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People who left us in '11
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A committed community volunteer, Myra Gerow died July 8. She she led a CIBC Run for the Cure team, which helped Sudburians raise more than $325,000 for breast cancer research. In April 2010, she was honoured with the Jeanette Hawke Volunteer Recognition Award for her efforts. The prize is presented to Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation volunteer who has demonstrated a “long-term, outstanding commitment” to the foundation. James Grassby, a retired Inco Ltd. executive well known in the city for his volunteer efforts with many local charities, died Jan. 8. Grassby, who was two weeks short of his 93rd birthday, moved to Toronto a couple of years ago to be closer his children. In 2006, Northern Life awarded him with a Community Builders Award in the Hall of Fame category. Grassby was a tireless volunteer who was named Citizen of the Year in 1983. Donations in Grassby's memory may be made to the James Grassby Youth Fund, c/o The Sudbury Community Foundation, 300-96 Larch St., Sudbury, P3E 1C1, or to a charity of choice. One of the city's colourful characters, Ray Kaattari, died March 29. Kaattari, who lived in Walden, wrote a popular humour column called Ruppepoots in “Finglish” for 13 years for South Side Story. He also wrote five books including a history of Garson. He was involved in community theatre and sang in several chorus.The retired school principal, is suvived by his wife Grace, his children and grandchildren. Charlie White, a former mayor of Walden, died Nov. 4 at the age of 88. A lifelong resident of the Sudbury area, he married Signe (Makela) in 1942 in Copper Cliff. He worked at the Copper Cliff Smelter for 37 years before retiring from Inco in 1979. White served as the mayor, and councillor of Walden for many years, deputy fire chief for Waters Township, associate member of the Royal Canadian Legion, life member of the Walden Kinsmen Club, member of the Elks Lodge, Waters Community Club and the Waters Lions Club. He was a champion for young people supporting safety and recreational programs. He was a recipient of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award. Sudbury historian Martin (Marty) McAllister died Sunday, July 24 in Barrie. Born in Sudbury, he worked at Inco Ltd. for nearly 40 years. McAllister began writing a column for The Inco Triangle in 1989, and continued to write after he retired until 1995. For many years, he also posted articles to his website AtticDust.com. His pet project was Bemocked of Destiny, Centenary Edition, which will be published shortly. The original was published in 1908 by mining prospector Aeneas McCharles. McAllister's book will update the reader with a new introduction, photographs, maps, and other commentary about McCharles' vision for the future. Warna Timlock, who was in well known in the arts community, died July 22. Her “shadow” remains with us. Timlock modeled for one of the cutout figures for Spirit of '83 by Colette Whiten, erected by the Sudbury Chamber of Commerce on the property next to the theatre centre. Timlock grew up in Sydney, Nova Scotia. She was a graduate of the Sydney Academy and became an accomplished step dancer. She moved to Sudbury in 1980 for the opening season of the Sudbury Theatre Centre as the costume designer. A longtime resident of St. Andrew's Place, she was was generous volunteer with Girl Guides of Canada, Mental Health, the gerontology program at Huntington University, Kiwanis Club of Sudbury, 111 Club at St. Andrew's Place and was a founder of Interlink. Karen Russell, who worked tirelessly on the Greater Sudbury Community Archives project, died Aug. 6. Xstrata Nickel donated the Edison Building in Falconbridge for use as a community archive. Xstrata Nickel also donated $110,000 to the city for the purposes of improvements to the building. The archives facility will open this fall by appointment only. Ernie Savard. a Sudbury businessman who contributed to the community in many ways, died Oct. 28 at the age of 89. Savard will best be remembered for his work to restore and expand the Lady of the Lourdes Grotto, which overlooks downtown Sudbury. The shrine was erected in 1907 by wealthy businessman Frédéric Romanet du Caillaud. The statues of The Stations of the Cross were erected by the Rosary Club in 1954. The site became rundown until Savard championed the renovations and established Friends of the Grotto. Former Northern Life columnist Don Scott died Dec. 7. He was 87. The retired educator was also a politician, activist and self-educated in the field of degenerative diseases. Scott's column in the community newspaper was always controversial. In particular he wrote of his investigations into the assassination of American president John F. Kennedy. In the early 1990s, he and several other conspiracy buffs hosted a JFK symposium and brought the widow of alleged assassin Lee Harvey Oswald to speak in Sudbury.Scott founded the Common Cause Medical Research Foundation in 1998, seeking to draw together researchers working in the field of degenerative diseases.Scott ran as the NDP candidate in the 1967 provincial election (Nickel Belt) and the 1974 federal election (Sudbury).In the 1990s, he started his own political party called Ontario Options, and Scott later affiliated with Paul Hellyer's Canadian Action Party at the federal level. Ulrich Sikora, 60, lost his battle with pancreatic cancer Nov. 30. He passed away in his Val Therese home, surrounded by his family. He taught theatre artst at Thorneloe University, and was a writer, producer, actor and director. He was a member of the creative arts team at All Nations Church, and was involved with the German School of Sudbury.
