Suddenly at Southlake Regional Health Centre, Newmarket on Saturday, January 15, 2011, John Mills, in his 68th year, beloved husband of Frances. Loving father of Emma and Derek Mumford, Charlotte and Steven Tait, Zac and Laura Mills. Cherished Grandad of Ethan and Erik Mumford, Willow and Pyper Tait.
The family will receive their friends at the Egan Funeral Home, 203 Queen Street South (Hwy. 50), Bolton (905-857-2213) for a memorial visitation on Friday, January 21 in the afternoon 2-4 and evening 7-9 o’clock. Private graveside service will be held at a later date.
If desired, memorial donations may be made to the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Ontario. Condolences for the family may be offered at www.EganFuneralHome.com
Wendy & Joe Henderson
Dear Frances and Family:
Joe and I are saddened to hear of John’s passing. Our thoughts are with you. If we can help, please let us know.
Patti Vanderscheer
Very sorry to hear of John’s passing.
John hired me at Celestica. He took a chance on me when I couldn’t convince anyone else… and launched my career.
He was a very kind and gentle soul. He will be missed.
God Bless,
Patti
Peter and Mary Jackson ( Ireland )
Mary and i are very saddened to here of your husband ,altho i never met him , Our thoughts are with you at this time.
Please except our condolence.
Gautam Sheth
I worked for John for almost 2 years at Celestica. John was a great people manager, and he always helped individuals in the department who had any problems. John also attended my wedding in 2000, and I remember his dance moves which excited the crowd.. John – it was a pleasure knowing you and I will miss you dearly… May god bless your soul…Gautam
Lynn Browning
Our love and thoughts are sent to all the family during this very sad time.
God Bless
Pam, Lynn, Amy and Ashley, Darren and Gosia.
Gordon and Evelyn Grover
Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this sad time.
We wish we could be there to help support you and the family.
Much love to all
Ev and Gord
Sylvia Maddocks nee Brum
My thoughts and love go to you at this sad time.
lorraine & Dave brum.
Dearest Frances & family….
We never had the honour of meeting John but know he was a great man with a big heart, our love & thoughts are with u all and wish we could have been with you there at this time as family should be, but distance prevents us!
May johns spirit fly high and may all your sadness be lifted with the wonderful memories you have of John.
All our love to you all.
Lorraine, Dave & Family
Keith Hawthorn
Hi Fran, we were so sorry to hear the sad news.
As you know John and I go back to our apprentice days in England in the late sixties, and worked together for many years at IBM and Celestica.
I am so sorry that we will not be able to attend the service as we are in Florida, but our prayers are with you and the Family at this sad time. Keith and Evelyn Hawthorn.
Lynne Robinson
Dear Fran & Family,
I am so saddened to hear of John’s passing. My thoughts & prayers are with you and your family. Hold on to your wonderful memories and take strength from each other.
Lynne
Vicki and Phil York
Condolences from our family to yours. You are in our thoughts and hearts at this time. John will be missed. Love to all of you.
Vicki, Phil & Family
Bev & Rich
Dear Frances & family,
I never had the pleasure of meeting John, but remember how you spoke so fondly of him. Our thoughts & prayers are with you at this very sad time.
Fondest regards Bev & family xxxxx
Ian & Jan Stone
You can’t believe how upset I was to hear of John’s sudden death.
I consider John a very old friend who I worked with many years ago at CAV’s in England.
John and Fran looked after me and a friend when we first emigrated to Canada in 1968. I went to Australia in 1972 so have not seen John since however we still exchage cards at Christmas and still had some contact.
Fran : Jan & my condolences to you and and all the family We will be thinking of you at this sad time and remembering all the good times we had together, years ago
Love Jan & Ian
Bri Jeffrey & Joshua Friedman
Laura, Zac & family,
We are so saddened to hear about your loss. If there is anything we can do to help you through this time of grief, please don’t hesitate to ask. May your memories comfort you as you get through this difficult time. Much love.
John and Liz Gilchrist
Our thoughts and our prayers are with the family at this sad and difficult time.
John and Liz, and family
Phil & Ali Hudson (Australia)
Dear Frances
We were greatly saddened to hear of Johns sudden passing. We have great memories of him & will remember him with fondness.
Our hearts are with you all at this sad time.
Much love to you all
Phil, Ali, Harry & Max
wenda rampton
Dear Francis and family. Today Tony and I are so very sad and hope you can dwell on the happy memories you have of John. John was a lovely special man and it was a pleasure to have met him and spent some time with you.. Thinking of you all. love from Wenda and Tony (who will be writing to you at a later date)…
Mandy Copeland
Dear Frances and family,
We are deeply shocked and saddened at this tragic news.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you all xxx
Love from Mandy, Phil, Brian, Tom and family
Margaret Brown
Dear Fran, I am so sorry to hear the sad news of John’s passing. I have such lovely happy memories of you both, when we were all so new to Canada. Please know that you, and your family are in my prayers.
Margaret
Jeff Hosking
Dear Frances and Family: My deepest condolences to hear of your loss. I too worked with John early in my career at Celestica and have nothing but the fondness of memories of our times together. He was a mentor and an island of practicality and calmness during a very chaotic time in a new company. John’s leadership and sense of humour made the difficult times manageable and somehow we got through them. While I haven’t spoken or seen John in years (I moved to Denver in 1997), I wanted to comment on the positive impact he had on my life (and many others). That’s just the type of guy he was. He will be missed.
Lorraine and John Wroldsen
Dear Frances and Family. We are truly sorry to hear about John. We always liked bumping into him in the neighbourhood and enjoyed his wonderful sense of humour. We’ll certainly miss him.
All our best to you and the family.
Barry Carmichael
Please accept my sincere regrets on the passing of John. He and I worked together for many many years. He was a great person to be around.
Barry Carmichael
Bob Kennedy
I am truly sorry to hear about John….I have very fond memories of John over our careers with both IBM and Celestica. He was a very highly respected individual and leader to those of us who had the pleasure of working with him.
John and I worked together in Purchasing at IBM , in the early days this involved trips to Peterborough to the Westclox company…in later days at Celestica working on the challenges of a growing company.
He always expressed great pride in his family.
All the very best to you Frances, and family….
Ralph & Donna Clee
We were shocked and saddened to hear of John’s passing. Our deepest sympathy and thoughts and prayers are with you.
The Clee famiy
Frances & Scott Goodfellow
Emma, our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family in this time of sorrow. May all your warm memories help keep your father forever close.
Condolences, Frances & Scott Goodfellow
Emily Mueller
Hi Fran,
I have wonderful memories working as a procurment teamleader for John many years ago at Celestica. I loved the fireside chats he had with his team members and they way he was all about ‘people’. He was one of kindess people I know and he will be missed by all of us who knew him and had the pleasure to work with him.
My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family during this sad time.
Richard and Penny Moll
Dear Frances, Emma, Charlotte and Zac. We are very sad to hear about John. We have such happy memories of staying with you in Toronto, and your kindness in helping us all those years ago. Also meeting up with you both at the reunion in Salisbury a few years ago. I still think back to when we were all apprentices together and the good times we had.
Thinking of you all at this sad time.
Mike & Bonnie Prevost
Dear Emma, Derek, Ethan & Erik
Sending our love to you and your family. Our thoughts & prayers are with you all.
Wish we were there to give you a big hug..
Much love Mike & Bonnie Deanna Becky & Family
Randy Howatt
Sorry to hear of John’s sudden passing. My condolences to the family.
Peter Evans
Frances please accept Hazel and my very sincere condolences.
Although many miles apart I shall always remember John best for a trip we took as apprentices to Spain after work on a friday for our 2 weeks holiday 4 people on 2 not new British motorbikes with little more than the confidence of youth with not a thought that it could possibly go wrong.A special man.
Derek Panchyshyn
I am sorry to hear about John passing away. I worked with John within the EMC team at Celestica for a few years. John introduced me to EMC in Hopkinton, MA when I joined the customer account team in 1996. I am still working with EMC today as VP/GM and have fond memories working with John in those early, crazy growth days of our new company called Celestica. He was appreciated and will be missed.
Colin Parker
To the dear members of the Mills family.
I am terribly saddened to hear of your loss. John was a good friend of mine and although we didn’t keep in close contact (I’m on the West Coast ) I thought of him often. John & I worked closely while working at IBM and I always valued his opinion and guidance. We have all lost a treasured friend but we can celebrate the time we enjoyed together.
Jan and Ian Stone
Dear Fran
We are so sorry to hear of John’s passing we still remember our happy days when we all lived in Toronto. Seems like a million years ago.
All our love and best wishes.
Jan and Ian
Fiona Rob Cayden Young
Our deepest sympathy goes to all of the family. May you remember all the good times you shared together. Take care.
John and Janet Sandilands
Dear Frances and family,
We are so very sorry and saddened by John’s passing. He was a good friend since our first day at IBM together, with fond memories of our early camping weekends, and assignment to Boca Raton with you both. He will be sorely missed by many people.
John and Janet
Natasha and Pete Hunt
Dear Frances, Emma, Derek, Charlotte, Steve, Zac and Laura
We are thinking of you at this very sad time. We were so sad and shocked at the news.
All our love
Tash , Pete, Daniel and Ben xx
Walter Buchanan
Fran,
Eleanor and I send our condolences to you and your family.
I can remember my first meeting with John at IBM Valleybrook, when we both worked on drawing boards, and shared many a joke.
He will be missed.
Walter and Eleanor Buchanan
Wayne Mullin
Very sorry to hear of John’s passing. I too had the pleasure of working with John at Celestica. He was a positive and supportive influence to many of us who were just starting out in our careers. After John retired from Celestica I contacted him in the search for an antique piano bench. He came through with a great find for me!
Please accept my condolences at this difficult time.
Lynn Busby
My deepest condolences to the Mills family on your loss. Thinking of you during this difficult time and please let me know if you need anything.
Anna Gagliardi
Dear Emma,
I am sorry to hear about your father’s passing. May the memories of your father keep him close to your heart until he greets you again with open arms. My heartfelt condolences to you and your family.
Anna Gagliardi
Mary Beth Johnson
I am sorry to hear about John’s passing. I had the pleasure of working with him when I first started at Celestica. He was always a very kind and genuine man. My prayers are with you at this time.
Paula Mills
Dear Frances, Emma, Derek, Charlotte, Steve, Zac and Laura
Our deepest sympathy to you all at a such sad time.
“Fear thou not; for I am with you: be not dismayed; for I am your God: I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
Isaiah 41:10,
All our love, thoughts and prayers
Your Cousins in the UK
Paula, Tim, Lottie and Edward
Tom Simpson
Dear Fran, lots of great memories working with John at IBM and Celestica. Good jokes about King City
Memories last forever.
Colin James
So Sorry to read about John, My condolences to all his family. We worked together on occasion, and it was always a pleasure.
Colin James
Lynne & David Hackett
Dear Frances
Our sincere condolences on the loss of your dear husband John.
Thinking of you and sending our love
Lynne and David
(Pam’s friend, Bognor Regis)
Khalid Quraishi
Please accept my deepest condolences on this sad loss. I worked with John on the EMC Account in Celestica and it was always a pleasure.
Joyce Fossett
Dear Fran sorry to hear of John passing.
He used to give me lifts into CAV when we were apprentices on the back of an old Norton motorcycle .
I only briefly met you at the Salisbury reunion and was looking forward to possibly seeing you both again this year.
we had some good times together as apprentices and I am saddened at your loss.
Alan and Joyce Fossett
Leslie Slepkov
John will be forever missed by many people. He is a very special. My heart goes out to you Frances and to your wonderful family.
Jim Britten
I was shocked and deeply grieved to hear of John’s passing. I greatly appreciated and enjoyed working with John at IBM. His dedication, committment and integrity were a model for all of us. My deepest sympathy goes out to Frances and the rest of his family.
Cathy, Phil, and Lucas Lapar (Ferguson)
Mills family, we were so shocked and saddened to hear of John’s passing. He was an exceptional man. I have very strong memories of John at Zac and Glen’s hockey games, King City, and at Celestica. His memories will live on forever! If there is anything you need EVER .. please do not hesitate to ask. With deepest sympathy.
Sarah Hannah
Dear Frances,
Mike and I were so very sad to hear of John’s passing. I hadn’t seen John very many times, but he was always very warm and friendly to me, and very happy. At Laura and Zac’s wedding I was so impressed to see you and John happily “cutting a rug” into the wee hours of the morning! I loved how the two of you were such a sweet, happy, warm, loving, energetic couple. Our deepest sympathy to you and to your family.
Sarah and Mike Hannah
John Maguiness
I have known John for many years at IBM and Celestica and was shocked and saddened at news of his passing. I remember him as a man of reason,good counsel and humour. He was a calming influence in times of rancour; he always managed to hold himself above the fray.
I count myself fortunate to have known and worked with him; he will be missed. My deepest condolences to Frances and family for I know you will miss him most of all.
Dieter Potschka
Dear Frances &Family,
We are deeply shocked and saddened at this tragic news.
Our thoughts and Prayers are with you always.How can I forget the wonderful times John and your family and ours had on the soccerfield in King City Years ago.
Love
Dieter, Heidi ,Petra and family
roy black
Francis,As another work colleague of Johns please accept my heartfelt sympathy on your loss.
He was very, very well respected and above all A GOOD GUY
Go QPR
Roy Black
Kevin and Barbara Levasseur
Dearest Frances and Family,
It is with deepest sympathy that Kevin and I send our condolences on learning of John’s death. We will always hold all of you close to our hearts and we are keeping you in our thoughts and prayers as you deal with this very difficult time.
I am sorry I did not write sooner but we just found Emma’s message as we were attending a funeral of a cousin of mine in WI.
He too lost his life young at 61 years from lung cancer.
We wish we still lived close enough to give you all a hug and offer a shoulder to lean on.
Please accept our deepest sympathy. With love Kevin and Barb