Obituary of John Suchon

John Suchon passed away peacefully on Wednesday, June 9, 2021 in his home at the age of 77 with his son David by his side. John was born in Poland in 1943, the second son of Karl and Maria. John deeply loved his older brother, Fritz, who was two years his senior. John always carried with him the loving memory of Fritz, who tragically passed away as a young boy.

John immigrated to Canada with his parents, becoming a proud Canadian citizen in 1957. John’s family settled in the Upper Beaches and he attended Malvern High School, excelling in athletics. John studied at the University of Toronto where he became a member of the Psi Upsilon fraternity. He transferred to the University of Waterloo, where he met the love of his life, Maureen Burkett. Maureen and John were married in 1968 and made their home in Toronto, across the street from John’s parents.

After finishing university, John began a highly successful life-long career with I.B.M., which took John and Maureen to Winnipeg in 1977. While in Winnipeg, John became connected with several local musicians, including The Guess Who, and started his own record label. Always the athlete, John made the most of the long Winnipeg winters, heading out his back door after work every evening to cross country ski down the Assiniboine River. In 1979, after trying for nearly a decade, John and Maureen welcomed their only child, David.

John and his family returned to Toronto in 1980 and purchased the beautiful home, which John would have for the rest of his life. At the age of 38, John suffered a serious accident, which left him quadriplegic. John overcame this adversity with grace and tenacity, continuing his career at I.B.M., his marriage to Maureen and being a wonderful father to David. There were no parents more involved in their child’s life than John and Maureen.

After the loss of his beloved wife, Maureen, in 2006, John lived in his home and was supported by a dedicated group of caregivers. In 2011, John gained a daughter-in-law, when David married Erica Zarkovich in the family backyard. John was overjoyed to welcome and get to know his two wonderful grandkids, David Jr. and Veronica.   

John was honoured at a private service at Mount Hope Cemetery on June 11. Donations can be made in John’s honour to Spinal Cord Injury Ontario (https://sciontario.org/). Condolences may be forwarded through www.humphreymiles.com.

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