Merion Clément: The St George’s Society is saddened to report the passing of Merion, a long term member of the Society.
For many years she owned and ran Simmons Flowers on Parliament Street, and ensured we were always supplied with a wonderful selection of flower arrangements. Rest in peace, Merion.
Published in The Toronto Star - January 29, 2022:
CLÉMENT, MERION (nee BROUGH) July 24, 1933, Hartlepool, England - January 20, 2022, Niagara-on-the -Lake, ON. It is with tremendous sadness we announce the passing of Merion Clément in her 89th year on Thursday, January 20, 2022 in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Beloved mother of Christina (Tina) Clément, sister to Winifred McLurg and aunt to Julie McLurg. Merion was born on July 24, 1933 in Hartlepool, England. In her early adult years, she worked as a certified law clerk in Lincoln's Inn Fields in London. Shortly thereafter she met her Swedish husband, Johan Clément, and moved to Scandinavia where she worked for the Helsinki Steamship Company. They immigrated to Canada in 1956. Embarking on a new chapter, she became the Secretary Treasurer to the Civil Service Association of Ontario (now OPSU). Her non-stop stream of energy was evident and drove her to be a self-made entrepreneur. In 1973, with no previous knowledge of horticulture, Merion purchased Simmons Flowers Inc., established in 1894, one of Canada's largest floral businesses (then called Simmons & Son). Merion successfully grew her business with her innovative vision of establishing a tropical plant division which added greenery to corporate offices and commercial spaces. In 1987, Merion bought a four storey 100- year-old building on Parliament Street and moved the business to the up-and-coming area of Toronto known as Cabbagetown. At that time her daughter, a Bay Street insurance broker, came on board to work with her mother and together Merion and Tina continued to make Simmons a thriving business for another 35 years. In 1986, Merion was elected President of the Downtown Toronto Business Council, making her the Council's first woman president since its inception in 1947. Merion also served as President of the Elm Street BIA, President of the Cabbagetown BIA and was on the board of directors of the St. George's Society Toronto. Merion enjoyed weekends at her lakeside Kawartha cottage and annual winter retreats in sunny St. Maarten where she treasured her friendships with neighbours and friends. Merion decided to retire at the age of 79 and move from downtown Toronto. Together with Tina they moved to Niagara-on-the-Lake and enjoyed 10 wonderful years. She will be greatly missed by her Toronto friends, her community in The Village of NOTL and most of all by her daughter and best friend, Tina.
A very special thank you to Dr. Timothy Bastedo of the NNFHT and Dr. Michael Levesque of the Walker Cancer Centre for all their amazing care. Thank you to Catherine and Vicky at Simpson's Pharmacy for their unbelievable support. A heartfelt thanks to Erna Antaya for her steadfast support and love throughout Merion's journey. A private memorial service will be held at a later date. Private family arrangements have been entrusted to MORGAN FUNERAL HOME. Memories, photos and condolences may be shared at www.morganfuneral.com.
William (Bill) Davis: "We grieve the loss of Bill Davis, an incredible leader and friend to the Society. Ontario has been made better by his work to expand and promote secondary and post-secondary education across the province. We cherish his years of support and will continue to honour his dedication to furthering education in Ontario.” Aaron Bains, President.
The St. George's Society Toronto established a $260,000 Endowment Fund in honour of former Ontario Premier, Bill Davis, for students entering Ryerson University’s Masters Program in Public Policy and Administration. Mr. Davis developed a reputation as a strongly interventionist minister, and oversaw a dramatic increase in education expenditures throughout the 1960s. Between 1962 and 1971, education spending in Ontario grew by 454%. He established many new public schools, often in centralized locations to accommodate larger numbers of students. Mr. Davis also established new public universities as minister as well as the province's community college system. He was also responsible for the establishment of Canada's first educational research institute, the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) in 1965, and the establishment of the Ontario Educational Communications Authority educational television network (now TVOntario) in 1970.
John Hore: The St George’s Society is saddened to report the death of our past President, John Hore - John was a consummate gentleman and an involved community leader. We mourn his loss and continue his legacy.
Published in The Globe and Mail from May 9 to May 13, 2020:
John Hore passed away peacefully on May 6, 2020 in Toronto, in his 91st year. He is remembered with love by his wife Diana (King) and his children Ed, Celia (Keith Milne) and Tim (Amanda Kelman) and his nine grandchildren: Will, Jacob, Emily, Thoby, Ian, Isaac, Pearl, Tegan and Madeline. Always a guy for numbers, one of his last full sentences was "How are the nine?" Born in Kingston-on-Thames, U.K. on Dec. 13, 1929, John was a child when World War II broke out, and he remembered well sheltering with his parents while the war raged close by. He is predeceased by his mother Doris Horton and father Ernest Hore and his beloved brother Eric of Orpington, Kent. John completed his British National Service in Army Education in Singapore before attending King's College Cambridge, from which he graduated with an MA in History in 1952. He henceforth always thought of himself as a "Kingsman." He set sail for Canada in 1954. Though he lived and worked in Toronto for most of the next 66 years, John never lost his quintessential tweedy Englishness. A true gentleman, he always wore a blazer, including while riding in a welded aluminum boat in the open water on Georgian Bay. He was a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and worked in the investment, financial education and mining sectors. His career included stints at Dominion Securities, Rio Tinto, Kitcat & Aitken (London), Bell Gouinlock, and the Canadian Securities Institute. His book, Trading on Canadian Futures Markets, went through five editions. He is an Emeritus of the CFA Institute, Charlottesville, Virginia. John and Diana adored their many friends in Toronto and London and also enjoyed their visits to Kennebunkport, Maine, where Diana spent summers as a child. John was a passionate contributor to the St. George's Society of Toronto, the Royal Overseas League, as well as a member of the Arts and Letters Club of Toronto, University Club and formerly the Georgian Peaks Ski Club. The family would like to thank the caring and courageous staff at Christie Gardens, Toronto Western Hospital and Baycrest Hospital who looked after him in his finals weeks while a global pandemic swirled around him. We will celebrate John's life together properly when it is safe to do so; condolences to www.morleybedford.ca. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to your charity of choice.