Tuesday, May 28, 2024
Many condolences to John's family and relatives. I just learned of John's passing. I am a second or third cousin of John’s. My mother was Dorothy Illingworth, originally of Chicago. I first met John when I was about 12 years old on a visit to Cupar, Saskatchewan, with my family and John’s aunt, Elsie Limb. That was a brief visit. Then, many years later, I rekindled my acquaintance with John while he lived with his first wife, Kay, on Boulevard St. Laurent in Montreal. I was in graduate school then in Connecticut. Quite frequently, I made the trip to Montreal and hung out with John and Kay. This was during the time when John worked at McGill University. Those were good times! John and Kay were living in loft space above a Portuguese bar. We came to call the place, “Portuguese Purgatory.” The music and other sounds from the bar downstairs were clearly audible in the loft. Most every night around midnight, a fight would break out down there and the fighters would move out into the street where they would struggle and then, finally, get up and dust themselves off and move on. During the latter part of the time that I visited John and Kay, Eben was born. I finished graduate school and took a position at the University of Southern California. I lost track of John after that. But I recall him fondly. He was blazingly intelligent and had a unique and keen sense of humor. I regret that we lost contact and I surely do now regret that he has passed on! Thanks to you, Jean, for the obituary. I recall you from that visit to Cupar. But, you might not recall me. Warm regards! KEN
