Obituary Overview
Lovingly Remembered
Our beloved husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather passed away after a brief illness just short of his 89th birthday.
He is survived by his loving wife Marianne of 62 years and children Karen (Jeff) and Rob (Alicia), grandchildren Kelley (Jamieson) and Ryan; and great grandchildren Ashton and Emerson.
John was born in Belfast N.I and as a constable for the RUC was recruited by the Edmonton Police Service at the age of 23. Arriving in Edmonton on November 1952 after a surprisingly long train trip from Quebec City, John was surprised by the climate and local customs like central heating. After a few years John met the love of his life Marianne and decided to stay in Edmonton permanently. After serving 32 years with the Edmonton Police Service he retired on Feb 1984 as a Staff Sergeant. In his retirement he enjoyed yearly trips to Hawaii, buying and enjoying a cabin at Ma-Me-O Beach and indulging his considerable intellectual curiosity. John enjoyed reading about history, religion, science and philosophy and discussing these topics with his friends every morning at the local McDonalds along with current events. He also enjoyed a wide variety of music and his tastes ran from Rachmaninov to Deep Purple and from the Soviet Army Chorus to Celtic singers. John was a tough but gentle person who loved animals and believed in treating all life with respect.
The family would like to thank the staff at Grey Nuns Hospital Unit 51 and especially Dr. Rouget for ensuring John’s last few days were as comfortable and dignified as possible.
A memorial service will be held at Glenwood Funeral Home (South of Wye Road on Range Road 232, Sherwood Park, AB) at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, February 16, 2018.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of John Robert Tilson 2018.source
Death notice for the town of: Sherwood Park, Province: Alberta