George Davidson
A resident of Winchester for the past 44 years, George Leslie Davidson passed away at the Winchester District Memorial Hospital on Tues., May 26, 2010, following a brief illness.
George was born in Winnipeg but moved at any early age with his family to a farm in Simmie, Sask. It was there that he developed his love of horses, and he often competed in rodeo events. When the financial crunch of the depression came, his family left the prairies and bought a farm north of Fergus, Ont. in 1937.
In 1940, George began working for Ontario Hydro in line construction. The war interrupted his career in 1942 when he joined the army; however, Hydro would appropriate George every winter to help build vital power lines for the military. When the war was over, he returned to Hydro full-time and became in succession, a groundsman, lineman, foreman, and then area manager in Merrickville. There he met and married his wife of 50 years, Barbara Cameron, who also worked for Ontario Hydro. In 1966 they moved to Winchester where George remained as area manager until his retirement in 1982.
Along the way, he returned to his love of hockey by coaching youngsters in Pee Wee, Bantam, and Midget, and he also served on the executive of the Winchester Hawks. He was an avid fan of the Ottawa Senators. George was also an active board member with the Dundas Association for Community Living. He loved to play cards with his buddies at the Legion and spent many nights watching the horse races at Rideau Carleton.
He was predeceased by his first wife, Marjorie DeWolfe, one brother, and three sisters. He will be lovingly remembered by his wife Barbara, his children Wayne (Gloria) of Maitland, Bonnie (Al) Caughey of Amherst Island, Mark (Ingrid) of Harlow, Essex, England, Susan at home, his seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, his sister Vera Bilton of Fergus, his sister-in-law Jean Davidson of Fergus, several nieces and nephews in Ontario and Saskatchewan, and the Cameron family. He was predeceased by his brother, Gordon, and his sisters, Marjorie Taylor, Irene Bymeon, and Ida Smith.
Friends called at the Marsden and McLaughlin Funeral Home in Williamsburg, on Sun., May 30, where the funeral service was held on Mon., May 31 with Rev. Carol Bain officiating. Interment followed at Maple Ridge Cemetery in Chesterville. The pallbearers were John Knier, Jeff Holmes, Danny Johnstone, Tom Beck, Gary Annable, and Rocky Benoit.