Obituary of Kenneth Thomas Conroy

Conroy, Kenneth- It is with profound sorrow that we announce the death of our dad Ken Conroy, on Friday January 24th, 2020 at the age of 91. Each time his frail body faltered, his strong spirit kicked in. You can forgive his family for believing that he'd live forever and for hoping so. We celebrate and honour this ordinary hero; the man who worked hard, loved his wife and kids and had the unfailing courage to live out his faith and his convictions. Ken was born and raised on a farm outside of Chapeau, Quebec; the third of nine children to Martin and Edna Mae Conroy. His life was characterized by hard work and rock solid integrity. With just a minor “adjustment” to his birth certificate to meet the age requirement, he left the farm at a young age and headed west to work with his older brother Gord. At the age of 24, when the apple of his eye, Mae Duquette, also from Chapeau, Quebec was about to accept her first teaching position up north, Ken told her he had a better idea; “Let’s get married”. They did just that and as they say the rest is history. A skilled tradesman, Ken was head of maintenance at the building known as Autolite, then Prestolite, Sarnia Electric Motors, Petrosar and Fiberglas. A proud Point Edward resident, Ken served on village council for many years both as Councillor and Deputy Reeve. All of us benefitted from his expertise and attention to doing things right the first time. The original Mr. fix-it, Ken had a tool for everything and if there wasn’t one, he created it. With his ball cap worn with a tilt to the side, he was the first on site to help with any of our projects and always ended each day with the motto “tomorrow we will have another go at it.” His word was golden; if he said he would do something you could take that to the bank. Ken was predeceased by our dear mom, his wife of 63 yrs, Mae (2015), whom he missed every day. He was deeply loved and will be profoundly missed by his sons, Ken, Wayne (Nancy), Chris (Debbie) and by his daughters Rose Stebbins (Paul) and Barb Mondoux (Tim). He was Papa/Grandpa to 19 grandchildren and Papa Ken/Great Grandpa to 16 great grandchildren who made his heart sing. Ken is survived by his siblings, Gordon, Francis, Joan, Marilyn and Norma and predeceased by siblings, Mickey, Bernard and Bea. Dad’s final chapter unfolded at Twin Lakes Terrace, together with his brother Gord once again. We are so thankful for the kindness shown to him there. Dad you were our rock, our cornerstone and you always assured us a soft place to land. We smile as we think of the backyard rinks, the driving lessons and summers spent at the family cottage you built along the Ottawa River. Our loss is immeasurable but we will carry on and continue showing up for life, as you always did. Visitation will be held at McKENZIE & BLUNDY FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION CENTRE, 431 Christina St. N., on Thursday January 30th 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Our Lady of Mercy Roman Catholic Church on Friday, January 31st at 10 a.m. Interment Our Lady of Mercy Cemetery. Those who wish may send memorial donations to Heart and Stroke Foundation, 180-633 Colborne St., London N6B 2V3 or the Ivey Eye Institute, 268 Grosvenor St., London, ON N6A 4V2. Messages of condolence and memories may be left at www.mckenzieblundy.com