John Hartley Irvine

John Hartley Irvine, the pillar of his family and devoted husband of Yvonne, has passed peacefully on February 4, 2025 at the age of 83 in London, Ontario. Born on August 12, 1941 in St. Marys, Ontario, John was known to most in his hometown as Hartley. The first child of his loving parents, Harold & Alice Irvine, John was a big brother to Linda and Richard.

As a young man, he became interested in emulating Harold, a decorated veteran of the Second World War, eventually serving in the militia. While a battle with polio would prevent a career in the military, it opened the door to a new path to happiness. Becoming a banker and accountant, John met his ‘Huron County Redhead’ Yvonne Pollard on Valentine’s Day 1963. Welcomed by Yvonne’s parents, George and Annie, and her siblings Kenneth, Douglas, Brian and Brenda, John’s giving spirit and sense of humour became an integral part of visits to the family farm in Walton, Ontario.

John and Yvonne married in Brussels, Ontario on Yvonne’s 23rd birthday. The couple welcomed two children, Michelle in 1967 and Sean in 1971. Grandchildren Caitlin, Jacob, Douglas, Abagail, Gwendalyn and Riley later became the joy of John’s life. That joy grew with great-grandchildren Matthew and Miles. John instilled in all of them the values of hard work and compassion for the less fortunate.

Throughout his life John gave countless hours to charitable organizations and service clubs, including serving as treasurer of the London Downtown Kiwanis Club and the former St. Alban’s Parish in London’s northeast end. John was an avid hobbyist of many pursuits.  But his greatest passion was stamp and cover collecting with the London Stamp Club. In retirement, this passion led to being recognized by The Canadian Aerophillatelist Magazine for his discovery of surviving copies of a stamp marking a planned 1927 transatlantic flight from London, Ontario to London, England, mere months after Charles Lindbergh’s famous first crossing. The ill-fated flight never made it, and 13 commemorative stamps were known to be destroyed, leaving John’s surviving stamps and their original printing plate highly sought after.

John would have great rapport and love for his daughter-in-law Stephanie St. Louis-Irvine and his son-in-laws Tyler Hayes and later, most especially, Paul White. He also enjoyed a wonderful relationship with his second daughter, Michelle’s best friend, Jennifer Martin of London. While his heartbreak at the loss of Michelle in 2006 forever changed him, it never broke his unique sense of humour. The same could be said throughout John’s most recent battle with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Yvonne’s true love for John lead her to care for him at home until just two months before his passing.  In this time, PSW’s Kevin and Carlo greatly assisted. The family wishes to thank the staff of the Brighton Neighbourhood at Glendale Crossing London for their compassionate care for John in his final months. They’d also like to thank the medical team and nursing staff of the 7th Floor neurology department at University Hospital London and Dr. Berry’s palliative care team.

The family asks you to cheer on the Philadelphia Flyers or the Detroit Tigers in John’s memory. Let there be “No tears in your beers” and raise a pint of Sleeman Clear.

Visitation will be held at Westview Funeral Chapel, 709 Wonderland Road North, London on Friday, February 7, 2025 from 3:30 – 6:30 p.m.  A memorial service will be held at Westview Funeral Chapel on Saturday, February 8, 2025 at 3:00 p.m.  For those unable to attend, there will be a livestream of the memorial service.  You can register to view it by clicking Remembering John.

In lieu of flowers, please consider supporting the Canadian Diabetes Association, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation or the Kidney Foundation in John’s honour.