Obituary of Reginald Lawrence
May 5, 1931 - May 10, 2021
Passed away peacefully in his 91st year. Beloved husband of Frances (nee Barnett) for over 57 years, loving father of Andrea (Kevin) and Kim, and extremely proud grandfather of Ryan and Brandon. Uncle of Janice (Terry) and John Barnett.
Born in Fulham, London, England, Reg sailed to Canada in 1957 and docked in Montreal before making Toronto his home. A chance meeting opened the door to what started as a temporary position at the City of Toronto and evolved into a rewarding career that ended with his retirement 35 years later in 1992.
Reg was a warm, welcoming individual with a dry sense of humour and the ability to put others at ease. He lived honestly and with integrity, and treated others with respect. He loved soccer (first as an avid player in his younger years and then as a faithful spectator), reading, music, travel, coffee, afternoon naps in his favourite chair and, above all, his family. He thrived on intelligent discussion and debate, yet much to the amusement of his children he never mastered simple electronic devices, and is fondly remembered for both his inability to program a VCR (despite detailed step-by-step instructions) and the desire to “rewind” a DVD before returning it to the rental location.
He will be greatly missed, but we’re so thankful he was here to love us, teach us, and to just be part of our lives.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, there will be a private family service. Those who knew Reg are asked to celebrate his life in their own way and raising a glass to toast his memory would be quite welcome.
The family wishes to thank the staff at Baycrest Apotex Home for the Aged, in particular the team on 7EI, who treated him with compassion, respect and dignity over the past two years. If desired, donations to the Baycrest Foundation (https://www.baycrestfoundation.org/) or the Alzheimer Society of Canada (https://alzheimer.ca/en) would be appreciated.
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