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Event Date : Thursday, April 10, 1902
Event Type : Death

Description : "Age: 64th year. Born in Bradford on December 12, 1838, as the second, but oldest living son of Thomas and Jane Driffill. His father, Thomas, had come to Bradford before it was a town, and was first married in 1830. His first wife died, and he remarried, and had eight children. Only four survive: Mrs. Jeffs, Bond Head; James Driffill, Toronto; Mrs. T.S. Graham, Bradford; Miss C.E. Driffill, Newmarket. Joseph was married in May 1869 to Margaret E. Clinkenbroomer, daughter of Joseph Clinkenbroomer, then of Bradford. They had four children, of whom Alfred and Edna survive. Arthur died in 1894 at age 24 (or in 1895 at age 25), and Louisa in 1898, at age 23. Joseph partnered with his brother James and ran a hardware store on the corner of Holland and Simcoe Street. Interred in Mount Pleasant cemetery."

Event Date : January 25, 1891
Event Type : Death

Synopsis:
Age: 73 years, 9 months, 26 days. Born at Old Castle, County Meath, Ireland in 1817. Emigrated to Canada in 1819, and settled on lot 24, concession 5, Tecumseth. Married Margaret Sutherland of West Gwillimbury, and they moved to lot 4, concession 6. Widowed, and married Miss Sharpe of King Township. He had a daughter who married Ingham N. Sharpe, and now lives in West Toronto Junction. Died of a paralytic stroke. Interred at St. John's Cemetery, Tecumseth.

"Harold Stephens, rural mail carrier on the Lefroy route for 22 years, died January 13 in his 71st year. He had been in failing health for some time and for that reason gave up the mail route two years ago. Mr. Stephens had seen many changes in Innisfil since starting to drive the mail about 1952. Most of the 18-mile route was gravel then. Initially, he called at 75 boxes and when he retired he was serving 150 boxholders. In an interview with Scope at that time, he recalled gasoline was only 25 cents a gallon when he first took over the mail route. The deceased saw the end of the era of mail coming to Lefroy by train and the start of truck service. He used to meet the train at 11 o'clock each morning in the early years and part of his contract included delivery of the mail bag for Churchill to the post office there. On retirement he noted the vast decrease in parcels from Eaton's and Simpson's over the years. Harold Stephen's moved to Lot 20, Concession 4 in 1931 and upon retirement from farming a few years ago, built a new house on the farm lane. He grew up at Churchill on the 5th Line, west of Highway 11 where his parents, Llewyn and Lizzie Stephens farmed. He is ervived by his wife, Phyliss and daughter Mary Ann and several step children. A brother, Jim and sister, Doreen also survive. He was predeceased by brothers, Fred and Glen and sister, Eleanor."

"Stewart Scott McKenzie, a man who was a strong and active force in Bradford for more than 35 years as a politician and publisher for the Bradford Witness and South Simcoe News, died last week in York County Hospital in Newmarket, last Thursday following a short illness. Mr. McKenzie was born in the Village of Paisley in Bruce County where he grew up and was educated. The former publisher of the Witness has a long tradition in newspapering and was one of four sons born to a former publisher of the Paisley Advocate. Mr. McKenzie served in the Canadian Army during World War I. When he returned after the war he resumed his newspaper career and joined the production department of the old Detroit Times. In 1931, he and his wife Ina, also a native of Paisley, moved to Bradford and purchased the Bradford Witness and South Simcoe News from Publisher O.M. Seim. That began a career in this town that stretched over 35 years until the couple retired in 1968 following the sale of the Witness to Gerry and Nona Barker. Funeral services for the man who devoted so much of his life to his community were held on Saturday morning in the chapel of the Lathangue and Skwarchuk Funeral Home on Simcoe Street, in Bradford."

"Fred Cook, a man who for many years was a social and political influence in Bradford, died last Thursday in York County Hospital at 73. Mr. Cook was admitted to the hospital April 6 suffering from a heart attack. Funeral services were held in Trinity Anglican Church, Bradford, on Monday afternoon with the Rector, Rev. Jack House and Bishop Hunt, a lifelong friend of Mr. Cook's, conducting the service. Hundreds of friends and associates gathered in the little church on Church St. that Fred Cook served so well. Mayor Joe Magani led a delegation of members of council and the town administrative staff. Many officials representing the various surrounding municipalities also attended the special funeral service. During his 73 years, Fred Cook's life revolved around the town of his birth, Bradford."

"He was a special kind of man. A ready smile, a razor-sharp wit and a concern for his fellow man.... these were the engaging qualities of Frederick Christopher Cook, town councillor, churchman and fraternal brother. Fred Cook was an unassuming man, who reached out and touched the lives of thousands of people. His dedication to public service as a town councillor will be remembered by the many Bradford ratepayers who came to know him and trust him as a man of honesty and directness. Fred was a warm man, who understood people's problems and did all he could to solve them. Besides his open humbleness, he was a man who was concerned about the future of his community."

"A Ceremony of Carols by Benjamin Britten brought the spirit of Christmas a little closer to over 600 people at the December program of the Barrie Concert Association. The Canadian Children's Opera Chorus is the second of a four-concert series held at Georgian College Theatre. News of Benjamin Britten's death on Saturday was announced by Dr. Derek Holman, director of the chorus. It lent a touch of sadness to the performance, because Britten's contribution to vocal works for young people has been enormous. His work, too, has that rare quality of being extremely attractive to children and teenagers."

"Dr. John R. Brown, a professor at the University of Toronto who studied the effects of pesticides on workers in the Holland Marsh, died Saturday at the age of 57. In April this year Dr. Brown warned than an important (missing part of the article). Dr. Brown qualified as a medical doctor in London, England, in 1953. He received a PhD in applied physiology. After coming to Canada in 1959 he lectured at the University of Toronto in science, environmental health, and industrial health. Dr. Brown was blind in one eye since childhood and became almost totally blind in 1969, but he continued to work with the help of his wife, Helena, and son, David Bartholomew. He was the author of four technical books, president of the Health League of Canada, and chairman of the national committee of employment for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind."

BRADFORD - They came by the hundreds yesterday (Tuesday) to pay their respects to a dedicated fire fighter - Harold "Butch" Boyd, Bradford's fire chief, who died Saturday in York County Hospital in Newmarket.

He was 64.

Firefighters from across southern Ontario came to pay a final tribute to the quiet, modest man who was buried in full uniform yesterday at Newmarket Cemetery.

His comrades formed an honor guard after a simple ceremony at the Lathangue and Skwarchuk Funeral Home.

Up until the morning before he died, Butch was preparing for a fire safety campaign involving his pet project: having smoke detectors installed in every home in Bradford.

WORK TO DO

His widow Eileen recalls him telling fellow Bradford firefighter Jim Church Friday, "I've got to go down to the fire hall. There's a lot of work to do."

"Being fire chief was his whole life," said Sherran Breedon, his daughter. "The only time he ever went anywhere - Quebec and Regina - was to a convention as Bradford's fire chief.:

Former Fire Chief Ted Gapp remembers Butch as a "real good, dedicated fireman."

He was born in Newmarket, moving to Bradford in 1937 where he opened a butcher shop. He married Eileen in 1942 and moved into the house, coincidentally, directly across from the future fire hall where he would spend so much of his time.

Eileen smiled when she remembered his unorthodox style of buying a home.

"He never even looked inside the place. He just figured that since he was getting married he needed a house."

She fell through the floor as soon as she stepped in for her first look.

36 YEARS SERVICE

Butch joined the fire department in 1943. He was also a charter member of the Bradford Lions Club, although he stopped his activities with the club some time later.

In addition to his profession as butcher, Butch was also a restauranteur, pool hall operator, and manager of the first vacuum plant in Ontario - "A jack-of-all-trades," according to his daughter.

Butch became fire chief after the retirement of Ted Gapp in 1975.

He was an avid curler and belonged to the curling club up until three years ago.

But his first love was the fire department.

Despite recent hospitalization, he continued to organize his safety campaign, arrange the weekly practice drills, conduct school tours, and when the need arose, supervise firefighting.

He was rushed to York County Friday evening after he developed breathing difficulties. He died the following morning.

Harold Boyd leaves his wife Eileen, daughter Sherran (Mrs. George Breedon) of Bradford, three grandchildren, Laurie, Paul and Trish, and a brother Glenn of Scarborough.

Pallbearers were Orville Hand, Bill Breen, Ron Bannerman, Lawrence McKnight, Jim Church and George Allan. Flowerbearers were Ted Gapp, Ken Carter, Roy Storey, Bev Everitt, Gordon Church and Ted Bulpit.