It is with heavy hearts that we share the peaceful, gentle passing of our mother Joan Alkerton on Wednesday, March 19, in her 83rd year at St. Joseph’s Villa Dundas, surrounded by the love of her family until she took her last breath.
Mom is now free from her battle with Alzheimer’s disease and she is reunited with her love, our Dad, Mike Alkerton who left us 6 months ago. She leaves behind her children Barb (Martin), Lisa (Terry), grandchildren Rebecca (Richard), Chris (Matt), siblings Barb, Susan, Janice (Michael), Jim (Rhonda), and many extended family and friends.
People will remember Joan from her years of service at Toronto Dominion Bank in Fonthill and then TD Canada Trust Bank in Dundas. Following mom’s retirement from the bank, she spent 20 years volunteering her time at St. Joseph’s Villa Dundas, working with the people that later cared for her as a resident over the past 19 months while living in Birch Trail.
Joan gave beautiful handmade gifts to so many family & friends from the love she poured into quilting and sewing for years. Mom was a member of the Ancaster quilt guild. We are gratefully hugged in bed every night wrapped in the quilts she made us with love. When mom wasn’t quilting or sewing she was reading novels, baking, or doing preserves with Mike. In their earlier years Joan and Mike were travelling to their favourite destinations having adventures that made unforgettable memories.
Our mother was a beautiful pianist since she was a young girl where she took piano lessons to grade 10 and she quietly played for many years. For a short period of time she didn’t have a piano until Mike surprised her with one, she was delighted!
Mom received the most compassionate loving care from the staff in Birch Trail. We are forever grateful for her nurses Devi & Diane, PSW’s & other associates Shirley, Mike, Elaine, Ida, Amanda, Noreen, Bridgette, Liam, Sabrina, Molly, Daniella and others since she moved there in August 2023. The people at Birch Trail are like family to us and we can’t thank them enough for the care our mom received.
Passed away peacefully on June 16th in her 97th year. She had a long, esteemed career at McMaster University and was a proud, loving and strong single mom to her daughter Pam (Keown). She was a caring and supportive grandmother to Stephen, Chrissy and Sandra and nanny to Dom, Jon, David, Grayson, Lydia and Norah, all of whom she adored. She had a full life of travel and winters in Florida and will be greatly missed. A huge thank you to the Willowgrove staff who cared for her so attentively during her time there.
It is with profound sadness that we announce the peaceful and recent passing of Joyce Katharine Aylward (nee Easton) in her 98th year at St Peter’s Hospital, Hamilton on May 22nd, 2025. After a heroic battle with cancer during the past year, Joyce slipped away with her family by her side. Loving wife of husband Harry (1921-2014) for 66 years. Joyce is survived by her three children Katharine, Gary and Barbara as well as grandchildren Chelsea, Thaddeus, Samantha (2009) and Renee.
Joyce was born in Winnipeg in 1927 during the tumultuous years between the World Wars. Surviving those times instilled a strong will to survive as well as the passion to live a full and rich life with limited resources. During the unstable years of WW2, Joyce contributed to the mass war effort building aircraft radios at Aerovox in Hamilton. Following the war, she married Harry, and they began a new chapter in their lives together in Hamilton’s east end.
After settling into married life, they proceeded to build their house as well as their family. Joyce’s talent for design and sewing found her as a valued costumer for the Hamilton Theatre Company and Dorothy Hurst’s Dance Studio and was responsible for sewing many iconic costumes for classic musical theatre. As well during those years, she attended Mohawk College and upon graduation, continued at the Saltfleet Campus as an executive secretary for many years. After retiring, she took up painting and became an excellent water-colourist as well as continuing to actively design and sew when opportunities arose. Joyce loved to travel, be it camping in the tent trailer that she and Harry designed and built, lazy weekends with family at their Georgian Bay cottage or flying off to different destinations to explore and experience new countries.
Joyce and Harry were both active members of St Columba Presbyterian Church during which time she designed and constructed numerous banners and projects for the church. Joyce was a passionate and devout Presbyterian throughout her adult life, singing in choirs as well as taking an active roll in church affairs and banquets.
Later years found them settling in Dundas where they continued to live full and rich lives while making new friends, singing in choirs and artfully spending their days together.
Our heartfelt thanks go out to the hardworking and sensitive staff at Juravinski Hospital, McMaster Hospital, as well as St Peters during her final days. Enough cannot be said of their tireless efforts in the face of the challenges that our hospitals experience daily.
A celebration of life will take place during the coming year. Time and location to be forthcoming.
It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Sherry Vriend (neé Hurley), cherished wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, niece, and friend. After a valiant fight with cancer, Sherry passed away peacefully on June 2, 2025, with her family by her side. She was 57 years old.
Sherry was born and raised in Brantford, Ontario. In 1998, she married her best friend and loving husband, Mike. They moved to Dundas, where they raised their children, and her pride and joy, Emmali and Sam.
Sherry lived a life filled with courage, determination, resilience, and kindness, and she paved the way for and inspired many. She was the first in her family to attend university, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in sociology from York University in 1992. Sherry was a fierce advocate for people in need. Family, friend, or stranger, she was always willing to lend a hand and offer support. Most of her career and volunteer work focused on supporting and advocating for children and youth in crisis, and victims and witnesses of violence. When her children were young, Sherry was also a volunteer for youth hockey and figure skating clubs.
Sherry amassed a devoted ‘village’ of family and friends, which is a testament to the person she was, and the life she lived. She enjoyed making people smile, sharing fun times with her village, doing interior design and home renovations, travelling (especially to a tropical beach!), and playing and watching hockey.
Sherry was blessed and grateful to have her village by her side and lifting her spirits during her final cancer battle. She was also thankful for the compassion and care from her healthcare team, especially Dr. Zbuk, Deb Evans, Jamie Lynn, and the nurses and staff at Bayshore and Juravinski Cancer Center and Hospital.
Sherry, and her beautiful smile, will be missed by all who knew her. Her inspiring legacy is one of strength, courage, hope, and faith, and it will live on in those she leaves behind. May she rest peacefully knowing that she will be forever loved, cherished, and remembered.
Sherry is predeceased by her beloved mother, Jean Hurley. She leaves behind her husband Mike, daughter Emmali, son Sam, dog Goose, mother-in-laws Marlene and Barb, brothers Jim and Terry (Tracy), sisters Sandy (Bill) and Pattee (Joel), sister-in-law Pam (Anthony), and many loved nieces and nephews.
A private celebration of Sherry’s life will be held at a later date.
Carolyn Jean (nee McCartney) James in her 88th year passed away peacefully at St. Peter’s Hospital in Hamilton on May 31st, 2025.
Carolyn was born August 3rd, 1937, to Ken and Edna McCartney. In 1956, she married Arthur (Art) James, and together they settled in the village of Rockton to raise a family. They spent 64 years together, each year filled with love and dedication, until Art’s passing in 2021.
Carolyn is survived by her son Kevin (Paulette) James of Rockton, and daughters Janice (Paul) Mitchell of Uniondale, Ontario, Joanne (Barry) Dawson of Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan and Kristine (George) Leach of Mount Hope.
Loving grandmother of Vicki and Kirk (Wendy) James; Effie (Mathew) Koshy, Russ, Keith Mitchell and Natalie (Mauro) Domingos; Justin Dawson (Maggie), Ryan (Mickalua) Dawson, Amanda (Shad) Gulbranson and Ashlee (Kyle) Gurr; Branden (Liz) and Tyler (Lindsay) Leach and by 12 great-grandchildren.
Carolyn is also survived by sister Karen (Mike) Landers, brother Ken (Chris) McCartney; sister-in-law Myrna James as well as many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.
In addition to her husband and her parents, Carolyn was predeceased by her infant brother David, brothers and sisters-in-law Bert (Dorothy), Carl “Rusty” James, Marion (Ken) Hood, and Dorothy (Alec) Mackenzie.
Carolyn was very active in the community, as a member of the Rockton United Church UCW and the Rockton World’s Fair. She was especially proud to receive an Honorary Life Membership in the Rockton Women’s Institute. She supported Art in his 40-year career as a volunteer firefighter, which saw him rise to the rank of Fire Chief at the Rockton Fire Station. She will be remembered for her caring and generous spirit.
Carolyn assisted Art and Kevin by “doing the books” and was gofer for KevArt Construction. Her artistic talent shone when she had wool, fabric, thread, and needles in her hands; cross-stitch was her favourite needle craft.
Carolyn’s family would like to thank the wonderful staff at Bertram Place of Dundas and the many caregivers which assisted in the last few months of her journey.
Visitation will take place at Turner Family Funeral Home, 53 Main Street, Dundas on Thursday, June 5th, 2025 from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. A private family service will follow the next day.
Passed away peacefully at Hamilton General Hospital on May 1, 2025 at the age of 75. Cremation has taken place and a Celebration of Life will take place at a later date.
Bill, our rock, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Monday, May 19th at the Juravinski Hospital at the age of 84. Bill leaves behind the love of his life Susan ( Peters), his prized possessions; daughter Lezley, sons Tim & PJ (Melissa), and daughter Robin (Derek). Loving Grumpa to Gabrielle, Julia, Tara, Michaella, Aiden, Hazel and William. GG to Grace and Elliot. Loving son of Dick and Lily McGinley (predeceased), son-in-law of Archie and Marion Peters (predeceased). Brother to Shirley (predeceased) and Jane. And will be missed by many more loving family and friends. A Visitation will take place on Friday, June 6, from 2-4pm & 7-9pm at Turner Family Funeral Home, 53 Main St. Dundas. A Memorial Service will take place on Saturday, June 7, at St. James’ Anglican Church, 137 Melville St, Dundas at 11:00am. In lieu of flowers, a donation to a charity of your choice would be greatly appreciated.
John entered into the presence of his Lord on May 13, 2025, having served in the ministry of Word and Sacrament of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, for over sixty years. Loving and beloved husband of Anne, they were the best of friends, and faithful colleagues in ministry. He is predeceased by his parents Marion and Frederick Hibbs, and brothers Robert (Bob), and Donald.
Surviving him is his sister-in-law, Virginia Hibbs, related nephews and nieces, and many close friends who “walked the talk of their faith” with him, over the years.
Prior to his being ordained to the ministry, in his home congregation of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Galt, (Cambridge), Ontario, John was a Cost Accountant for Babcock-Wilcox of Canada in that city. A graduate of Galt Collegiate Institute, and the universities of Waterloo (Western), McGill, Brock, and Knox College (Seminary) in Toronto, he also did post-graduate studies at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, on a scholarship from Knox College.
John served in three pastorates, Iroquois/South Mountain, Ontario, Edmonton, Alberta, and Hamilton, Ontario. He entered the Interim Ministry Program of Princeton Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian in the U.S.A., and as a graduate served in this ministry of having seven congregations in Ontario, looking at re-imaging their ministries for their future. And this ministry also saw him serving in the national office of the Presbyterian Church in Canada on the Board of World Mission, and its successor, the Life and Mission Agency.
John’s pastoral ministry within the Church, showed his deep expression of love for the people he served, as with Anne, and in their local congregations, and their wider ministries within the Church. In his retirement years he continued to serve the local and wider Church in what he called his “recycled years”. He and Anne were serving as Ministers in Association, and elected Elders, in St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Ancaster at the time of his passing.
He was an avid hockey and baseball fan (Toronto and Edmonton). He loved singing in his congregational choirs, and with his wife Anne enjoyed their community ministries, and were patrons and supporters of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. And they thoroughly enjoyed their many travels in Canada, the United States, Europe and Israel, over the years.
Cremation has taken place. Visitation will be held on Friday, May 23rd at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 31 Sulphur Springs Road, Ancaster, at 10am, immediately followed by a Celebration of Life Service at 11am., with committal in Grove Cemetery, in Dundas at 2pm.
It is with very heavy hearts we announce the sudden passing of Jamie Balardo at the age of 57, on May 13, 2025. Born and raised in Dundas, Ontario, Jamie was a loving husband, father, brother, uncle, and loyal friend. He had an unmatched willingness to help others, and his presence brought laughter, insight, and strength to everyone around him.
Jamie is survived by his beloved wife of 31 years, Trish, and his cherished children Chris (Morgan Vandriel) and Sean (Abby Entwistle). He will be deeply missed by his siblings Linda Watters (Bill), Mary Lynn (Mike Trainor), Mark (Anna), Paul (Tammy), Anthony (Sharon), Dave (Justine Best) and his many nieces and nephews who loved him. Jamie was predeceased by his loving parents, Rose and Tony Balardo.
A proud Desjardins Insurance Agent—like many in the Balardo family—Jamie built his career on trust, respect and a strong commitment to good customer service. He was an Insurance Agent in Paris, Ontario for over 20 years. Jamie was known for his sharp wit, boundless resilience, and ability to banter about absolutely anything. Whether it was boating on a sunny day, planning the next travel adventure, or just holding court at a family gathering, Jamie lived fully and loved fiercely.
Jamie was the toughest and funniest guy we’ve ever known. He always seemed to have the answer to life’s toughest questions and never failed to keep his family on their toes. He has gone far too soon and far too young. His absence will be felt deeply, but his memory will live on in the stories, laughter, and love he leaves behind.
To honour Jamie’s wishes, cremation has taken place, and a private service will be held with family. A Celebration of Jamie’s Life will take place on Wednesday, July 30th, please see the details below.
The family would like to thank the staff at Juravinski Cancer Centre and Juravinski Hospital for their care and compassion.
Until we meet again, Jamie—your spirit will remain forever in our hearts!
CELEBRATION OF LIFE
Jamie Balardo
May 8, 1968 – May 13, 2025
We invite all who knew and loved Jamie to drop in and join our family as we remember and celebrate the life of Jamie Balardo on Wednesday, July 30th, 2025, from 4:00 – 8:00 pm at Flamborough Hills Golf Club. The Golf Club is located at 71 Hwy 52, Copetown, ON. Please come and share your memories with us.
Cornelia passed away on May 8, 2025 at St. Joseph’s Villa in Dundas, ON. She was predeceased by her parents, Katie and Joe Wallick, her husband (Gerry), sisters Emily (George) Danylewich, Nettie (Walter) Johnson, her brother Steve Nykolski and nephews John Danylewich and Carl Johnson. She is survived by her nephews, James (Wilma) Johnson, Glen Johnson, Danny (Terry) Johnson, David (Madeline) Danylewich, Liz Danylewich and many great-nephews and nieces. She was born in Winnepegosis, Manitoba and later moved to Vancouver to further her education. She worked many years for various departments of the Canadian government in Manitoba and Ontario. Cornelia totally believed in the promise Jehovah God gave to all right hearted ones of a resurrection and a new world on earth promised to us. The Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, May 31, 2025 at 2:00p.m., at the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 370 Brock Road, Dundas, ON. We wish to thank the doctors, nurses and staff of the St. Joseph’s Villa for the excellent care given to Cornelia, it was very much appreciated by the family.
It is with deep sadness we announce Lenore Castle (nee McCarty) passed away very peacefully with grace and with family by her side, March 21, 2025, at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Hamilton. She was in her 92nd year. Lenore was born in 1933, and grew up as one of five sisters, living on the family farm on Sulphur Springs Road, Dundas. Her stories from those days are truly incredible, involving gunpowder, pitchforks, stolen trucks and bedpans.
After somehow surviving to adulthood, and upon graduating from Hamilton Teachers’ College, Lenore became an elementary school teacher with the Hamilton Wentworth School Board. Her career began at Copetown Public School—a genuine one-room schoolhouse—and after teaching at several elementary schools in and around Dundas, she spent the last 20+ years of her career at Yorkview Public School.
She was passionate about the importance of quality education and maintained that conviction throughout her teaching years and beyond.
Lenore was a popular and highly respected educator, known for being strict yet fair and committed to her students’ academic progress. She was also known for the luxurious fur coat she wore during winter recess yard duties, when it was common to see her adorned with numerous children clinging onto her like baby opossums.
Retirement saw Lenore busier than ever, with regular travel, an active social life, and abundant volunteer work. She prioritized her contribution to St. James Anglican Church, where she attended for most of her life and where she maintained a deep connection until her death. Lenore’s faith supported her through tragic losses and challenges, and she lived her life with unrelenting gratitude. Lenore will be remembered for her kindness, generosity, quick bold wit, and fierce love for her granddaughters, for whom she will always be ‘Pumma.’
Lenore is predeceased by her first husband, Ivan Bristol (1953); her husband of 58 years, David Castle (2016); her sister, Jacqueline (2015); and many treasured friends. She is survived by her daughter, Tonya; her two beloved granddaughters, Elizabeth and Charlotte; her sister, Audrey, and three generations of nieces and nephews.
As per Lenore’s wishes, cremation has already taken place, and a celebration of life will be held at St. James Anglican Church, Dundas, on June 19 at 1 p.m. A reception in the church parlour will follow the service. Interment will take place the following day, June 20, at 1 p.m. at Mount Zion Cemetery, Copetown. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to your local animal rescue or the Donkey Sanctuary of Canada.
Finally, the family thanks the staff and volunteers on Wentworth Lodge’s Lilac Lane for the care and compassion they showed Lenore until the end of her life.
