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In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar
HARPER, Elmer Burton - We would like to let all of you know that my dad "Elmer Harper" died peacefully yesterday in his nursing home in Waterdown. He made it a little past his 96th birthday which was on January 10. It's hard to be sad (even though I am) since he was so fortunate to have lived such a full life. I will remember him with fond memories. I am also happy that I had the chance to visit him a few times in September. He was the last of his siblings to be alive.
A lot of you knew or at least met my dad, and those of you in Florida, PEI and England who didn't have the pleasure of meeting him, I think you would have liked him. He had a great sense of humor and was very social. He was also a very generous and honest person.
Born in Tupperville, Ontario in 1926 along with his twin sister Ruby, he joined the Army at 17 and the Navy at 18 during WWII. He also had siblings Rose, Bill, Glen and Lyle. He only lasted 2 weeks in the army, as his father would not sign the papers allowing someone under 18 to join. He was stationed in Halifax with the Navy, ready to ship out when the war ended. I suppose I wouldn't be writing this if he had shipped out. He lived through the depression, and said there wasn't much to go around in those days. He married my mother "Trudy" when he was 30, and they had three boys (Jim, Gary and myself) within 3 years. They moved to Burlington when I was 9 months old, where he went into business as a B/A gas station owner on Plains Rd and Brant St. A few years later he opened a second Gulf station on Lakeshore Road. He ran his business until he retired in his late 60's. I can honestly say that he loved his job for the most part. It was a very social old fashioned gas station where you could charge your gas and repairs. Most customers knew each other. His customers were very loyal and he treated them well. It was also a place where you might enjoy a cold beer in the back room with friends. He was forever helping out someone who was down on their luck, sometimes financially, sometimes giving them a job, sometimes just listening to them, sometimes providing them a place to live temporarily and I can't count how many people going through a divorce or who were widowed over the years who were invited to our Sunday night dinner or at Christmas. He was a proud sponsor of Burlington sports such as football, hockey, baseball, lacrosse and t-ball. I would say that some of his favorite times in his life was when he was heavily involved with the Shriners, where he spent a lot of time in parades, fundraising and socializing. Fortunately in his later years, he had the companionship of Jim and Brenda, Gary, and my niece Katie and her husband Chris who all helped him and spent a lot of time with him. The only time I ever saw my dad shed a tear was when my mother died 16 years ago. He truly loved her til the end.
He had a great life until he was about 90, walking down to the pub to socialize and hoist a couple of pints. He was a great father and grandfather, always giving and never asking anyone for anything in return. I am very proud and happy to have had him in my life. Unfortunately, we will not be able to have a ceremony due to the restrictions these days, but maybe we will be able to have a celebration of life in the summer.
Rest in peace dad. (The Hamilton Spectator 22 Jan 2022)
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