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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."

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.

Event date: Monday, July 27, 1959
Event type: Death

Description: Mr. Dan Sadovchuk had been in York County Hospital about two months and appeared to be improving when death struck suddenly on Monday, July 27.
Bron in the Ukraine, September 23, 1888, Mr. Sadovchuk came to Canada when nineteen years old, living in Montreal until 1924. While in Montreal he married a young widow, Mrs. Stephanie Semenuk Pelowich, who had a little son Jimmy. Mr. and Mrs. Sadovchuk lived in Port Colborne and Windsor before coming to Bradford in 1932. They had one son of their own, George, who grew up and attended school in Bradford.
Mr. Sadovchuk was a gardener, and loved gardens. Everyone who knew him said he was a fine man. The serenity of his countenance bore evidence to the truth of the statement.
He is survived by his wife, of Bradford; his son, George Sadovchuk, of Toronto, his step-son, Jimmy Pelowich of Toronto; and one sister, Mrs. N. Malnachuk of Blind River, Ontario.
Rev. T.J. Dew of Mimico returned to Bradford to take the funeral services in Trinity Anglican Church, Bradford. Interment in Prospect Cemetery, Toronto.

This photo of Audrey Evans, wife of Art Evans, Bradford's first Mayor and MPP, appeared in the Bradford Witness along with the announcement of her death after a sudden and serious illness.

Files including letters, newspaper clippings (namely birth and death records), photographs, and essays on select families of Bradford West Gwillimbury

Event Date : Thursday, May 18, 1944
Event Type : Death

Description (pg1) : At his home Bradford, Ontario, on Thursday, May 18, 1944, Harry Bugler, beloved husband of Lillian Martin, in his 61st year. The funeral service was from his late residence on Sunday, May 11 at 2 o'clock p.m. Interment in Mount Pleasant Cemetery.