It is with profound sadness and grief that we announce the passing of Cliff. After a 10-day journey at hospice, he was released from his pain on Dec 30, surrounded by close family, friends, and the compassionate earth angels of Mariposa House Hospice. Cliff's final moments were in the loving presence of Donna and Tami. Cliff was set free from the arms of his daughter before being embraced in his son's wings.
Cliff waited to bid farewell after a facetime call to his brother Al Giles (Judy). Cliff will be dearly missed by his sister-in-laws Julie Hurrle (Greg) and Jackie Sturrock (Rob) who looked at Cliff as father to them after the loss of their dad at a very young age. Brother-in-law Wayne Stewart (predeceased) Audrey, and sister-in-law Dianne Giles. Cliff will be remembered by many nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews. Sadly, Cliff was predeceased by many family members including his son Jimmy, mother and father Jack and Irene Giles, mother and father-in-law Jim and Verna Stewart, brother and sister-in-law Jimmy and Theresa Stewart, brother-in-law Wayne Stewart and nephew Cory Sturrock.
Cliff was a very dedicated husband to Donna of 56 years and a cherished father to Jimmy (predeceased), Tami and bonus son Cory Crate. He was an extremely proud and devoted Poppa to Cole and Luke Crate. His best friend was his four legged companion, Charlie, often putting Charlie's needs before himself.
Cliff lived a life full of love, hard work, dedication and, at times, great tragedy and heartbreak. He found joy in staying busy with meaningful activities particularly in the company of his family and friends. His greatest joy was spending time with his grandsons, who held a special place in his heart. After graduating from Chef school, Cliff worked in the kitchen at the Skylon Tower and various high end restaurants in Toronto. After long hours in the kitchen and wanting to start a family, Cliff left the kitchen and gained employment in various aspects of the industrial sector including: drilling wells, drywalling and lastly a welder.
After moving from their hometown of Newmarket, Cliff and Donna made their cottage on Lake Dalrymple a welcoming home, where many memories were made. Their home became a gathering place for family and friends, a spot where everyone felt welcome to share a drink, meal, or a good night's stay. Cliff took great pride in being the "biggest kid" among his children's friends, enjoying drinks in the garage, giving Cole and Luke four wheeler rides and fishing off the dock with them, cutting wood with his son, being the "Fox's Beach handyman," four-wheeling, hunting, tending to his flower gardens, and touring around the lake visiting friends with his dog sitting on his knee.
Following the heartbreaking loss of his son, life for Cliff was never the same, However, we are grateful that Cliff and Donna were able to move closer to their treasured family, enjoying their time together in what became their "compound" with Tami, Cory, Cole and Luke. These precious moments were a gift to us all.
We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Mariposa House Hospice for their care and support during Cliff's journey. Your compassion allowed us to mourn in a space that felt like home, and we are forever thankful for the beautiful staff and the love they showed us all. We also want to thank the OSMH nurses that dedicated their time to Cliff, allied teams, clerical support, housekeeping and dietary staff, and discharge planners who made the hospice experience possible. Special thanks to nurse Cathy Hopkins, whose care for Cliff was nothing short of extraordinary. You treated him like he was your own father, and we are forever grateful. We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who honoured Cliff at hospice during his "Walk of Life." His soul was deeply touched and released in the presence and love of so many family and friends.
Cliff is no longer in pain, and his heart is no longer shattered. He was a strong, determined man who faced the cruelty of dementia with remarkable resilience. Though the disease took him from us far too early, and held on for far too long, Cliff's spirit remained unwavering.
In honour of Cliff's life, we invite family and friends to join us in the spring/summer at our "granny suite" to celebrate his memory and the love he brought to our lives. Cremation has taken place.
In Cliff's memory, we would greatly appreciate you to consider making a donation to Mariposa House Hospice. This will help ensure that others in our community can experience the compassionate care and love that families like ours have cherished during the final days with loved ones. Messages of condolence are welcomed at www.mundellfuneralhome.com