John Timothy PRITCHARD

JOHN TIMOTHY PRITCHARD John Timothy Pritchard, age 81, at Stratford, ON. A family man, keen recreational hockey player, hobby farmer, handyman and mixer of excellent martinis, Tim died of complications from prostate and bone cancer. He is survived by his wife Vicki, (nee Foti), daughters Tracey and Jennifer Pritchard, grandchildren Alexandra O'Shea (Ryan), Nicholas and Jack Murphy, Ruth Pritchard, and great-granddaughter Freya O'Shea. He was the oldest of four children born to Geoffrey Pritchard and his wife Eileen (nee Playford), both of Winnipeg. Tim was born in Toronto in 1939 but most of his early years were spent in Winnipeg and later Calgary, where hockey became his favourite sport - one he would play into his mid-70s. When Tim was in his early teens, the Pritchard family moved from the west back to Toronto, where Tim finished school and married Vicki. A few years later the couple moved to Montreal, where they lived for almost a decade, before returning to Toronto. Vicki's career in the travel business enabled them to see much of the world. But Tim's happiest and most memorable days were spent at Otterburn, a 96-acre, mostly wooded, property near St, Marys, ON. This became home on his retirement from the newspaper business in the late 1990s, and remained so for the next 17 years. Tim and Vicki moved to Stratford in 2015 when advancing age made Otterburn too much to manage. "The farm", as Otterburn was known, was host to many gatherings of friends and family. Tim's extended farm family included his dogs, a couple of horses, a dozen or more chickens and new plantings of oak and maple trees most years. There was always work aplenty - cleaning the barn, hauling hay and straw, cutting brush and mowing trails. Busy days usually concluded with drinks in the gazebo overlooking Otter Creek, weather permitting, and around the fireplace in the house when it did not. At family gatherings, drinks were followed by five star meals, since three generations of Pritchards are dedicated foodies. In accordance with Tim's wishes, there will be no funeral. Those who knew him will remember him in their own way. Anyone who wants to make a monetary remembrance might consider a donation to the JumpStart program, managed by Canadian Tire. It encourages mainly disadvantaged youngsters to participate in sports by providing equipment, coaching and facilities. A celebration of Tim's life is planned at a later date.