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DARLING, Henry “Badge”
1940 – 2025
Henry (Badge) Darling passed away March 3, 2025 at the age of 84.
Badge was born in Swastika to Sally and G.K. His childhood was spent hopping the backyard fence to Swastika Public School every morning with his siblings David and Nancy, and heading out into the bush on the Amakougami or the Blanche, with an axe, a knife, and his buddies every afternoon.
The Darling family started enjoying their cottage on Kenogami when Badge was a young teen. For Badge and the boys, waterskiing was life, and the friendships they built on the water, at the cottage, and at the Red Pines have lasted a lifetime. To Badge, Kenogami was never just a lake, it was the home, the family, and the friends that he would cherish and protect for the rest of his life.
Badge was a man of many hobbies and they grew and changed along with him. He was a mountain climber and a skier, a photographer, a hunter and a fisherman. He was a biker, a Fred Head, and an Airstream aficionado. He grew up a hockey player but ended up a soccer fan. He was a Mason, a Shriner, and member of the Provost, and he believed strongly that the purpose of Lodge was to take a good man and make him better. Badge was an electrician by trade but a woodcutter by calling and proud to still heat his home with a woodstove. While his interests might have changed, Badge never lost the friends that he made pursuing those interests, and they made his life better (and a lot more interesting!) for being part of it.
As much time as Badge spent having fun, he spent even more time helping his community. He served on many local service boards, but he will be remembered for his four decades as Fire Chief of the Kenogami and District Volunteer Fire Brigade. Badge, with help from his friends, built the Fire Brigade from a borrowed pump on the back of a pick-up to the Fire Hall and Community Centre that all of Kenogami benefits from today. He attended Fire College on the weekends, meetings in the evenings, and was on-call whenever he wasn’t at work. Being Chief of the KDVFB was 40 years of a full-time job that he did for no pay or benefits, only for the desire to build a safer community.
When Badge was younger, he never thought that he would have a family of his own. He met Sue in 1969 and she was beautiful, kind, and smart, so he thought he would give it a try. Sue had equal parts patience and determination, so she made it work. They started climbing up mountains and skiing down them together. Badge and Sue got married, and Jess came along, and suddenly Badge had a family. And it was a great one. Badge became the best father that a kid could hope to have. He taught his daughter not just what to do, but who to be. Badge learned how to be a husband. He learned how to love his wife, and to trust and respect her. Though Sue and Jess were often apart from Badge when he worked away, together, they built a life that everyone wanted to come home to.
So as is traditional in an obituary: Badge is survived by his wife and his daughter. By his brother David and by Sue’s brothers and sister and their nieces and nephews, especially Nick and Shane, of whom Badge thought the world. But Badge’s surviving family is made up of more than his relatives. He’s survived by his best friends who became his family, Bev and Jim Malnerich. He was Uncle Badge to Leanne and Eric, John and Shelagh, Andrew, Justin, Kate, and Sarah. He is survived by his chosen family, the Kryklywys. He often said that one of the best things to ever happen to the Darling family was Kathy and Ken buying the cottage next door. Badge became Papa Badge to Lisa, Jamie, and Jacqui. He watched them grow in incredible adults, and loved them like family. Then, he became Papa Badge to Riley, Kate, Jordyn, Kohen, Myla, Nora, and Sacha, and even though he won’t get to see them grown, he knew that they will be remarkable, too.
Badge’s last weeks were spent in the Kirkland Lake Hospital. It wasn’t where he wanted to be, but the nurses and doctors there made it a place where he could be. For a man who was described as looking like a “caged animal” the last time he had to be in hospital, please understand this to be the highest praise. The family’s sincerest thanks go out to the staff of the KL Hospital, and most especially to Nurse Kiki, Dr. Kurki and Dr. McPherson. Ontario’s healthcare system is in jeopardy, but you would never know that based on the amazing care Badge was given.
A memorial for Badge will be held this summer. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Badge’s name to
Kenogami and District Volunteer Fire Brigade
5450 Highway 11
Swastika, ON P0K1T0
Goodbye Badge. We love you. We’ll miss you, and we’ll catch you on the next big one.
1940 2025
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Death notice for the town of: Kirkland Lake, Province: Ontario
death notice DARLING Henry Badge 1940 2025
obituaries notice DARLING Henry Badge 1940 2025
We offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of DARLING Henry Badge 1940 2025 and hope that their memory may be a source of comfort during this difficult time. Your thoughts and kind words are greatly appreciated.
