JOHN DUNCAN CASLOR

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JOHN DUNCAN CASLOR 1908 - 2005 After a long and remarkable life, John (J.D.) Caslor died at the age of 97 on May 9, 2005, at Tuxedo Villa personal care home. He was predeceased by his adored wife Gertrude in 2001; and his dear grandson Matthew in 1999. He will be lovingly remembered by his daughters, Sharon (Michael) and Judy; son Brad (Betsy); grandchildren, Scott (Debi), David, Todd (Tracey), Laura (Chris) and Michael; great-grandchildren, Alycia and Aidan, Daina and Tyler. John was born at Boston Mills, ON, in 1908, the only child of William and Margaret Caslor. Due to his father's ill health, he left school at the age of 15 to support his parents. A strapping young many with a penchant for pranks, he embarked on a series of jobs which he found exciting, in spite of his serious responsibilities. He worked as a roustabout in the Turner Valley oil fields, the British Columbia logging industry and in the construction industry, building hotels. He traveled widely and in 1926 found himself in Birmingham, AL, where he witnessed a parade of Civil War veterans during the Diamond Jubilee celebration of the end of the American Civil War. This led to a lifelong interest in the history of that era. In 1929, through ingenuity and good luck, he landed a job as an office and warehouse manager for Union Carbide in Calgary, moving on to salesman, working the Peace River District and ending his career in Winnipeg 42 years later as General Sales Manager of Consumer Products for Western Canada. He loved selling, consistently winning top sales awards. As a manager, he expected results but was always fun to work for, motivating his salesmen with hilarious sales-meeting stunts. While working in the warehouse, he was told to hire a new stenographer. He called a local business college, and when asked what qualifications he wanted, he brashly replied, someone about 5 foot 6, with black hair and bangs, and a good set of gams. Fortunately the woman at the other end of the phone had a good sense of humour, and when the young woman arrived the next day, she fit the bill exactly. Our astonished father always said, as soon as he saw her, he was a gone goose. They married in 1936 and spent 65 wonderful years together. J.D. left us a list of his life favourites which includes: his wife and children, his horse Baldy which he purchased himself at the age of 14, his 1929 yellow and black Ford Roadster, Spike Jones's music and fishing and cottage life in Muskoka and Lake of the Woods. A great storyteller, J.D. was known for his unflagging optimism and his unconventional sense of humour. Thanks for all the laughs, Dad! In 1986, with the encouragement of his family, he wrote a book about his life that will be treasured by future generations. These words by Ralph Waldo Emerson were the concluding thoughts in his book: Life is too short to waste In critic peep or cynic bark, Quarrel or reprimand: 'Twill soon be dark; Up, mind thine own aim, and God speed the mark! We'll miss you, Dad. We would like to thank Eveleen, Crystal, June, Radney and all of the staff at Nursing Station two in Tuxedo Villa for their compassionate support and care of dad. A memorial service will be held at St. Andrews River Heights United Church, 255 Oak St., on Saturday, May 28 at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, if you so wish, please make a donation to the Canadian Cancer Society or The Heart and Stroke Foundation. THOMSON FUNERAL HOME 783-7211

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on May 14, 2005