February 6, 1935 – October 7, 2013
Farnan, John Daniel – It is with profound sorrow that we announce the death of John Daniel Farnan on October 7, 2013, at the age of 78, at the Hamilton General Hospital after a brief illness. He will be missed dearly by wife Dina (nee Zourou), mother Marion (predeceased by father John) daughters Margaret Walton (Bruce Peart) and Beth Taylor (John), grandchildren Cameron Taylor, Jason Walton (Tracey Martin), and Jamie Taylor (Brandon Maddick), great granddaughter Lily Walton, sister Mary Koroscil (Bruce Comba), niece Sasha Ellwood (Patrick), grand nephew Bruce, nephew Serge Koroscil, brother-in-law Stratos Zouros (Eileen), niece Nikki Partridge, his aunt Carolyn Stephens and cousins. John has served as president of the Rotary Club of Dundas, Canadian and Ontario Hang Gliding Associations, Chair of the Board of the Dundas Valley School of Art and President of the NAWCC Toronto Chapter 33. He is the recipient of the Paul Harris Fellowship, NAWCC Fellowship, 25 year Ontario Volunteer award and Spectator Community Service Award in support of Art. A private family ceremony has taken place. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, October 19, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. at the Dundas Valley School of Art, 21 Ogilvie St, Dundas, ON. Our heartfelt thanks to Dr. You and his team for their excellent and compassionate care and the staff at the Hamilton General Hospital. In lieu of flowers, donations to the DVSA or the charity of your choice would be appreciated. You will always be in our hearts.
We loved John coming in for all his visits into our dental office.
Always had something to talk about, especially WATCHES and his motorcycle….
A GREAT COMMUNITY PERSON!!!!!!
WILL BE SADLY MISSED by
Mo, Lamiaa, Kelly, Jan, Sandi, Shannon, and Marie.
Always in our prayers and thinking of you DINA.
John and I were very good friends in our younger years as both of us lived in the same block in Hamiltons Westdale area. John was fun to be with. Interested in almost everything,including spiders and snakes. Always upbeat,friendly, and happy. John will be much missed by so many of his friends and family
John was always a gentleman. We have one of his restored clocks in our home. He gave so much of himself to the community. John would always how up to Rotary events, and many others, not to watch but to work. Dina was often his sidekick and partner. One vivid picture I have of them was making pancake mix for cooking on July 1. They were just so busy. We will miss John’s wit and his insights. A technical WIZ was he. A support was he. A friend and confidant was he. We will miss him dearly, but the community, and the people in Dundas can be thankful for his contributions over the years. Dina our thoughts are with you.
our deepest smypathies
To Dina & Family,
Overcoming our sadness is to see John with his bright eyes & smile, meeting with us by motorcycle & sharing his energy drinks. Ever smiling & positive, seeing only revised solutions in any challenges to original plans. His authenticity & gentlemanly tenaciousness always brings a smile & respect from our group. Dina, our thoughts are with you in the Celebration of John’s Life and we will stay in touch.
yours truly, Dale.
Beth & family….our sincere condolences on the passing of your father. We understand what a difficult time this is for you & your family, you are all in our thoughts & prayers.
John Farnan was one of the finest men I have ever had the privilege to know. He will surely be missed!
Our sincere condolences. It was always a great pleasure to be in John’s company.
Eric McNair and Susan Fielding
Dear Dina,
Thinking of you.
Love and a hug,
Margaret
I am very sorry, to hear about the passing of John. I first met John in August of 1975, at the Western Canadian Team Hang Gliding Trials, in Invermere B.C. The top five were selected to go to Kossen Austria for the World Hang Gliding Championships, in 1976. I placed 4th. Out little event, in Invermere, made Time magazine, the same issue(September 15, 1975) as Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, just after her attempt to assaniate the President of the USA. It is a memory I will never forget, along with John and his “MILL House” in the Dundas area. Nothing but good memories. I am wondering why I decided to seach for John Farnan on the internet, today, October 15, 2013. There was a reason……….. to say goodbye. GOODBYE John.
I am very sorry to hear of John’s passing. Over the past fifteen years I spent many hours across the table at DVSA Auction committee meetings and John was always a true gentleman. He will be greatly missed, not only by the community, but most of all by the students and staff at DVSA where he was so instrumental in making it the establishment it is today. My condolences to Dina and family.
Janet Parker.
To Dina and Family:
John was an amazing, generous, gentle soul. I was saddened to hear of his passing. I always looked forward to seeing him for his eye appointments or when bringing in others for theirs. I was just visiting my mom in a nursing home in Simcoe and the old mantel clock that was given to her as a wedding present by my late father that John fixed for her is still running smoothly. I think of him every time I wind it up. He will truly be missed by everyone that has ever known him. My thoughts are with you Dina at this very difficult time.
Betty
I will miss John just popping into the office to day hello. He was always in a great mood and he always had a smile. He will be missed by many.
Janice and I knew John for a brief period in late seventies as we all tried to experiment with, develop and explore the sport of hang gliding. John was the godfather of hang gliding to all us twenty somethings. He was the steady hand that added wisdom and humor to all our lives. Thanks to Nelson for contacting me or I would have never know of this sad event.
Thank you John for all of the people you influenced in their development into adulthood, and thank you for being a part of our lives.
Janice & Zig Vitols
Hot Springs, Arkansas
I was very saddened to read of John’s passing, we had many interesting discussions about our mutual interest in clocks. It was a privilege to have known him, my condolences to you Dina and your family.
We are very sorry to learn of John’s passing.
Although I knew John back in high school days in Dundas, it was only many years later that our paths crossed again at the clock meetings of NAWCC Chapter 33 in Toronto. John was a stalwart participant in the chapter’s activities. His contributions were many and included publishing of the chapter’s Tick Talk newsletter which kept members well informed of the chapter’s meetings and activities.
John will be sorely missed by all who knew him.
Sandy and I offer our condolences to Dina and the family.
Nick Turnbull, Bracebridge
Dina
We are saddened to hear this news. David and I enjoyed meeting you both at the Dundas Community Services Gala last December. John’s spirit and love of this community will long be remembered. Our thoughts are with you and your family.
Suncerely, Deb & Dave
John was a fellow Rotarian and friend – the salt of the earth, John always had a story of some amazing event in which he had participated in one of his past lives – eg: hang-gliding – and he was never far from his love of and attachment to clocks & clock collecting – a passion in which Dina allowed him to indulge despite the (to an outsider) cacophony on every hour and some quarters. He was as solid as a rock, and would help at Rotary and related every event – & not only help, but often was the prime source of knowledge in what needed to be done next and how to do it – an essential! He will be sorely missed.
My condolences to the family. Growing up on Cloverhill Avenue I had the pleasure of tobogganing and eating pears at the farm on Mercer Street.
Kenneth Jaap
Chicago, Illinois
formerly of 32 Cloverhill Avenue (my parents, Andy and Helen still live there)
We are SO sorry and saddened to hear of John’s passing. We just found out yesterday. We live in Brantford now, but loved being neighbours across the street when we lived on Witherspoon. John was a wonderfully kind and interesting person. Our thoughts and prayers are with you Dina, and the family.
Dear Dina,
Just today I found out the sad news regarding John’s passing. I’m terribly sorry to hear this. I talked to John a little over a month ago regarding a clock. While he sounded alarmingly shaky, he put it down to just a very bad back that was giving him much protracted grief.
I always looked forward to talking to John about clocks and tapping into his vast storehouse of information. He fired-up my interest in clocks and I’ll always think of him when winding-up the clocks I purchased from him…
Sincerely, Howard, Liz, Emma, and Claire
So sorry to have just heard of John’s passing. He will be so missed, and especially at Rotary where he was a mainstay of the Club. John was a man of many talents. He didn’t flaunt them, but I believe there was nothing he couldn’t do, and probably had not tried at some point. An eloquent speaker, some of my favourite memories of John was when the Club speaker didn’t show and John was asked to spontaneously fill in. He was always so modest, leading by example and not words. He was a tireless volunteer, taking on work requiring considerable physical strength, and always without complaining. John will be missed.
2 years late. When I was 16 John introduced me to hang gliding and free flight. He took me plus others on and nurtured our desires. 35 years later I am still at it. John, I will always be grateful. A gentleman and mentor.
Ian Walton