In Memory of John Brown

  

It was a light rainy day in Cornwall, Ontario, on May 11th, 1927, when I arrived. I was the third son born to my parents, Frederick and Lillian. Join me on this journey, and I'll take you through the story of my life, with memories straight from my perspective!

You can start off by calling me "Johnny" as everyone knows me. As a young lad, I started my life on the farm where my family lived in Monkland, ON. As a family of 8 boys, we had to work long hours with my father to do what we needed to make ends meet. I don't remember school much; it wasn't exactly my thing. I stuck around to learn the essentials, like signing my name, but I later learned I had a knack for math and measurements!

   
I enlisted in the Army, following my family tradition, at Kingston, ON on June 24th, 1952. Serving with the Royal Canadian Infantry Corps (5 Piers Depot) as Private SC-7550. I was honorably discharged on Dec 8th, 1952, to resume civilian life. That is when I took up carpentry and woodworking!

Beside me lies Flossie, my partner in life. We were childhood neighbors turned sweethearts. We married on Jan 11th, 1952, at St. Felix De Valois Church in Cornwall. She was the glue that kept the household together!

Flossie and I raised two boys; Freddy, the eldest, who made me a father at just 20 years old. Here I am at his wedding to his wife, Germaine. Then there was Kenny, my youngest, in the second picture. I was and still am a proud dad to see the men they have become.

In my spare time, I liked to get my hands dirty gardening, fishing, or in my workshop making items out of wood. Here's a fun fact; I was very handy; I even built half my house from scratch, adding a few rooms to make it fit my family. I'm happy to know that house has been a family home on Danis since the 1940's and still is today! 

In my fun time, I'd sit and watch the Toronto Maple Leafs play or have my brothers over on a Saturday night to have some drinks until we passed out. Life wasn't always simple, but it was fun and we knew how to party! (L to R: Billy, Myself, Jimmy and Adelore).

I ended up working as a carpenter with Courtaulds for quite some time, but I'd still take on odd jobs on the side, helping folks fix up their properties. Below is a neighbor of mine that I helped. My wife used to say I was always mending everyone's homes before our own. Guess that was just me, always lending a hand!

I passed away on March 16th, 1984, in Cornwall, after battling lung cancer. I'm grateful for the time I had with my loved ones, and I'm at peace knowing they're doing well. Though I'm gone, my memory lives on through the moments we shared, and if you call, I'll always be with you in spirit.

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