51 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,June 24,2021 insidehalton.com Congratulations Taylor! So proud of all your success and determination. With Best Wishes for a bright future at Queens University. Love Mom, Dad & Kasia Novena ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ May The Sacred Heart of Jesus and The Immaculate Heart of Mary be praised, adored and glorified each day throughout the world forever, Amen. Say 6 times a day for 9 days and remember to promise publication and your request will be granted, no matter how impossible it may seem. ~ M. S. MCCLATCHIE, Thomas ___________ Thomas (Tom) McClatchie, in his 70th year, surrounded by his loving family, passed away in hospital, May 27th, 2021. Beloved husband of Vicki (Kovachik) McClatchie. Loving father of Bryan. Dear brother of Linda Walsh and Susan Mackenzie (Alistair). Prede- ceased by father, Gordon and mother Merle. Loving uncle to many nieces and nephews. In consideration of the continu- ing health and safety of our friends and family, a Celebra- tion of Tom's Life will be held at a later date with the family. "A loving snapshot of Tom's life." Tom was born in St. Thomas, Ontario in 1951. Lived and attended schools in Delhi, Ontario. Tom travelled Europe alone in his youth on his motorcycle and lived to tell his story. Tom learned many different trades, in different jobs, always hoping for one day to be his own boss. He came to settle eventually in the GTA, where his job in aviation sales led him to the Burlington Airpark. Here, he met and married Vicki Kovachik in 1986 and had married into an aviation family. Here in Burlington, Tom set down roots and the two built their own home, not far from the airport. Shortly after, Bryan, their loving son was born. Within a year, 1991, Tom started his own business "The Garage Door Specialist". Be- cause of his excellence in his work ethic, there was never a shortage of customers. About the year 2014, Tom was realizing his lifelong dream of building his own airplane. In 2018, Tom sold his business and the two moved to Simcoe, Ontario to retire. Here, Tom continued to fly his beautiful Challenger Advanced Ultra Light Aircraft registration "C- ITOM" and enjoy life. People who knew Tom, would say the following of him: He was a loving son, brother, husband, father, a great brother-in-law, uncle and friend. He was the first person to help, when anyone needed help. He believed that if something was worth doing, it was worth doing right. He stood up for what he believed in, always with a common sense approa- ch. He enjoyed a challenge and enjoyed hard work. He was a great thinker and plann- er and always thought ahead. Unselfishly, literally until the end, Tom was still giving me advice on how to go on with- out him. For you Dear Tom: "Fly Low, Fly Slow and Throttle Back in the Turns". Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth and danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; sunward I've climbed and joined the tumbling mirth... And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod the high untrespassed sanctity of space, put out my hand, and touched the face of God. John Gillespie Magee (High Flight) McVEAN, Catherine Sara July 6, 1926 - June 13, 2021 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ Catherine Sara McVean (nee Flood) died peacefully on Sunday, June 13 with her family at her side. She was born on July 6, 1926, in Woodstock, Ontario to Lila (nee Reed) and George Flood. Her father, born in Buckfastleigh, Devon, UK was an internationally known and award-winning expert in the breeding and diseases of Jersey cattle. Woodstock native Lila was a bookkeeper. During the First World War George earned his Crown and Crossed Rifles designation as a marksman, a skill which would serve him and his family later on. Catherine had an elder brother Donald, and a younger brother William (Bill), who died in 1984. Catherine's family moved to Brampton for a time, related to her father's work. Then, early in the Great Depression, they moved to the family cottage on the Bruce Peninsula at Pike Bay, a destination that had been favoured by the Reed family for generations. Pike Bay, located half way up the Bruce Peninsula on the Huron side, was a beautiful summer haven - and very tough in the winter. Roads were snowed in and George had to hike to Highway 6 and walk or hitch hike 14 miles south to Wiarton to purchase food, especially fresh vege- tables. He also put his marksman's skills to good use, hunting deer and other game for the family's table. Catherine, also a crack shot, carried a rifle to her one-room schoolhouse, six miles away (on snowshoes in winter) and also ran a trapline to catch rabbits to eat and feed their dogs. She played centre on the Pike Bay hockey team, and later, at high school, she broke many fingers playing bask- etball; ambidextrous, she was quite an athlete. After war was declared, the Floods moved back to Woodstock, a prosperous agri- cultural and manufacturing cen -tre in southwestern Ontario. This is where Catherine met her husband-to-be Bill McVean at a high school corn roast. Brother Don enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force as soon as he was of age, and took what was widely considered the most dan- gerous job: tail gunner in a Lancaster bomber. In 1944, disaster struck over Holland, when Don's bomber collided with another from an allied squadron under attack from German fighters. Both bombers crashed near the Dutch town of Strijen, killing both air crews. Testament to Don's bravery was the fact that he had volunteered for the mission with a Royal Air Force squadron; his tour of ops with his RCAF squadron had already been completed. Catherine's boyfriend Bill McVean enlisted with the RCAF's 411 Squadron and served in Europe for the duration of the war, coming home in 1945. During the conflict, Catherine volunteered as a fruit-picker on the Niagara peninsula. Upon Bill's return, he and Catherine renewed their high-school relationship and were married on September 11, 1948. Catherine not only raised their two sons: Michael and Jaimie, but became an accomplished script writer for Bill throughout his storied radio and TV career, and later for their syndicated radio travel show: Trips 'N' Tips. Bill was the voice and Catherine the words and production. A founding mem- ber of TMAC, the Travel Media Association of Canada, Catherine traveled the world doing interviews for her show. She also learned to fly, helping to start the Canadian branch of the Ninety-Nines, the International Organization of Women Pilots (started in 1929, with Amelia Earhart its first president). Though she was fiercely proud of the family's unique, architectural one-of-a-kind Oakville home - which she fought to purchase in 1962 - you would never have described Catherine as a "housewife" (if you wanted to survive). She was a feminist before it was recognized by most as a positive term, and an equal partner in all family decisions. Whip smart and deeply interested in current events, she read two news- papers daily, and at least two books a week; the Oakville library was her second home. Catherine leaves her two sons, Michael and Jaimie, grand- daughters Jenny (Mark Briggs), and Samantha (Ibrahim Shah), grandsons Alex (Rachel) and Nathan. She also leaves two recently arrived great- granddaughters Margot (Jenny and Mark in London, UK), and Isabel (Rachel and Alex in Toronto). Sadly, Bill passed on March 21 of this year, so we guess she didn't want him to get too much of a head start! There will not be a service, and no flowers please - at Catherine's request - but please take a moment to reflect on how she, and other women of the "greatest generation", helped to make this world a better place, while building momentum in the ongoing fight for women's freedom and equality. Maybe she wouldn't have asked us to say this, but she certainly would have approved. ANNOUNCEMENTS OBITUARIES | REMEMBERING THE LIVES OF THOSE IN OUR COMMUNITY Graduates of 2021! Congratulations to all our Is it your Anniversary? Celebrate it with an announcement. Heavy are our hearts today, memory brings you back once more, to the time when you were with us, to the happy days of yore. Loving and kind in all your ways, upright and just to the end of your days; sincere and true, in your heart and mind, beautiful memories, you left behind. 1-800-263-6480 classifieds@metroland.comCLASSIFIEDS OBITUARIES | ANNOUNCEMENTS | JOBS | MARKETPLACE NOVENAS OBITUARIES