GARTH SIMONSON

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GARTH SIMONSON

Garth Simonson, aged 101, passed away at the Convalescent Home of Winnipeg on October 17, 2025.

His father was Wendell B. Simonson, long term developer of the Kroehler furniture factory in Stratford, Ontario and his mother was Mayme (nee Campbell) of Owen Sound. Garth was born December 24, 1923, grew up in Stratford and attended Romeo school.

He then went to the University of Toronto and obtained a Masters in Civil Engineering. He enlisted in the Canadian Army (Royal Canadian Engineers) and after the war worked in northern Canada on projects for Ontario Hydro and national defense. In 1953 he and Elaine of Ottawa (married for over 65 years) moved to Winnipeg where Garth worked for the city planning department for nearly 40 years. Until she passed on October 17, 2023, they lived in Norwood all that time.

Education was important in the family and their children went on to obtain Bs.c. Nursing (Elizabeth), MD (Donnie), and Ph. D biology (Catherine). Donnie married Lynne (nee Skauge) of Minnesota, Catherine is married to Martin Comberbach of Lancastershire and Elizabeth married David Prescott of Winnipeg. His grandchildren are Sebastien and Olivier of Sussex U.K. and Malcolm, Hillary, Ivan and Isaac of Winnipeg. Two little chaps in Sussex, Dylan and Etienne, are great-grandsons.

Garth spent much of his youth playing golf. Though he never became a professional, he was on the Ontario Willington Cup team and was an acquaintance of Sam Snead and Moe Norman, among other greats of the game. He was club champion several years in Stratford and at the Canoe Club in Winnipeg.

He belonged to the Canoe Club for decades and played contract bridge and badminton with his friends there several times each week. After the Canoe Club was downsized, he continued to play bridge with his friends in Winnipeg and Victoria Beach regularly, including twice in the final week of his life.

He also took home many trophies for badminton. He travelled back to Stratford almost every year for high school reunions and stayed in lifelong contact with his childhood friends, particularly Bill “Moose” Downs of Coburg Street and Jack Barber of Ontario Street. He never missed a class reunion of his university graduating year, until the reunions finally came to an end.

His favorite charities were The University of Toronto, the Salvation Army, and the Stratford Shakespearean Festival. Please consider a donation in his memory to one of these.

He was a highly cultured person. He loved to listen to Glenn Gould on the piano and to watch William Hutt on the stage as Falstaff or Hamlet. His favorite music was Nat King Cole, Simon and Garfunkel (“the Boxer”) and the mighty Maureen Forrester (“I know that My Redeemer Liveth“).

The family wishes to thank the staff at the Winnipeg Convalescent Home for their care over the past two years. The staff there certainly deserve their recent award as the best care home in North America.

We will gather to remember him at Desjardins on Desmeurons Tuesday, October 28, 2025, at 2:00 p.m.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Oct 25, 2025