John Dumaresq DE PENCIER

JOHN DUMARESQ DE PENCIER LL.D. On December 18, 2018, at Belmont House in Toronto. Born in 1930, John was the dedicated husband of Marni (who predeceased him in 2014) and proud father of Joseph (Veronica Nunn), Jan (Geoffrey Seaborn), Adam (Jane LaMantia) and Michèle (Michael Eastmure). He was the admired older brother of Michael de Pencier (Honor) and loving grandfather to North and Dumaresq de Pencier, Emma (Rob Grundy) Claire and Adam Seaborn, Fin and Hannibal de Pencier, and James, Nick and Patrick Hunter. He was delighted to welcome a great-grandson, Fraser James Grundy, in 2016. John will be fondly remembered by his nieces and nephews from the de Pencier, Lithgow, and Rodgers families. A graduate of Trinity College School, where he was the goalie of an undefeated hockey team in 1948, he maintained a lively contact with TCS his entire life, including Board Chair and Life Governor. He was also a passionate volunteer serving as Director of the National Ballet of Canada, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Nature Conservancy of Canada, the Young Naturalist Foundation, the Canadian Paraplegic Association, the Canadian Association of Independent Schools, and the Council of Ontario Universities. John enthusiastically served as Captain, Board Chair and Honourary President of the Toronto Golf Club, President of the Badminton and Racquet Club, and was a founding member of the Georgian Peaks Ski Club where he shared his love of skiing with his young family. John's lifelong career in the insurance business began with an apprenticeship at Richardson Bros, which subsequently became Richardson, Garratt, de Pencier. John went on to become Senior Vice-President at Reed Stenhouse (AON) and his insurance career culminated in a North American Directorship with Lloyd's of London where he navigated several world wide syndicates through some challenging passages. John became Chair of Trent University's Board of Governors, and skillfully presided over many critical decisions and issues; education was deeply important to John and while he did not attend university, there was no greater source of delight to him than supporting his children and wife through fourteen university degrees, perhaps most notably Marni's Ph.D where he was with her every step of the way. John was the most worthy recipient of an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Trent in 2002. Along with his family, John loved time at cottages in the French River and Lake Joseph; a lifelong pilot, John explored vast swaths of Northern Ontario and Quebec, and once placed highly in a trans float plane race across Lake Superior. John's integrity and capacity for friendship were beyond peer. The most gentle of souls, he always put the interests of others ahead of his own, and he inspired trust, respect, and affection wherever he turned. John's children are grateful to the staff at Belmont House and the wonderful support he received from his caregivers, in particular Belen Santos and Lucy Morales. A funeral service will be held at 11 o'clock a.m., Saturday December 22, 2018 Christ Church Deer Park, 1570 Yonge Street, Toronto.