Lorne Tosh

After a full and happy life, Lorne passed away suddenly in his 78th year in the beautiful garden he created for the enjoyment of family and friends.  Cherished husband and best friend of Rosalind (Irwin), he will be deeply missed by his beloved children, Gary (Kate Schendel) of North Vancouver, and Tara (Duane Kennedy) of Ottawa.  He was the proud and loving grandfather of Finn and Liam Kennedy and Parker Tosh.  Lorne was raised in Fergus, Ontario, the second youngest of eight children of the late Wellington and Lena (Skeoch) Tosh.  He is survived by siblings Donald (Marlene Ladd), Doris (Gus Marranca) and Helen (Bill Parkinson), and in-law siblings Patricia (Sean McLoughlin) and Georga (Patrick O’Hagan).  He was predeceased by sister Audrey (David Herron) and brothers Harold (Hinke), Ernest (Aileen) and Norman (Eve).

A kind, positive, resourceful, modest man, Lorne delighted in helping those around him succeed, whether it be family members, friends, strangers who became friends, or colleagues throughout his career in IT management with the Ottawa Board of Education.  After retiring, he worked part-time at the Dovercourt Recreation Centre, where he was known to go “above and beyond” with vulnerable kids and community members going through challenging times.   In youth, he was a junior-level hockey and lacrosse player, long-distance swimmer, and Queen’s Scout.  He remained physically active all through his life, enjoying working out, biking, canoeing, hiking, skiing, and indeed any activity that took him outdoors, with gardening becoming ever more pleasurable to him in his final years.  He literally made his own fun, building a boat with friends in his teens and, later, a couple of camper vans, the last one enabling two decades of happy retirement travels for himself and Rosalind.

A celebration of Lorne’s life will take place when pandemic restrictions allow such gatherings. For those wishing, a donation made in Lorne’s memory to the Education Foundation of Ottawa or to the Dovercourt Recreation Association in Ottawa would be greatly appreciated.