Harry Martindale

Passed away on Saturday, July 29, 2023 at St. Joseph’s Hospice Care in London, Ontario, due to natural causes. Residing in Komoka, Ontario, he was 84.

He was born at Barker Stakes Farm in Pickering, N. Yorkshire, England to William and Winifred Martindale, and grew up with sisters Elsie and Ruby.  He spent his early years during World War II with his parents, but frequently visited his aunt and uncle’s farm, which he greatly enjoyed, learning how farms work and looking after a variety of animals.

Harry joined the British Royal Air Force in the late 1950s and was stationed in Aden, with frequent supply runs to Kenya. There he grew interested in air compressors and airplane systems, given his inability to become a pilot due to colour-blindness.  Returning to England, he met Sheila Barrett, and married in 1962, with whom he had three sons, Christopher and Andrew while in England, and Stephen, born after they emigrated to Canada. Here they also adopted daughter Francine.  After moving from the Montreal area to London, Ontario in 1979, they divorced in 1982.  By 1987, Harry met Anne Keith at the Western Fair Raceway, due to their mutual love of horse racing.  They married that year and moved to their current farm Meadow Bloom Stables in 1989. They became a fixture in the horse community in Southwestern Ontario, both breeding their own racehorses- some that won, sometimes- and foaling and boarding for others.

Harry enjoyed sports, including cricket as a youth, running in the military, and soccer as an adult in Two Mountains, Quebec.  As a member of the Greenhills Country Club, he enjoyed competing as an avid tennis player.  Later in life he still watched professional baseball, football, and cricket on TV, as well as the Olympics. He strongly encouraged all his children in sports as well.

Harry sold snow-making machines in Vermont in the early 1980’s, then later became a salesman at London Compressed Air, traversing Southwestern Ontario. He became Managing Director of the company, until LCA became part of Ingersoll Rand, before finally retiring in 2014.  This circled him back to his true passion— farming— as he and Anne looked after more than 30 horses, along with other animals.

Though a talented salesman, Harry wasn’t a big people person, preferring quiet farming life to a typical city existence. He appreciated loyal friends, and the helpful spirit of surrounding neighbours. He is survived by his wife, Anne Martindale; sons Andrew and Steve Martindale; daughter Francine Martindale-Sharp; step-son Rod Keith; step-daughter Leanne Keith Sexton; and grandchildren Dakarai and Teagan Martindale, John H. Sharp, Nathaniel Keith, Mia Crossen, Jacob Sexton, Jason Sexton, ToviAnne Nuyten, and Jasper Hasham.

Visitation will be held at Westview Funeral Chapel, 709 Wonderland Road North, London on Thursday, August 3, 2023 from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. Memorial donations may be made to the London Regional Cancer Program, or St. Joseph’s Hospice of London.