Bob was born on March 11, 1929, in Omemee, Ontario. He was the son of Cyril and Luella Elliott. Bob lived in a number of different places in the Haliburton area before moving to Echo Bay, Ontario in 1939 where his family lived briefly until moving to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, where he spent the rest of his life.
Bob was raised with one older sister, Jacquelyn.
As a young boy, Bob was curious about the world around him and eager to explore it. Bob always enjoyed outdoor activities such as boating and canoeing. He was a Boy Scout, a YMCA member and part of a rowing club as an older youth. In his spare time, he liked to make model airplanes. During the Great Depression he used to catch worms to sell for bait. He also caught fish to sell to help feed his family during those lean times.
Bob graduated from Sault Collegiate Institute, Sault Ste. Marie, ON in 1947. His favourite class in high school was Biology.
Post Secondary Training - Bob worked in construction briefly before starting an apprenticeship as a Funeral Director at the Arthur Funeral Home in Sault Ste. Marie. This included occasional trips to Toronto, Ontario for in-class instruction.
While growing up, some of his best friends were Charlie Millage, Billy Parker, Malcom Bunting, Bob Huckson, Art Bondar and Ross Jobe. Later in life, he became friends with George and Olive Smith and their son, Ron. Maurice Upper and Howard McLeod were very close friends later in life.
On September 4, 1953 Bob exchanged wedding vows with Mary Elinor Snowdon at Central United Church of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. This happy union lasted until Mary died 57 years later.
Bob worked hard to be a good father to his children and he did his best to fulfill their needs. Bob and Mary were blessed with four children, Susan, Barry, Don and Joan. Another blessing for Bob was the gift of twelve grandchildren, Andrew, Amy, Janet, Jessica, Dan, Joy, Laura, Angela, Katie, Jenny, Bob and Anne and sixteen great-grandchildren, Matthew, Kyla, Zack, Caleb, Judah, Nora, Alice, Silas, Benjamin, Darshana, Barry, Maryn, Levi, Evie, Augustine and Anderson.
His primary occupation was funeral director. He was employed for 35 years full time, then 15 years part-time at Arthur Funeral Home. In those last 15 years, he was pursuing a second career in wood sculpting.
His favorite pursuits were bird-watching and wood carving which started out as whittling wood for fun in his youth. It eventually developed into a lucrative side job before becoming his second career in middle age. He was content to enjoy his favorite pastimes alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.
Bob found pleasure in activities outdoors, particularly canoeing, fishing, camping and boating.
Bob was a man who lived out his worldview. He took an active role in his community as a Boy Scout leader for many years. Politically, Bob was conservative.
Bob’s faith was important to him. He was a follower of Jesus Christ. The Bible was his guide for daily living. He was a member of the following churches in Sault Ste. Marie: Central United 1939-1965; First Baptist 1965-2000; Parkland Baptist 2000-2018; Bethany Baptist 2018-2023. During that time, he was involved in Boy Scout leadership, children's church, choir and church custodial work and maintenance.
Most of Bob's awards were related to his wood-carving. He had a large display case of dozens of ribbons for placing first, second or third in competitions. He also had a collection of other trophies/shields for "Best of Show" in some of his competitions. He eventually even judged a number of competitions. After a few years of the excitement of travelling and successfully competing, he decided it was taking too much time from his other more important priorities of family and church, so he stopped.
Favorite vacations were spent at Skookum Lake for two or three weeks every summer for 58 years. In earlier years he tented with his family at Pancake Bay Provincial Park on Lake Superior.
Bob was a lover of animals. As a young adult, he had a small bulldog, named Bubbles. For many years he kept four tanks of tropical fish, built into a wall at the front entrance to his home.
Bob retired from full-time funeral work in 1983. He stayed in Sault Ste. Marie. In retirement, he found pleasure in pursuing his wood-sculpting hobby full-time. (He was still available to the funeral home part-time.) His wood sculptures of birds are treasured by many, including collectors, personal friends and family. His work has also been presented officially to dignitaries across the world including British royalty and a Canadian Prime Minister. He continued finding pleasure in his church, boating, canoeing, walking, rockhounding, day-tripping.
Bob passed away on June 27, 2023 at Sault Area Hospital in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. He died in God's appointed time of old age after a brief illness. He is survived by three of his children, Susan, Don and Joan. His son, Barry, predeceased him in December, 2016. Also survived by his twelve grandchildren and sixteen great-grandchildren. Services were held at the Arthur Funeral Home, Sault Ste. Marie, ON. Bob was laid to rest in Greenwood Cemetery, Sault Ste. Marie, ON.
Simply stated, Bob was a good and kind person, an individual who will for all time be remembered by his family and friends as being a caring and giving person, someone who was a vital part of their lives. Bob leaves behind him a legacy of life-long friendships and many cherished memories. Everyone whose life he touched will always remember Bob Elliott.
Dan Gabor ~
Well, It is more than possible that I have known Bob Elliott
For less time than anyone here I have been privileged to have 4 years with him And The Bob that I knew was an elderly man And yet for those few years, Hardly representative of the whole of his life I have many treasured memories and more stories than I could tell in our time together
But the thing about Bob is that you could walk by him in the street And not know the quality, the depth
And the talent of this man Truly he was a treasure in a jar of clay A truly great man who made with no pretense Put on no show And drew no attention to himself.
This is the paradox of Bob Elliott Now normally, when we say that someone is paradoxical It is not a compliment. But I would offer to you that Bob was a series of delightful paradoxes
That I would like to walk out for you today
1. The first paradox is that Bob was an elderly young man.
For his many years, it has already been said That Bob had a youthful sparkle in his eye right to the end
He loved to laugh And tell a story with that certain joy on his face as he got to the punch line
Even a couple weeks before his passing We were visiting in the hospital and his breath was short
But that didn't stop him from making a quip or two.
The first time we met, he told me about Meeting his wife Mary, the day that Canada declared war
In 1939 This Juxtaposition of love and war was a delicious irony that never lost its edge for Bob
And who could forget the road trip crew which also found their share of youthful mischief
Two stories come to mind The three men, Maurice, Howard and Bob taking a winter trip across Ranger Lake Road Which is an adventure at the best of times With its windy, up and down path And as the story goes, they went into the ditch Got stuck and were outside of cell service. Seems like the mistake that a group of teenagers but I believe that they were all in their 80's at the time. Fortunately, a snow plow operator happened upon these elderly juveniles Not allowed to pull them out himself, he called a truck when he got back in range And they got out of trouble
But the second story is from a trip to Aubrey Falls A spectacular waterfall though quite out of the way
Maybe an hour north of Thessalon And on one of their Thursday trips They were up there and wandering around And they happened upon an open door At the power generating dam So, they did what all young men would do They went in to have a look around Returning to their entrance a little later, they found the door closed and locked They were stuck inside. Not sure what to do, they wandered around a little more And returned to find the door open again In my imagination, I can see security personnel in some Toronto office doing a double take At their monitor as they saw three elderly men Trespassing in their Aubrey Falls facility.
Bob was an elderly, young man right to the end
And the youthful twinkle in his eye was a gift to us all.
He was a treasure in a jar of clay
But there are other delightful paradoxes
2. You see, Bob was also a humble celebrity
It is more than possible that many people who knew him
were completely unaware
That Bob is a world renowned artist.
His incredible bird carvings sit in palaces
And legislative buildings around the world
He is widely recognized for his skill in this area
But for most of us,
You just wouldn't know that because Bob never carried himself like a celebrity
In fact, it was just the opposite
In Bob, you saw a person a person who cared more about you
Than about making sure that his name was remembered.
This humble celebrity dedicated years to the Friendship Group at Bethany
A Church for mentally and physically challenged adults
Where Bob served as the door man
He provided the welcome for these dear ones
Week after week though they couldn't remember his proper name
This was no sacrifice
Since it just didn't seem to be in Bob's nature
To want to make a name for himself.
His tree nursery, his pride and joy in later years, is another example
Bob was so fond of raising up these tender shoots
Trees under whose shade he would never sit,
But that would bring great joy to others who would follow after him.
Even Skookum lake is a kind of paradox
To hear Bob talk about it
You would think that this is a five star resort
The most beautiful place on earth
But I learned last night that there was no electricity
No running water
A humble vacation spot that this man looked forward to for dozens and dozens of years.
Because Bob didn't need prestige and pampering
He was a humble celebrity
There was a Quiet kindness to Bob from which we have all benefited
I am quite certain that if you are here today
You were benefitting from his prayers
His daily routine involved a quiet study of the Bible
Guided by the Daily Bread devotional
And a time of prayer aided by his recollection of family members and by the Church Directory
These things don't make one famous but they are so meaningful.
This is another of the delightful paradoxes
In a world that seems increasingly to be built around name recognition, he was a humble celebrity
Truly, Bob was a treasure in a jar of clay.
3. But Bob was also a wonderful contradiction of the Artistic Engineer
Typically, the folk who are good at the arts
Are less good at the sciences
And vice versa
But Bob made beautiful contributions in both worlds
A visit into his work area
Where he fashioned his birds
Would often come with a story of a problem that needed solving
Through some creative, engineering means
A different kind of wire formed in a new way
Or some other element or substance that provided that strength and the beauty that was needed for that particular piece.
He had a 1001 ways of fashioning a carving
That was beautiful and unique
He was an engineer with an artist's eye
Or an artist with the deft problem solving of an engineer
We haven't yet talked about the boat
On one of our visits, he asked me if I wanted to see his boat
he took me out to the garage.
I am not sure what I was expecting
Maybe an aluminum fishing boat or something
But when he removed the cover
there stood a work of art
Gleaming, polished wood
This, again, was a truly beautiful piece of artistic engineering.
A delightful paradox,
Bob was a treasure in a jar of clay.
But we might ask today, why should this be so?
Why are we here today celebrating this humble, youthful, artistic man
So talented but so unconcerned with making a name for himself.
I would offer you that the centre of Bob's life was actually a deeply held belief
About treasure in jars of clay.
You see that the phrase itself comes from the writing of the Apostle Paul in the biblical book of
2 Corinthians.
In this book, Paul is being challenged by flashy, charismatic preachers
Who are trying to make a name for themselves
The anti-Bob Elliot's of the ancient world
The Apostle Paul defends himself, not by asserting his own importance
Not by entering into a battle of accomplishments
But by lowering himself,
By humbling himself
And so Paul responds with humility not with strength..
2 Corinthians 4
5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, (sounds like Bob) but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.
I never knew what Bob's favourite passages were
But, if ever there was a Bob Elliott verse, this is it
Bob never wanted to make a name for himself
But instead chose to be the humble servant.
Paul goes on in verse 6
6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
What Paul is talking about here is the story of Jesus
Put simply, it is the story of how God
Saw the plight of humanity
The desperate situation of the disharmony, the broken relationships, the betrayal and even the violence
That exists in our world
And wanting to show us a better way
He sent his son Jesus to bring the true knowledge of God to humanity
And his invitation is that if we leave behind these destructive ways; selfishness, pride, disharmony; in a word 'sin'
That he will forgive us and will offer us
The life of the age to come, eternal life.
This is the story of Jesus in short,
The story that was at the centre of Bob's life.
But Paul goes on in verse 7
7 But we have this treasure (the beautiful story of Jesus) in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
You see that Bob's whole outlook on life
His whole ethos was shaped by these teachings of Jesus
Jesus who gave his life on the cross
Jesus who lowered himself for the benefit of all around him
Jesus who forgives sin
Jesus who offers eternal life
This story so shaped Bob
That Bob's story starts to look like it.
Bob was a jar of clay that held a treasure
Because he patterned his life after the story of Jesus
He was happy to be an ordinary guy
A jar of clay
In order that the beautiful story of Jesus
Could be seen more clearly through him.
Should you suspect that I don't have this quite right,
I would point you to the unorthodox thing
that he put on his business card.
Again, in a very unusual step, he had this written there
For all who would come in contact with him.
These words…
Now that you have met me, you may forget me
That's all right. You have lost nothing.
But if you have met Christ and you forget about him, you have lost everything.
Seems clear then,
Bob's desire was not to be known
But to be a faithful clay jar that pointed people
To the glorious story of Jesus.
How then did Bob maintain this humble, youthful, sparkle eyed approach to life?
It isn't that he wasn't touched by grief
He lived through many difficult seasons.
He lost his dear Mary 13 years ago
And had the misfortune of saying good bye to his son Barry
Prematurely.
So how is that he still had the sparkle in his eye
Even at the very end?
Even in our last visits?
Paul speaks to this in verse 16 of our passage.
16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self[d] is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.
In the beautiful story of Jesus
The best days are always ahead
Even as our bodies fade, the spirit within us grows stronger
As we grow in friendship with God.
This was Bob's experience.
He was being renewed from the inside
Even as his body was fading away.
If you are here and not a follower of Jesus
Bob's greatest joy would be that you would see the treasure of Jesus
In his clay jar life
Simple prayer
"Jesus forgive me for my failures and my sins
Give to me this treasure in my heart."
If you are a follower of Jesus
Bob's life speaks profoundly to us as well
What a legacy, a life that shows the all surpassing beauty of Jesus
To those around us.
A life that forgoes position and power and status
A beautiful life of humble service.
This is what Bob has demonstrated to us
This is the gift that he has given
A treasure in a jar of clay.
Dixie's tribute to Bob
Just 30 days ago Bob and I went to Church together. He went into the kitchen to drop off his contribution to the potluck. And when he came out he had a funny little grin on his face and he said, “I just got 3 hugs” You see he brought his famous fudge. If I asked for a show of hands for those who have tasted that delicious fudge I think most of you would raise your hands.
As I was thinking about what I might say I came across this Bible verse and it seemed appropriate for Bob “Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people, old and full of years.” Genesis 35:29
I think we would all agree that 94 is old and Bob’s years were definitely full. Full of family, creativity, music, boats, artistry, nature, Church, serving others - preferably behind the scenes, and prayer. And for the last 58 years there were 2 wonderful weeks of camping at Skookum Lake. Yup, he camped last year at 93!
But when Bob was 67 we wondered if God was calling him home. Bob underwent quintuple bypass surgery. Mary said, “even if I get 5 more years with him, it will be 5 years I won’t have to live without him.” But God gave her 15 more precious years and then took her to Heaven first.
His daughter Susan said that she prayed, “God, if my Dad survives this surgery then when the time comes I will thank you for the bonus years.” Bob had 27 bonus years! During that time 2 more grandchildren were born. He got to attend 8 weddings for his grandchildren and welcome 8 new people into his family. Bob got to enjoy 16 great grandchildren!
During the last 45 years the family grew as Cal, Sue, Dave and I joined the family. It has been a remarkable family to be part of. Cal remembers Bob patching him up after a burn he got at a camp fire youth event. Little did Cal know that Bob would continue to have a special role in his life. Dave says he met them when he started dating Joan and he said, “I knew they were good folks because when I proposed two weeks into the relationship they were ok with me.” Sue and Bob had a fun bantering style that was exclusive to their relationship. They had an ongoing feud about who should clean up the dishes after dinner. I have been spoiled as the daughter in law that lived here in the Sault. He was a content and patient man. But Bob was frustrated recently which was unusual for him, he was very disappointed when the meringue on his homemade lemon pie didn’t set up well.
Grandpa had a unique relationship with each grandchild. He was interested in all the details of their lives and activities and he was their very best prayer warrior.
The grandchildren were asked for good memories of Grandpa Bob. It soon became apparent that the themes were food, boating and fishing while camping at Skookum Lake, love of nature, kinship or relationship and prayer.
Grandpa had some special foods he made - tea biscuits, nest eggs for breakfast, fudge, butter tarts, homemade beef jerky and making homemade granola and sending it by mail to a granddaughter away at College. Eatmore bars on fishing trips. And special dates to go out to Wendy’s or for Chinese food.
Grandpa took each grandchild fishing alone or with a few cousins. He was so patient fixing snagged lines, and rebaiting the hooks for the girls with worms or leeches and asking if they needed another jiggly wiggler. Every grandchild had a special lunch on Grandpa’s boat in a pretty little spot on Skookum Lake which was nicknamed the Hemlock Lounge. The Hemlock trees provided just the right amount of shade to pull the boat in and have lunch. And that same boat was used to escort a granddaughter and her groom to their wedding reception at the Muskoka Grace and Speed boat museum. Grandpa Bob was like a kid in the candy store with all those beautiful boats.
Love of nature – Grandpa could name birds based on their calls, name plants and trees, and tame chipmunks in a week to come and take peanuts from his hand and even from his ear. Chipmunks were a favourite but squirrels, well that’s a story for another day.
Grandpa Bob was a prayer warrior for all his grandchildren. He prayed for exams, job interviews, broken hearts, moves cross country and health concerns some minor and some very serious. 8 years ago at age 86 he travelled to Toronto to be with a granddaughter while her husband underwent open-heart surgery. As each Great grandchild was born they were added to his prayer list. The power of a praying grandparent is amazing power indeed.
Kinship or relationship were the words we thought of to help describe the connection Bob had with everyone of grandchildren. He sent letters, had long phone calls, and exploratory walks to the park. He welcomed them into his workshop where many fun projects were created. He had old dentist tools and many teddy bears had dental check ups. He over paid for lawn mowing and was very generous with birthday gifts.
One of the important jobs at each wedding was for Grandpa Bob to ask the blessing before the meal. For a man who didn’t like to speak in public he was very articulate. It seems appropriate to finish with Bob’s own words adapted just a bit from that blessing.
“I thank you, our Heavenly Father, for all the relatives and friends who you have gathered here today. Some have travelled hundreds of miles, and others thousands of miles to be here. I thank you Lord for blessing each one with journeying mercies.
I pray Father for these friends and family as they sail on their voyage of life. May it be a long and happy one. There will be rough seas to face, I am sure, but they are part of life. I pray they will enjoy the calm seas, which will, no doubt, out-number the storms. I pray that you will welcome the Lord Jesus Christ aboard, as your wise Captain, the one who is willing to guide you on an exploratory cruise of a lifetime of joy and happiness with Him. I pray this blessing over you in the name of our precious and wonderful Saviour.“
Don’s Tribute to Dad:
On behalf of our family – thank you so much for being here today. Your support is truly appreciated. We have immediate family from North Carolina, New Brunswick, Grand Rapids MI, Toronto, Orillia and North Bay. I estimated about 180 hours of driving time or 18,000 km return. That’s three times across Canada. For our friends and extended family, some of you have traveled far, thank you for taking time to honor a life well lived.
Dad was born in 1929. The first 10 years of his life was the Great Depression. The day after they moved from Haliburton to the Sault, Canada declared war and he was 16 when the war ended. He asked himself what career will always provide steady employment. Answer – the funeral business. That’s how he landed here at this funeral home for a 35 year fulltime career followed by many years part-time. Dad is a gifted artist and his attention to detail was appreciated by many families who experienced the tragic death of a loved one. [One day I was lamenting the fact that as a civil engineer some of my best work in storm sewer design was completely buried 20 feet deep never to be seen by anyone. Dad replied with, “I feel your pain, all of my best work is buried too - just a little shallower - 6 feet or so!]
The stories he could tell! Back in the 50’s the City ambulance was private and was dispatched from the funeral home. (Now that raises a conflict of interest doesn’t it? You’re on your way to the hospital and the patient is not doing so good. Do you just slow down and go to the Funeral Home instead?). I will tell one of his favourite stories. [A bush plane on skis had to land in the field beside Black Road with an injured miner. Dad parked the ambulance at McNabb and a Police Car parked at the S-bend both with their lights on so the pilot could land at the bottom of Finn Hill in a snow storm. Mission accomplished.]
In 1983 Dad turned his 20 year decorative bird carving hobby into a full time encore career. God gave Dad an incredible gift for turning pieces of wood into what look like birds ready to fly. Many of you have seen and admired them. [His grandson Andrew was in Sunday school as a little boy when the teacher asked the class who made the trees…God, who made the animals….God…who made the birds…Grandpa Bob…]. Although he would never tell you, he was, frankly, world renowned. [Metro Chairman of Toronto Dennis Flynn gave Prince Andrew and Princess Fergie a bird as a gift upon one of their visits. Those two split up, [shocker], and Barry and I always wondered who got the bird. But wonder of wonders Mom and Dad received a letter of thanks from Buckingham Palace. Mom and Dad were Royals so you can imagine their chagrin when the letter literally written in the Queen's English, had two typographical errors! Mom was horrified!]. [On another occasion, the local Liberal association wanted to give Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau one of Dad’s bird carvings when he visited the Sault. Dad agreed but he told them he wanted to pick what kind of bird to carve for him. Being a hard core conservative, he did not pick a cardinal – he picked the Blue Jay of course as it would not so subtly reflect the colours of the Conservative party.]
Many of you have ridden in his beloved Mahogany runabout. He designed and built it himself at 67 years of age after he had quintuple bypass surgery. Mom told him go ahead and build your dream boat, but don't add up the cost 'cause I don't want to know. It was the perfect boat for him at his beloved Skookum Lake for over 25 years. He was a master craftsman in wood. He taught us to enjoy and utilize elements of creation but to worship the Creator.
Dad did one of the most important things a father can do for his boys - He loved Mom. The only time he ever raised his voice at us was when we were saucy at Mom.
Dad had a fascination with trees. He has a tree nursery in his compost pile where he grew seedlings for our property on St Joe’s Island. He was planting trees in his 90’s. Yes he loved trees for bird’s nests, for maple syrup, and shade, but I assure you he was not an environmentalist by today’s definition. He was VERY interested in what we can make out of the trees when we cut them down.
Every Thursday he went on a road trip with his posse – Howard McLeod and Maurice Upper. They would go to the Black Bear Cafe on St. Joe’s for breakfast, tour around the north shore and then back to the Black Bear for lunch. I always appreciated that Dad had that regular outing with his friends every Thursday.
I’ve been blessed to have had my earthly father for 62 years. He lived in the home he built himself for 70 years. At around 90 he called me all happy that his doctor told him he had the body of an 80 year old. For most of us that would not be good news, but for him it was! I would say he walked his Christian life more than he talked it. His servant heart was an example to so many. He leaves 12 Grandchildren and 16 Great grandchildren, so far. He has had three recently. He’d say “Oh my! They’re coming to the light!”
In Job 14:5 we read ‘Man’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed.’ Psalm 139:16 says ‘All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.’ It is comforting to recognize God’s sovereign determining of the number of days each of us is to have on earth. We are ushered into God’s presence at the exact time He has chosen for us.
God said my Dad’s race is done and He won. He had a little message on his business card, an idea he got from his good friend Ned Stump from Indiana. “Now that you have met me you may forget me. That’s alright. You have lost nothing. But if you have met CHRIST, and you forget about HIM, you have lost everything”. Dad was always a worker of good, and someone said the good a man does, lives on. No doubt that will be true for my Dad.
Thank you
Joan’s tribute to Dad
One of the reasons I am up here, apart from honouring Dad, is the inspiration I got from our nieces Jessica and Laura. They courageously got up and spoke in honour of their Dad. Right then, I knew, if they could do it, so could I.
Before I start my tribute, I just have to share a fond, kind of funny memory I have of this place. When I was fairly young, I would come along with Dad to work. He would be working in the preparation room and I would be playing some boogie woogie (that he had taught me) on the organ. I hear that it is long gone. As Sue and I were practicing our music today, we thought back to the day when Gramma Snowdon, shocked by hearing the price of piano and vocal lessons, back in the day said, “Bob Elliott will have to keep his nose to the tombstone for a long time to pay for all that”.
Oh, and I can't resist quickly sharing the time I had Dad do my makeup (he was good at that) for a special occasion (my grade 12 or 13 graduation). One of my brothers came in and said, “Wouldn't it be easier if she was lying down?”
As I thought of what to share with you, multiple examples of his kindness to others came to mind, many funny stories and more. Then I thought what if I looked at what kind of man he was through my eyes and experiences as his daughter. I organized and contained my many words into three questions, an answer and a challenge for all of us.
The first question: how, where and why did he have so much patience? We could see it in the beautiful, delicate details of his bird carvings. Once, he was creating some foliage to go with a bird carving that had around 300 little pieces. He carefully placed them on and accidentally made a move that made them all come flying off. When I asked “what did you do when that happened”? He responded, “well, I picked them all up and started over again”. Huh! Don't we know what we might have said or done? Once, when I was a college student, I had procrastinated on some assignments and we only had one vehicle. Dad had to drive me last minute and at one point said, “I am beginning to lose my patience with you”. I was mortified! You don't want Bob Elliott to say that to you, but he said it with kindness.
He (and Mom too) were such good listeners. They encouraged, validated and made those they were talking to feel important. Dad saw the best in people… well, except maybe for some political leaders, but we won't get into that.
Another question! What made him keep going through all of his life, even at 94? His life was made of simple choices and routines. He would get up, get dressed and start his day. Even recovering from COVID which we both got at the same time last May and quarantined together. One morning, he peeked through the door of my room and said, “should I make us some sausage and eggs for breakfast”? There I was, still lying in bed.
He nourished himself well, had multiple hobbies, loved his family and friends. He loved gallivanting with his friends to the Black Bear Cafe and many other places. He would bring his fudge to funerals, celebrations, doctor appointments, our kids open houses, and weddings (as favours). That's a lot of fudge. He even recently felt bad that he had to retire from making it.
A final question! How was he still content? When you asked him how he was he would respond with, “If I was any better I'd be twins,” “I'm still above the clover”, or “I'm as full as a tick”.
Often when I called, I would ask him, “how's my Pappy?” He would say “your pappy's fan”! When I saw him for the first time in the hospital after his fall, I whispered in his ear, “How's my Pappy?” He said “I... I'm fine”.
So… an answer to these questions about his patience, his persevering spirit, and his contentment… this is what I saw. When I was young, I always knew Dad wasn't a fan of public speaking or praying in public. But once, I barged into his room and there he was, kneeling by his bed, praying. Each day in the morning, he would sit in his chair with his Bible, Daily Bread or other devotional book, his hymn book, prayer list (all of his family, children, grand and great grandchildren, relatives, friends) and the church directory. We were all prayed for. Now, I think we need to continue where he left off. Wow!
Finally, he loved his Saviour dearly. He knew he needed a saviour and trusted Him to forgive him, believing He died on the cross for sins and that He rose again and would one day be in heaven. He would want, in his kind and gentle way, for you to know his dear Saviour too.
So, I end with this. God has placed each of us in a family, neighborhood, workplace, a sphere of influence. Dad set an example in simple, quiet ways. How encouraging to know that, yes, we can do this too. No matter where you are placed, your age, your past circumstances, we can all, in our own way, have a significant impact on those around us. We don't have to always do big things for God (although that's good too). Thank you for being here with us today and we want you to know that we are sorry for your loss too.
Thank you
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ELLIOTT, Robert James Cyril, of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, went peacefully to be with his Lord and Saviour on Tuesday, June 27th, 2023 at Sault Area Hospital at the age of 94.
Cherished husband of the late Mary E. Elliott and dear father of Susan Nicholson (Calvin), Late Barry Elliott (Susan), Don Elliott (Dixie), Joan Carpenter (Dave). Thankful grandfather of Andrew Nicholson (Katie), Amy Martin (Mike), Janet Perry (Wes), and Joy Gauthier (Graham); Jessica Wigney (Aaron), and Laura Elliott; Dan Elliott (Charity), and Katie Elliott; Angela Chetty (Krishna), Jenny Adkins (Trevor), Bobby Carpenter, and Anne Carpenter. Adored great grandfather of Matthew, Caleb; Kyla and Zack; Judah and Silas; Benjamin and Genevieve; Nora and Levi; Alice and Barry; Darshana and Augustine; Maryn and Anderson. Son of the late Cy and Luella Elliott. Dear brother of the late Dr. Jacquelyn Peitchinis. Dear brother-in-law of the late Althea Lambkin. Special uncle to Madelyn Reynolds (John), Gloria Krupka (Emil), and Eldon Lambkin.
Visitation will be held on Monday, July 3, 2023 from 6 pm. until 8 pm. at the Arthur Funeral Home (492 Wellington Street E. 705-759-2522). Funeral Service in the chapel on Tuesday, July 4, 2023 at 11 am. Pastor Dan Gabor officiating. Internment in Greenwood cemetery. Memorial contributions (payable online or by cheque) to Galilean Bible Camp or to ARCH would be appreciated. Heartfelt thanks to Physicians, Nurses, PSW’s from Sault Area Hospital.
Psalm 23:4
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and they staff they comfort me". Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.arthurfuneralhome.com for the Elliott family.
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