Paul Schuppli

Schuppli – Paul

Paul Schuppli, adventurous soul and husband to Lydia, beloved father of four daughters, Susan, Rosy, Joan, and Cathy, grandfather to Renée, Natalie, Luke, and Tessa, and recently great-grandfather to Rory, died on the 14th of February, 2021 at the Grace Manor where he had been living since early last year.

Born in 1928 in Switzerland, Paul or “Papi” as we all called him, immigrated to Canada in the 1950s hoping to farm in the Prairies. Coming from a densely populated Alpine country to the vast sprawling landscapes of the West brought a change in heart and he worked instead in logging camps, on an icebreaker charting the coastline of Baffin island and on lake Winnipeg for the Canadian Hydrographic Services. Along these new immigrant pathways his wife Lydia, also from Switzerland, eventually joined him and together they settled in Ottawa-Hull where Papi went back to school studying chemistry and soil science. As the family grew, his adventurous spark never diminished and wilderness camping and canoeing became his new passions. We all benefited from this need to explore, paddle, and hike the national and provincial parks of Canada and the US.

In the late seventies an opportunity came to move to Tanzania and work on a research station developing new strains of wheat and so another chapter unfolded in the family’s life as the wildlife parks of East Africa and the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro offered new geographies. Travel continued to Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Ille Maurice, The Seychelles, India, Pakistan, and Mexico and of course regular journeys back to Switzerland. But all the while it was the wilderness parks of Canada and the camping and canoeing they offered that spurred Papi’s imagination. Our last camping trip to Lake Opeongo in Algonquin Park was only a few years ago and although we now took a water taxi inland, our favourite campsite, a long stretch of pristine sand was amazingly empty, waiting for what would be our last outing together. Our dogs had now also become important companions on these adventures and Rolli would be Papi’s last Bernese mountain dog to splash along its shores. Photos from these trips and journeys along with those of Papi’s many beloved dogs covered the walls of his room at the Grace. We are grateful to all those who worked to keep him safe and happy during these final months of life as he lived among the images and memories of all that he had come to love.

Friends may attend a service for Paul at the Westboro Chapel of Tubman Funeral Homes, 403 Richmond Rd. (at Roosevelt) on Saturday, February 20th at 2:30 pm.  Due to COVID 19 restrictions you are asked to register on line at wwwtubmanfuneralhomes.com or by calling 613-722-6559.  Tributes, condolences, and donations may be made at www.tubmanfuneralhomes.com