Robert Donald PARKHILL

PARKHILL, Robert Donald To the countless people who would call themselves friends of Robert Parkhill (born March 26, 1960) and to the many reading this notice in disbelief – we can only tell you that his last hours were spent exactly as he would have wanted. Moments after finishing a flawless game of hockey at Kew Beach arena, in the crisp evening air of Friday, January 25, 2019, Rob suffered a sudden heart attack and left our world behind. Thirty minutes earlier, he was skating away from a hat-trick and beaming at the rest of the Balmy Beach Greens. Two hours earlier, he was kissing his wife goodbye at the door of their family home, in the neighbourhood he loved. He was the picture of health and happiness. Rob did not live his life with any hesitancy – he loved people openly, gave money and time freely and cared little about formalities. It was never too early to take a vacation, never too late to learn a new language or add a new friendship. He left nothing on the table. Life will never be the same for the people closest to Rob. His spirit lives on in his two sons, Robert ("R.J.") Parkhill-Reuby and Mark Parkhill-Reuby, whom he adored and proudly supported at countless baseball games and hockey tournaments. It was a source of indescribable joy for Rob that he was able to spend so many mid-week lunch breaks with his kids and he eagerly awaited their meetings while conducting sales calls. Rob was predeceased by his father Donald Parkhill and is survived by his mother Gerry Parkhill, sister Ariel Barkley (Phil Howard), nieces Laura Barkley and Eden Barkley (Chris Lipka) and nephew Nick Barkley (Emily). He also leaves behind his wife of ten years, Lynn Walker, and their beloved dog Sherman, who spent each evening by his side while he read biographies in their living room. Lynn and Rob had been planning another trip to Europe, having decided five years earlier not to wait for retirement to see the world. They were a week away from the special evening Rob had planned to celebrate Lynn's recently earned master's degree. He doted on her and treated her exactly as she deserved. He will also be sorely missed by Lynn's two children Arielle Dillonsmith (Nathaniel) and Sean Kieran (Alicia Costante), whom he loved as if they were his own from the very beginning. Entirely in character, Rob's final act was to make a life-sustaining gift of himself to the Trillium Gift of Life Network. A celebration of Rob's life will be held at The Balmy Beach Club on Sunday, February 3, 2019. Further details regarding the service can be found at inmemoryofrob.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to SickKids Foundation or the Canadian Tire Jumpstart charity.