CLEMENT JAMES MOSSOP

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CLEMENT JAMES MOSSOP 1919 - 2015 After a short illness, surrounded constantly by family, Clement passed away peacefully on October 18, 2015 after 96 years well lived. Clem was predeceased by Irene, his adored wife of 67 years, and his sisters Ivy, Lillian and Margaret. He is survived by his three daughters: Dianna Scarth; Valerie Wiebe (Robert); and Louise McMurray (Keith). He was a proud and extraordinary grandfather to Todd Scarth (Esyllt Jones); Tim Scarth (Elizabeth Parsons); and Dana and Riley McMurray; and a loving great-grandpa to Owen and Dylan. He is survived by his brother Jim, and will be remembered fondly by many nieces and nephews. Clem was born in the Lowther Arms Pub in Sanith, a coastal town in northeast England. Yes: in the pub. Six weeks later he came to Canada, where he grew up in Estevan, Saskatchewan and then Winnipeg. As a teenager during the Great Depression, and the oldest sibling, he was expected to do his part to contribute to the wellbeing of the family. He rode the rails looking for work. He stooked grain by hand. In Winnipeg he walked a paper route stretching from Osborne to Assiniboine Park and back again every morning before school and then, having been awake since hours before the sun was up, he would fall asleep during afternoon classes at Kelvin High School. These years left a lasting impression on Clem. Throughout his life, he would take his responsibilities to his family extremely seriously, and he typically responded to challenges with optimism and hard work. Clem loved sports and games, especially the camaraderie and competition that went along with them. He curled into his 60s and golfed into his 80s. He played cards almost daily. As a young man he excelled at baseball and hockey, and was even invited to try out for the New York Rangers. The war interrupted his potential NHL career before it could start. Clem served as an aircraft technician for six years in England before and during the Battle of Britain, as a member of the 402 Squadron. After the war he continued to serve in the reserves. He was proud of his military service, and late in life he would co-write a small oral history of the Second World War air force technicians. He would be touched to know the Charleswood Legion is flying its flags at half-staff this week in his honour. After the war, Clem and Irene settled into their house in East Kildonan and set about raising their lively, loving family. Clem took a job with the post office, where he would work until his retirement. In 1966, Clem and Irene bought a cottage at Victoria Beach. It soon took on a central role in the family. Clem was happiest when the cottage was full of family and friends, and was sincere in his efforts to be a gracious and generous host, preparing unsolicited hearty breakfasts for everyone, and energetically organizing bike rides, card games, and swims. He poured love and enthusiasm into the cottage, which he so closely associated with his family. We will cherish his wonderfully eccentric hand-made storage and labeling systems, his detailed instructions posted prominently around the cottage. For years on summer evenings, Clem and Irene would bike to Ivy's cottage after dinner. There, joined often by some combination of Jim, Margaret, and Lil, they would play cards and laugh and tease each other for hours. Clem ended each day at the cottage reviewing the highlights with Irene and discussing the next day's plans. Clem was resolute about upholding certain core values: duty, integrity, and loyalty. He lived these every day, but he was no stick in the mud. He was excitable, sentimental, and hilarious. He loved a drink of scotch or rum, loved ice cream even more, and he taught us to cut birthday cakes into enormous 'Mossop-size' slices. He made friends easily and he kept many of them for life. It is difficult to capture how outgoing and charismatic Clem could be, especially with children, who followed him around like the Pied Piper. He was a virtuoso storyteller who spun even the most mundane experiences into epic sagas. He joked around with and charmed his neighbours, caregivers, bank tellers, checkout clerks, waitresses, and people he met on the golf course. Half deaf for his entire adult life after the war, Clem sometimes had trouble catching names, so he called most people he did not know well 'dear' or 'lad'. He followed politics and sports closely. In recent years his eyesight deteriorated dramatically, so he learned to use a large, CNIB-issue desktop projector to magnify the newspaper, allowing him to read it one word at a time. Irene's illness was agonizing for Clem, but they both inspired us all with their courage and grace. He treated it as an opportunity to show his love and devotion to her. It was difficult for him to carry on after her death, but he remained optimistic and fiercely independent until the end. Last summer the family gathered trackside at Assiniboia Downs to watch our birthday gift to him: the 'Clement Mossop 95th Birthday Race.' The horse Clem bet on came in last. 'Well,' he said, 'I didn't win on the horses, but I sure hit the jackpot when it comes to family!' Needless to say, we already miss him like crazy. A service to celebrate Clem's life will be held in the Tamarack Room at the Qualico Family Centre in Assiniboine Park on Saturday, October 24 at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to the Salvation Army or the Right to Play. The spirit of the family will prevail . NEIL BARDAL FUNERAL CENTRE 204-949-2200 neilbardalinc.com

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Oct 24, 2015