A Thamesville-area couple who died during a severe winter storm just before Christmas enjoyed going on numerous cruises and trips to the sunny south.
A Thamesville-area couple who died during a severe winter storm just before Christmas enjoyed going on numerous cruises and trips to the sunny south.
While authorities have not identified the victims who were found dead outside their Southwestern Ontario home on Dec. 24, residents in this tight-knit community say it was 82-year-old Donald Cameron and his wife Lillian, 83.
“They loved taking cruises,” said Betty Stirling, a lay minister who presided over funeral services for the couple earlier this month.
She added they saw much of the world while on their trips and also enjoyed going to Florida.
“Don farmed in a large way,” said Stirling, adding he was always open and willing to adopt the latest farming techniques and technologies.
“Don loved to drive the combine,” Stirling said.
She added he enjoyed having passengers ride along with him during his chores, especially his children when they were younger and later his two grandsons, Ben and Sean.
“(Lillian) was just a lovely lady,” said a local resident who didn’t want to give her name. “She loved to garden.”
Noting the couple farmed a lot of acreage, she added the Camerons “were hard working, definitely.”
Stirling said the couple also enjoyed having dogs, especially German shepherds and shepherd mixes.
An online condolence from Marlene Maddock stated she and Lillian had been pen-pals since about age nine.
“We have shared many stories about our families,” Maddock wrote. “I will miss that and our recent times chatting on messenger.”
Another online condolence from the Galbraith family stated they were “profoundly sorry” to hear the sad news of the couple’s passing.
“Their presence in the community will definitely be missed.”
Chatham-Kent police officials said they don’t know why the pair was outside their home in Thamesville – about 25 kilometers northeast of Chatham – when they were found on Dec. 24.
Spokesperson Sgt. Lynette Hodder did confirm the deaths were weather-related.
She added police decided not to issue a media release out of respect for the family and their privacy.
“It was a very tragic event and our deepest condolences go out to the family,” Hodder said.
The winter storm that began Dec. 23 resulted in multiple regions declaring states of emergency, including Chatham-Kent, where officials urged drivers to stay off the roads because of dangerous driving conditions caused by snow and high winds. The municipality pulled its snowplows off the road because visibility was near zero.
The OPP closed Highway 401 between Tilbury and London, stranding hundreds of travelers who could not continue on trips to visit family and friends for Christmas. The stranded travelers spent the night at emergency shelters in arenas at Ridgetown and Tilbury while some stayed with residents who offered rooms in their homes.
Tens of thousands of Ontarians were left without power and holiday travel plans were thrown into chaos after the storm hit Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick.
With files from Canadian Press