Garry William Henderson

It is with heavy hearts that the family announces the passing of Garry William Henderson. He passed away peacefully with his wife Cathy by his side at the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre in Barrie on Sunday November 4, 2018.

He lived each day to the fullest and he will always be cherished by his loving wife Catharine Mary Henderson, and his children Susan Aldridge (Ernie), Mylene Shields (Perry), Victoria Williams, Jennifer Scott (Sean), Janet Quance (Brian), and Matthew. He is loved and will be missed by all his 18 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild Shannon, Mathew, Kristen, Maggie, Nyla, Ryan, Garry Kyle, Jesse, Ben, Joel, Irene, Tyler, Trevor, Bailey, Parker, Noah, Quinn, Liam, and Bleuenn.

Garry was born in St. Catharines, Ontario to William (Bill) and Aletha Henderson on Sept 22, 1934. He is survived by his brother, Douglas Henderson (Barbara). He is fondly remembered by his many nieces, nephews, and extended family members from his first marriage. He was always appreciative and spoke kindly of those he was able to stay in touch with over the years.

He grew up in Merritton and loved to tell stories about his high school sports events and his days in the marching band. He loved comradery and tomfoolery. Garry had a passion for life and for the outdoors. His children fondly remember spending their summers at the family cottage, boating and swimming and singing songs around the campfire. Their winters were spent in Ellicottville on the slopes skiing, racing and gathering at the Ellicottville Ski Club. Many of these days were shared with family and close friends. Friendship and community were important to him throughout his life.

After moving to the Barrie area and re-marrying he carried on these traditions. Cathy and Garry were married for 16 years and together for 24.  Together they endured a tragedy many of us cannot even imagine but their recovery and subsequent life together is a testament to their great strength of character. They enjoyed spending time on their boat, travelling, dinners and evenings at the Casino. He embraced their shared family time at the cottage enjoying the same pastimes. Garry loved to watch the grand kids play sports, take them for boat rides and spend Sunday dinners with family watching golf or football.  He enjoyed going to the Casino with his lucky charm Janet, and fishing with Matthew out in Fort McMurray.

In his work life, Garry became a Journeyman Electrician and worked for years, both in the field and in wholesale. After retirement he continued to work into his 80’s doing odd jobs and generally staying active and productive.  He had many hobbies and passions over the years. He enjoyed skiing and became a certified ski instructor in Canada and the USA.  He loved fishing with his buddies and absolutely cherished their annual trips to the North Country. His hands were seldom idle and he could often be found in the workshop making everything from boats to pottery and fillet knives. Recently he took up beekeeping and was very passionate about his hives and the Hendy's Honey they produced.

Garry also spent much of his free time volunteering. In his youthful days he coached lacrosse at the local arena and was a mentor to young men through the Big Brothers Association and the Boy Scouts.  In the later years he worked with organizations such as The Red Cross, The Kidney Foundation, the Innisfil YMCA, and the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre. He was recently awarded a Life Membership with the Canadian Power and Sail Squadron for his 20th Merit Mark. In 2017 he was the proud recipient of the John Graves Simcoe Medal of Excellence recognizing 50 years of community volunteering. Garry’s life was full of people that loved him and he will be missed by many whose lives he touched.

There will be a Celebration of Life held for Garry at the Ferndale Banquet Hall in Barrie on November 17, 2018, from 1-5pm. The family invites you to join us in celebrating his incredible life, as we share stories and memories of the “man with nine lives”. There will be lunch provided and a cash bar available. He had a spirit that could not be kept down, no matter what life threw his way he always held his head high and kept moving forward, his vigor for life will always be an inspiration to all who knew him.

Husband, father, uncle, friend, Poppa, we love you and we will miss you dearly, you will never be forgotten.