The death occurred on July 1, 2014 at Huntsville District Memorial Hospital of Guy William Pollock, at the age of 88. Guy was predeceased by his wife of sixty years, Isabel Teresa (Firth), in 2007, and is survived by children Carol and Barry (Jan) and grandchildren Jackson and Jasmine Last and Neil and Kaitlin Pollock.
Guy was born on July 18, 1925 in the village of Glenlevit, New Brunswick. Eager to see the world, he fudged his age to join the army as the Second World War raged in Europe. Despite his father’s protests at the recruiting office, he was sent to boot camp in Ontario for training in the artillery, and on his 18th birthday was given his orders and shipped to Sicily. He took his place on the big guns and spent most of the war in Italy; he was marching towards Holland when it ended in 1945. He said every day after surviving the war was a gift, and he treated life that way. He became an advocate for peace and never owned a gun.
Guy met Isabel in Timmins, ON after the war when he was asked to pick her up at the train station. “The most beautiful thing I ever saw,” he later recalled. Together they formed a bond that spanned the decades as Guy followed the booming mining industry across the country, from Timmins to Yellowknife, and Atikokan to Bancroft, in Canada’s post-war expansion of its resources. His favourite job was exploration mining as part of a two-man crew camping on the side of a mountain high above Revelstoke, B.C. Accessible only by helicopter, he and his partner would sometimes see grizzlies roaming in a distant valley when the clouds below them broke. His home movies of his time there show his appreciation for the surroundings and the wildlife that he observed there, from lumbering grizzlies to scampering picas.
A devoted family man, Guy once said that the most interesting thing you could do in life was watch your children grow. A great crooner, he spent time singing and reading to them when they were young and later shared conversations both intimate and worldly with them. By example he taught them the principles of equality and justice for men and women alike. He was naturally reserved, but the extended family remembers his great sense of humour and just how much fun he could be. A lifelong learner, he never stopped reading about everything from politics to philosophy to baseball. He was a great resource who could always help you finish a crossword puzzle with his extensive knowledge. Who else could tell you what an oast was?
Above all, he was a humble man with a good heart who always made sure everyone else was served first. At his request, no funeral service was held.
Our house seems empty without you Dad.
Kathleen & Gord Pollock
Carol and Barrie and families – I am so sorry to hear of Guy’s passing. The few times I have met him as well as Dell, I enjoyed the conversation and company. Gord has always spoken well of his Uncle Guy. Please do call call Gord if you want to talk 613-968-1225.
Fay Firth and Family
Guy and Dell were so very special to Joni, Judi and I. Their Bancroft home was our second home in Ontario. We spent all our Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and long weekend holidays with Guy, Dell, Carol and Barry. They all made us a part of their family, and we will never forget that. The Pollocks visited us at our home on special occasions in Brantford. Guy and Dell were Godparents to my daughter Judi at her Christening. One of the many fun Christmas times we had later was in our Calgary home. About twenty family members came to our house on Dec. 26th for a family dinner and Christmas get together. After dinner Guy decided he would play Santa for the gift exchange. He took my red table cloth for his Santa Suit and the angel hair from the Christmas Tree for his Santa beard – he pulled up the rocking chair in front of the Christmas Tree – made us all sit on his lap and tell him tell what good boys or girls we had been over the previous year before he gave us our gift. It was just so hilarious with the spontaneous and the quick witted questions that he posed to all!
One earlier Christmas Eve in Bancroft, we all thought we were drinking Vodka and Orange Juice and having a great time. However, late in the evening we realized that Carol had used the empty vodka bottle for watering the Christmas Tree and filled the bottle with water for the next tree watering. Unknowingly, we mixed with our orange juice with the contents of the bottle and had a great laugh over getting high on water and OJ.
Lots of family love and so many fond memories. Fay and Family
Shelley Martin
Dear Carol and Barry and families, it was a pleasure to meet your. Mom and Dad sometime in the 80s when our business was in a little house in downtown Huntsville. Always enjoyed our visits and looking after your dads hearing needs, Such a gentle soul. I know you will miss him. Take care and God Bless! Sincerely Shelley and staff , Muskoka Hearing Aids
Dee Mathison and family
Our sincerest sympathy in the passing of Guy, whom we were so fortunate to have had as a member of our family. Guy was a truly devoted husband and father who so proudly expressed his love and admiration for his wife and children. Guy was a wonderful family man and was very much loved as a son-in-law, brother-in-law and uncle. We admired his work ethic, his great sense of humour, our family visits and we cherish those memories.
Dee Mathison & Family
Qualicum Beach, BC
Peter Last
A Tribute to Guy Pollock
Guy was a man who knew what was important in life. Money and material things meant little to him, family and friends meant everything. A practical and self reliant man, Guy built his own homes across the country. When you visited Guy and Isobel, you were treated to warm hospitality, good food, good drink and lots of fun. Guy was a great story teller, often giving detailed and humorous accounts from earliest childhood on through the many and varied experiences of his life. One got a true sense of what life was really like back then.
Being naturally curious, Guy loved to figure out how things worked and how to fix and improve them. He was always up for a challenge and while occasionally frustrated ( he once threw a malfunctioning chainsaw at a tree ) he usually persevered ( missed the tree, bought a new saw, finished the job ). Guy appreciated nature and the natural order of life. When a beaver began damming the small creek running through his property, he devised an ingenious way to keep the water flowing and maintain the beaver’s home, rather than move or kill the beaver.
Guy Pollock was one of the finest men that I have ever known, kind, caring, generous and compassionate. I’ve never met a better husband, father, grandfather or friend and doubt that I ever will.
Peter Last
I never let schooling interfere with my education.
Mark Twain