George Joseph Walter LANNON

LANNON, George Joseph Walter 2008-05-20 1915-2008 George J. Walter Lannon took his last breath peacefully on May 17th at St. Joseph‘s Hospital with his son Art by his side. George raised five children with Cecile Simone Lannon (nee Gratton). He is predeceased by son Paul, grandson Marty, and is survived by sisters Evelyn and Grace, children Cathi, Art, Valerie and Robert, plus nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. George was born April 29, 1915 in a log cabin in Fauquier, near Kapuskasing, where he attended school until the age of 12. As a true life-long learner, he completed his high school at the age of 87. This enabled him to hand write a 50-page memoir. His early years of work included time in logging camps and general stores in the Kapuskasing, Kirkland Lake, and Timmins areas. He and Cecile moved to Thunder Bay in 1945 when he began managing the Reward Shoe Stores. In 1950, he and two partners established Willport Realty, and George went on to establish a highly successful career in the real estate and development industry. He founded Lannon Realty, Shore Bay Construction, and later Langratt Limited. He was an avid hunter and fisher, with a particular love of the Lac des Milles Lacs area. But George pursued a wide variety of other hobbies. While he especially enjoyed pottery and gardening, over the years he studied geology, gemology, lapidary, water colour painting, and cooking. George saw it as his civic duty to enter public life and, therefore, served as a school trustee, ran for city council, and was a Director of Education for the Ontario Real Estate Association. Having the traveler‘s bug, he pursued adventures throughout Europe and North America. Upon his retirement, George entered into volunteer work with a number of international aid agencies. In this role he travelled to the Philippines and Nepal. To the end of his life, he retained close contact with members of the local Philippine community. George was a quiet man who will be fondly remembered as strong, resourceful and generous. His determination led him from abject poverty to becoming an ambitious and successful entrepreneur. But he never forgot his roots and demonstrated compassion and support for those less fortunate. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the International Association for Transformation, Box 30090 Saanich Centre, Victoria BC Z8X 5E1, or to St. Joseph‘s Hospital. A special thanks to the nursing staff and other caregivers who created a caring and comfortable environment throughout his final days. Friends are invited to a Celebration of Life on Friday May 23rd, 12 noon in the Valhalla Hotel ballroom. A tree will be planted in memory of George Lannon in the Blake Funeral Chapel Memorial Grove. Annual dedication service Sunday, June 28, 2009.