John Albert George Sayers

On October 29, 2023, John A.G. Sayers died peacefully at home surrounded with the love of his family. He is survived by his wife Ivy, daughters Kim, Jo-Anne (Marty) and Lynn, his twin sister Janet, and 16 nieces and nephews and their families in the UK. He was predeceased by his parents Albert and Violet, his older sister Mary, and his niece Anne.

John was born on March 5, 1937 in Brighton, East Sussex, England, 15 minutes after his sister.

John enjoyed regaling everyone with stories of his life in England as a boy during WWII, including adventures with his Jack Russell, Laddie. He served his UK National Service in Germany, as a radar operator.

John immigrated to Canada in 1958 on the ship Italia. He landed in Quebec City in April 1958 with $11 in his pocket. John worked for about six months at the Snow’s farm in Milton. John said working and living on a Canadian farm was an invaluable learning experience; it helped a young British man quickly learn about “becoming a Canadian”.

John joined the RCAF in 1958 and eventually worked as an electrician with flight simulators. He was posted to many communities in Canada and Germany.

John married Ivy Upfield in 1961 in Heathfield, East Sussex.

John was a kind, generous, open-minded, gentle man who listened to and respected different opinions. One icy cold night while travelling in northern Alberta with Ivy and his three toddlers, he picked up two stranded men; somehow four adults and three children crammed into his VW Beetle and made their way to the closest town. He laughed every time he told this story.

He was very supportive of his family and friends. If his children were involved in an activity, John got involved. When his daughters were participating in competitive swimming in Moose Jaw, he jumped in and volunteered for any and all swim meet duties, as well as driving throughout Saskatchewan and North Dakota for swim competitions.

John was a dedicated volunteer. In every town he lived, he was involved in his church, normally helping with Parish Council and Finance Committees. Even while his health declined, John volunteered with the Altar Guild at Epiphany Anglican Church.

There were many hard times, where John took on extra work to make ends meet. For many years in Ottawa, he worked at night as a security guard at various embassies. Rather than dwelling on the difficulties of this extra work, he always came home with a story of something interesting that happened during his shift.

When John retired, he focused on his passion for genealogy. He spent years researching his family history. John eventually found that he and Ivy had a Harmer family connection in the 1700’s. For years, he was integrally involved with the Harmer Family Association in Canada and England. He also became a specialist in researching British Home Children. He transcribed countless shipping records located at the Canadian Archives; these records show the names, ages and origin of the Home Children that came to Canada. Over the years, he helped many people find where their family came from. His extensive collection is now held by the British Isles Family History Society of Greater Ottawa (BIFHSGO) for the benefit of future research. A family joke is that John could bring every disparate conversation back to either Home Children or the Harmer Family.

John enjoyed sports, in particular the Toronto Blue Jays and Fantasy Baseball. He also relished a good debate, especially regarding politics. He took pride in keeping his home in good repair and he made many thoughtful renovations. He took great satisfaction in growing tomatoes and his pernickety orchids and he loved his pets. Ivy and John liked to travel throughout Europe and they went on several road trips through North America each year. More recently, they delighted in numerous driving trips to Miramichi and Annapolis Royal.

Everywhere John travelled and lived he made life-long friendships. He will be missed by many.

We wish to express our deep gratitude to the Bytown Palliative Medical team, especially Dr. Brodeur, and to Champlain Health for their care of John.

To honour John’s wishes, cremation has taken place. A private service was held at the Beechwood Cemetery. Those wishing to make a donation in memory of John are asked to consider Epiphany Anglican Church of Ottawa (www.epiphanyanglican.ca) or Hospice Care Ottawa (www.hospicecareottawa.ca).