Obituary of John Graydon Annesley

JOHN GRAYDON ANNESLEY

ANNESLEY, John Graydon, late of Regina, Saskatchewan, passed away peacefully on Sunday, January 14, 2018 at age of 87 years. He was predeceased by his wife Ruberta; parents Archie and Dora Annesley; brothers Allan, Glennis, Amos, and one brother in infancy; and by his sisters Marguerite, Evelyn and Mary. John is survived by his sister Ida; stepdaughter Debbie (Dan) of Regina; grandchildren Kris, Shannon, and Alison; and numerous nieces and nephews. John was proud of his farm heritage and loved to reminisce about his childhood on the family farm near Cymric, SK. He liked telling the story of how he was born on the farmhouse kitchen table, and spoke often of the many hours spent bouncing along on the tractor seat in the fields. After finishing his schooling, he moved to Regina and in 1966 bought his house on Stewart Avenue which would be his home for the next 50 years. He trained as an auto mechanic and worked as a mechanic for a while before taking a job at Robinson Machinery Ltd., where he met the love of his life and future wife Ruberta. When he left Robinson Machinery he took a job managing SIAST’s bookstore in the General Hospital, where he thoroughly enjoyed all the pampering from the students as they practiced cleaning his teeth, manicuring his nails, styling his hair, and giving him facials. John worked for SIAST until retiring in 1995. All of his Stewart Avenue neighbours knew and loved John and the neighbourhood kids had a special affection for him, calling him “Uncle John”.  He was a good neighbour, generous with his time and knowledge, outspoken, stubborn, and independent, with a great sense of humour. In 2016, his health took a turn for the worse and he was no longer able to live on his own, so spent the last year and a half of his life at Helping Hands Personal Care Home. John collected anything John Deere, loved building things, woodworking, hunting, and target shooting. He was very proud of his grandkids and always took an interest in their activities and accomplishments right up until his passing. Many thanks to John’s neighbours for keeping an eye on him in his later years and allowing him to maintain his independence. A very special thank you to the management and staff at Helping Hands, your compassion and understanding gave John the best possible quality of life. And lastly, thank you to the unflappable doctors and nurses at the Pasqua Hospital, who were most patient and kind to John and the family during his brief time there. As usual, he didn't want a lot of fuss, so at John’s request there will be no funeral service. Anyone wishing to make a charitable donation in John’s memory may do so to the Regina Humane Society, Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan, or the Canadian Cancer Society.