut for seven years with his wife and three daughters, (fathering two more in the Arctic for good measure), another two years at a NATO base in West Germany at the height of the cold war, plus calmer stints at the Peterborough, ON schools PCVS, Kenner, and TASS. Over three decades of retirement, sailing the Kawartha lakes, climbing and cycling the Tucson mountains, and MacGyvering his way through an endless succession of repair jobs and contraption improvements were among his happiest moments.

Our father lived with bipolar disorder in an era when few knew its name. While this certainly entailed moments of struggle and sadness, it also gifted him with a drive to explore all the beauty of Earth and the achievements of humanity. His interests included history (esp. WWII), wildlife (bear attacks!), fine art, classical and folk music, astronomy and physics, and literature, while his hobbies spanned sketching, banjo and guitar playing, wood carving, physical fitness, chess, sailing, cycling, hiking, and cross-country skiing the Canadian shield. He and Arlette raised five children, helping them all through university, and encouraging his four daughters to be whatever they wanted at a time when this was not a given. He instilled in all of us a thirst for knowledge and a lust for life that has enriched our own lives and the lives of our children.

He is survived by his five children Teresa Dufort (Bruce Desmond), Catherine Dufort, Nicole Dufort, Paulette Dufort (Warren Ambrose), and Paul Dufort (Vânia de Souza), and by his seven grandchildren Justine, Raleigh, and Jordan Desmond; Anaïs, Sam, and Luca Dannetta; and Adam Davis. He was pre-deceased by his wife Arlette in 2021, and all seven of his siblings, the last (Therese) just one week ago.

Dad, you cannot imagine how much you will be missed.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.comstockkaye.com for the family.