Desmond Leo Brady

Passed away suddenly at age 80 in Burlington, Ontario, on September 15, 2022. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Des was a bon vivant, entrepreneur, raconteur, bibliophile, and friend to all he met. Greta, a fearless and beautiful Irish nurse, stole his heart, and together they raised daughters Shirley, Diane, and Elise in Scotland and Canada. Des was a born salesman, selling flooring around the U.K. before opening his own business in Toronto in the early 1970s. He later worked for Interface, Heuga, and Milliken before fulfilling a lifelong dream in 1995 by opening his own bookstore. Pickwick Books in Waterdown, Ontario, quickly became a magnet for book lovers, presided over by "Mr. Pickwick" himself. He appeared as the Dickens character at local events and served as the model for "The Pickwick Papers" book cover for Oxford University Press. Des was a man who lived large and laughed loudly, but he was also the first to reach out with a comforting word and helping hand for those in need. A voracious reader and man of eclectic tastes, his passions ranged from spy novels to the works of Churchill, Elvis to Gilbert and Sullivan, and Jeopardy to Seinfeld. He was unbeatable in Trivial Pursuit. He loved to travel to Maine, where he spent many summers at Goose Rocks Beach and Kennebunkport, enjoying lobster rolls, antiquing and book-hunting. Des leaves behind his beloved daughters, his sons-in-law Andrew and Michael, and his grandchildren Elliott, Natalie, Connor, Isabel, Ruby, and Alex. He is also survived by his siblings James, Andrew, Anne, and Paul. A piece of his heart went with Greta when she died in 2017. He was also preceded in death by his parents, Andrew and Bridget, his brother John, and his son-in-law Barry. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory to The Marginal Way Preservation Fund (www.marginalwayfund.org). A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Condolences, memories and photos may be left at www.circleoflifecbc.com