December 1, 1933 – February 12, 2022 Rudy’s kindness and quick sense of humour touched so many people in his 88 years. Growing up in Guelph, Ontario, Rudy honed his wit drawing cartoons for the Guelph Collegiate yearbook and spent summers scooping ice cream at the Royal Dairy Bar. His childhood was not without drama: One day in 1943 he slipped into the Speed River and was heroically rescued by an older boy named Johnny Bartok. They became close friends and, fortunately for all of us, Rudy’s story did not end there. He went on to study psychology at the University of Western Ontario and earned his Master’s degree at the University of Toronto, where he met Jane, who would become his beloved wife of 63 years. Following a stint at the Ontario Hospital in Hamilton, Rudy was hired in 1964 as a counselling psychologist at McMaster University, beginning a career at “Mac” that spanned more than 30 years. Initially, Rudy was the only psychologist serving 4,000 students. He persuaded the university to provide funding for additional staff and in 1968 the McMaster Student Counselling Service was born, with Rudy serving as director until 1985. In addition to providing thousands of students with personal and career support, the department was the source of lifelong friendships for Rudy. His commitment to improving the lives of students also extended to leadership roles in external organizations including the Ontario Committee on Student Affairs and the Canadian University and College Counselling Association. Recognizing his profound contributions to student life, in 1986 McMaster named him Dean of Student Affairs, a position he held until his retirement in 1996. Always putting the needs of students first, he was greeted with chants of “Rudy! Rudy! Rudy!” at speaking events. His legacy is recognized by awards including the Rudy Heinzl Award of Excellence, which has been presented annually since 1997 in recognition of an outstanding achievement by an individual who improves the lives of McMaster students. After retiring, Rudy enjoyed painting, volunteering on local boards, travelling, hosting a radio program at McMaster and relaxing at the family cottage in Southampton – a special place for four generations of Heinzls dating back to Rudy’s father, Roman, plus numerous cats and dogs (Rusty, Zoe, Sam, Max, Tom etc.) who were close to Rudy’s heart. Rudy is dearly missed by his wife, Jane, his sons Richard (Carrie), John (Michelle), Mark (Paula), and his grandchildren Ryan, Carson, Curtis, Amy, Jackson, Charlie and Mary Jane. As Rudy would say, “See you next time, if not sooner.” A private family remembrance will be held.
Peacefully at his home, on Friday, February 11, 2022, in his 71st year. Beloved husband of Christine (nee Allaby) and dear father of Douglas and Katie. Loving brother to Greg (Pat), Bev Westoby, Wendy (Dave) Brenn, Bill (Cindy), John (Kim), Glenn (Brenda), Shari Sonoda (Dave) and Jamie (Katherine). Predeceased by his parents Norm (1998) and Norma (1999) and his brother David (1997). Cremation has taken place. A Celebration of Bob’s life will take place in the spring. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Canadian Cancer Society would be appreciated.
Peacefully at St. Peter’s Hospital on February 9, 2022, in her 94th year. Predeceased by her husband Jim. Betty will be sadly missed by her daughter Dianna, son-in-law Brent and granddaughter Elyse. Staff at Seasons Retirement home thank you for your kindness. An avid sports fan, she loved watching her Leafs, Ticats and Blue Jays. Donations may be made to Dr. Bob Kemp Hospice. Cremation has taken place. A private graveside service will be held at a later date in Dundas.
With love and gratitude, we say goodbye to our fun-loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, aunt and friend. She was affectionately known to many as Marg or Margie. She will be greatly missed by her daughter, Ann (Phil) Ruch; mother-in-law to Russ Powers (Betty Cartwright). Loving grandmother to Patricia (Jamie) Balardo, Scott Powers, and Jennifer (Clinton) Syrowitz, as well as 2 great grandchildren, Christopher and Sean Balardo. She is also survived by her sisters Grace Stutt and Erna Whetham, as well as many nieces and nephews. Predeceased by her husband Irwin (“Tim”) Eaton (2008), daughter Linda Powers (2009) and siblings Jim (Alice) Hall, Lorne (AnnaMae) Hall, and Mary (Don) Warren. Special thanks are extended to Dr. Michael West, St. Elizabeth Health PSW’s, and staff at Amica Dundas, for their compassionate care. A private service has been held. Expressions of sympathy to the Alzheimer’s Society would be appreciated by the family.
Passed away peacefully at St. Joseph’s Villa in her 91st year on Sunday, February 6, 2022. Beloved wife of the late Gordon (2014) and predeceased by her brother Lawrence Bentley. Cherished mother of three sons and their wives; Doug and Cindy, Steve and Mary Jane and Gordon and Laurie. Loving Grandma to Michelle (Henrik), Julie (Graeme), Mike (Tammi), Jeff (Jen), Tyler (Jenn), Kody (Cassandra) and Kyle (Carling). Loving Great-grandma to Annika, Benjamin, Pierce, Hannah, Paige, Macie, Chase, Karsyn, Harper and Hayden. Many thanks to the wonderful staff on Valley Trail at St. Joseph’s Villa for their excellent care. Special thanks to Jason for allowing us to see Mom via FaceTime during the Covid lockdowns. A private family service will be held.
With deep sadness, we announce the passing of Helen Elizabeth Wright (nee Tarlton) at her home in Dundas, Ontario, on February 2nd after a brief illness. Left to cherish her memory are her beloved husband of 68 years, Robert J. Wright, her children Nancy Mann (Robert), Anne Wright-Gedcke (Mark) and Carolyn Parker (Jim), her grandchildren Heather (Greg), Ruth (Eric), Richard, Elizabeth, Barbara and Shauna, great-grandson Isaac and her beloved brother Ross Tarlton (Helen Kindree).
Helen was born in Hamilton, Ontario, the firstborn child of Ross and Helen Tarlton. She excelled in academics and completed a B.Sc. in chemistry at McMaster University in 1952. Although science was not a common discipline for a woman in these times, she had a short career as a chemist at Chalk River Laboratories in Chalk River, Ontario. She and Bob met at McMaster, where they enjoyed many dances and attending sporting events together. After her year in Chalk River, Bob and Helen married on August 8, 1953. After spending their first two years in Peterborough, where Bob began his teaching career, they moved to Hamilton, Ontario to be close to extended family.
Helen was very engaged in the life of her young family. She was a marvellous seamstress, and sewed many beautiful clothes for her girls, and several fashionable dresses for herself as well. She was active in the life of Binkley United Church, where she participated in the U.C.W. and their various activities for several decades.
Helen was “adopted into” a love of Muskoka by her beloved Bob. After several summers, they purchased land of their own and supervised the building of their dream cottage, completing much of the work with their own hands. She loved the swimming, boating and the beauty of Muskoka Lake. She and Bob enjoyed spending their summer holidays with their family in this beautiful, natural place. It has become a well-loved vacation spot and continues to be a place for ongoing family connections.
Helen was a person with a wide variety of interests. She was an active curler and an exceptional bridge player and enjoyed the friendships she shared in these activities. Once Bob retired, they shared many wonderful trips together, spanning the globe with their adventures. Helen was fortunate to share special friendships with a group of girlfriends from her primary school. These “Friends for Life” kept in touch even as they scattered across the country, connecting once a year to celebrate their joint birthdays and the joy of their life-long friendships. Helen also had an artistic side. She developed a small business making and selling beautiful silk scarves with Jean, her business partner and friend. In her later years, she developed an interest in watercolour painting and created many original paintings and cards.
Helen suffered her decline in health with much grace. Although back pain limited her mobility, she continued to attend church, concerts, and theatre productions as much as she could. When the time seemed right, Bob and Helen moved to retirement living at Amica in Dundas. Here they both continued to make new friends and connect with others they knew from the West Hamilton community. We are so grateful to the staff at Amica for the amazing support given to Helen in her final days. This was a wonderful gift to our family.
Due to covid restrictions, people are invited to participate in a visitation via Zoom on Tuesday, February 15th from 1:00 to 1:45 p.m. The link for the zoom visitation can be accessed below. A private Memorial Service will be held following the zoom visitation and all are invited to view Helen’s Service by clicking on the Livestream link at 2:00 pm., which is also below. Rev. Lee Claus officiating.
To honour Helen’s memory, donations to Doctors without Borders or Sleeping Children around the World would be much appreciated. Helen has given us a lifetime of beautiful memories and we are thankful to God for her wonderful life – a life well-lived!
