Stuart Adams Irving, Ventnor (1932-2020)

In hospital, late Thursday, May 14th, with his daughter Sharon by his side, Stuart peacefully left us. He is survived by Shirley (nee Duff) his loving wife of almost 68 years. He leaves behind his children Sharon (Shari) and Gary Martin, Susan Irving, Sheldon and Louise (Mrs. M-I) Irving, and Sheila and Robert Farrell. He’ll be greatly missed by his grandchildren Melissa and Brian Hill, Sarah (Sadie) Webster, Lindsey and Peter Veltkamp, Hannah Irving (Travis), Michael Irving, Abby and Eric Ruigrok, Kristy and Kris Drost and Emily Farrell. He was lovingly known as GP to his 10 (soon to be 11) great grand children: Sophie, Pearson, Emerson, Fiona, Vincent, Liam, Avery, Halle, Seth and Callum. As long as he was able, he loved to hear from his nieces, nephews, cousins, former neighbours and Lodge friends. We thank you for helping him stay in touch with his beloved family and community. A special thank you to David, Michael, Dalton and Brian.

For almost ¾ of a century, Stuart was an electrician and applied those skills to help his neighbours. He worked at Fraser Brace, Phillips Plant, Newells, Colligan Electric, RCA, Dobbie’s Poultry Farm, Division Electric in Spencerville, Dupont Maitland works and after retirement with Grant Brown Funeral Home.

Stuart was active in many community efforts, either as a leader, volunteer, supporter or enthusiastic cheer leader. To name a few: the HiCs (a church youth group) and their winter carnivals; baseball leagues; the Board of Trustees for the Upper Canada School By oard (shortly after they amalgamated from one-room school houses); Spencerville Legion; Rideau Valley Horse Association; 4H Calf Club; Spencerville Fair and Snowball Festivals; United Church Shanly Pastoral Charge, and Rideau Hill Camp (he served on the Board, on the ice storm cleanup crew, and he designed and helped build the pavilion); Spencerville Community Choir (he loved to sing); Gypsy Squares (he loved to dance); senior citizen and church dinners; and for 15 years he was a volunteer driver for the Canadian Cancer Society’s Wheels of Hope.

For over 70 years, Stuart was a faithful member of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ontario. Most of those years were with LOL 1227 Shanly, and recently with LOL 143 Groveton. The highest office he served was as Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Grand Orange Lodge of Ontario East. He was a Member of the Royal Black Institution. With a touch of irony, at the age of 82 he joined the Loyal Orange Young Britons and last year he received his Royal Council Degree for OYB.

His family would like to thank the wonderful staff of Bayfield Manor who were always so quick with a kind word or gesture, Dr. Abdel Malek who was ever watchful, and to Dr. Zakhem and the staff at KDH for going above and beyond to make him comfortable.

Because of social restrictions, and Shirley’s changed capacity to work through grief, if you’d like to share a joyful memory of Stuart with Shirley, please send a card or note to Shari Martin at Box 188, South Mountain ON K0E 1W0 and she will help Shirley use those memories as a way to process her overwhelming loss.

There will be no visitation or funeral service at this time but hopefully a gathering to celebrate his life will be possible when he’s interred at the Adams Cemetery near Ventnor later this summer. In his memory, donations may be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Rideau Hill Camp, or the Canadian Cancer Society.