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Throughout these biographies, the reader may find it useful to refer to the following: |
| Chapter(s): | Title: | Period: |
| One | Fletchers as Celts, Scots, and Highlanders | BCE 6000 to 1800 |
| Two | From the Highlands to Canadian Homestead | 1800 to 1900 |
| Chapter(s): | Title: | Period: |
| Three to Ten | James Fletcher III (my grandfather) | 1878 to 1972 |
| Chapter(s): | Title: | Period: |
| Twenty-one to Fortynine | The Life of David Fletcher | born 1955 |
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Chapter Eighteen: Retirement and Senior Golf
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Chapter Eighteen: |
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18.1 Retirement (June, 1973)John entered into his diary on 4 September, 1973: "my first day-after-labour-day off since childhood. Shot 77 on this day and that evening heard Ron and Sue tell about their recent trip to Paris, London, and Edinburgh." John felt that he was retiring at just the right time. It seemed that the teaching profession was getting more difficult, changing more rapidly, and the teachers' federation becoming more militant. John had never been on strike --and he never wanted to be. He watched in horror as Windsor schools were closed because of mass resignations by teachers. Even after retirement, John followed closely the developments in the teaching profession. 17 January, 1976, striking teachers in Toronto were legislated back to work. |
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18.2 Seniors' and Related Trip 4: Montreal (1973)Golf was still very much the most important thing however. By 29 September John had recorded 158 completed rounds at Scarboro G. and C.C. in the golf season of 1973. The "golf season" started in March and extended to mid or even late November. 1973 turned out to be a record year with John playing recording 172 rounds at Scarboro alone. The summer before, 1972, he had only played 96 complete rounds. John had been a member since 1959. In the summer of 1973 John and I drove to Montreal for another Seniors' Golf Tournament. By October, 1973, John's handicap was just barely 9. That is his best ten total was 99 over par. Once it totalled 100 then his handicap would rise to 10 --which is what he was fighting against. John knew many golfers at Scarboro G and C.C. with whom he could not be paired. For example, 27 October, 1973, he wrote in his diary of one such incompatability. He played with John Whitehead that day, and noted that John "broke every rule in the book." |
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18.3 The "Big Trip" to Scotland, 29 June - 22 July, 1974
After spending the Spring of 1974 preparing, John and Esther embarked on their first trip overseas. This would be the only time either of them would go to a country outside of North America.
The first leg of the "Big Trip" as John called it, was to drive to Moncton to play in the RCGA Seniors' tournament. They left 23 June and had a mediocre tournament. On 28 June they drove to Halifax and flew to Prestwick, arriving in Glascow, 29 June. The first thing John wanted to do was play Gleneagles golf course. He played both the Queen's course and the Kings course over the next few days. They toured Edinburgh, Stirling, and St. Andrews, before going north to Ballater, Aberdeenshire.
AberdeenshireIn Aberdeenshire, they visited Ella Fletcher (18_ - 19__) in her home in Torphins, Scotland. With Ella, they toured the Valley of Cromar and saw the Culsh Earth House. They saw "Knocksoul" (the old Fletcher Farm) --but it was now owned by John Milne. They also saw the old Dawson farm, called "Deskry". John wrote that they appreciated seeing Morven, where they enjoyed their only nice weather. John described the "high point" of the trip being their visit to the Migvie Cemetary --where many Fletchers were buried.They visited Edinbourgh castle, Holyrood Castle, Durham Cathedral, Lorbridge Roman Camp, walked Hadrian's Wall (at Housestead's Fort). They then continued on South to Blackpool, and on to the Royal Lytham to see the British Open in mid-July. They saw Gary Player win. They then went on to Birmingham, Coventry, Stratford, Malvern, Roman Baths at Bath Spa, Wells Cathedral, Glasatonbury Tor, Stonehenge, Thomas Hardy's cottage near Puddletown, and Winchester.
17 July, 1974 They then headed back North to Oakham, York, Yorkminster Cathedral, Penrith, Carlyle, and then back into Scotland at Dumphries.
20 July, 1974
22 July, 1974: Return Flight |
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18.4 Politics, Society, and Culture (1970s and 1980s)Toronto at this time had a population of ________; Ontario about 7,000,000; Canada about 27,000,000; and the world around 5,000,000,000. Cold War HockeyThe period started with another (the second) dramatic Canada-Russia hockey series in the Fall of 1974. It was the only time when John was very enthusiastically interested in hockey. This is depsite the fact that John knew personally several players on Toronto's hockey team, the Maple Leafs --including Dave Keon.OSSTF and StrikesThe year that John retired (June, 1973) saw a negotiated new collective agreement which included a 15.3 % raise (over two years). This contract was agreed to on 21 November, 1973. But after this, negotiations with the boards across the province became difficult. The provincial government had acted provocatively by passing in the legislature Bill 274. This was Compulsory Arbitration legislation which the teachers opposed because they did not trust arbitrators to be unbiased and fair. As an expression of their opposition, teachers spontaneously stormed the legislature on 11 December, 1973, the day after Bill 274 passed. A more extensively planned demonstration was planned for 18 December, 1973, and 30,000 teachers showed up to march on Queen's Park.The next round of negotiations was very difficult and led to one of the more dramatic periods for John: a major OSSTF strike. Even though he was retired, he still followed teachers' events closely. The strike started 12 November, 1975. It occured at a time when postal workers were already into day 23 of their strike. The University of Toronto CUPE library workers were also on strike. This strike ended 10 December, 1975. On 1 December, 1975, OSSTF members demonstrated in front of the legislature. An OSSTF tentative agreement, negotiated 22 December, 1975, was turned down by the membership during a ratification vote. VietnamThe Vietnam was drawing to bloody conclusion. Five U.S. aircraft carriers were sent to help in the evacuation. The last days, in late April, 1975 were hectic. Finally on 29 April, Saigon fell.Mao died 9 September, 1976. Ontario Election and Kidney Stones18 September, 1975 there was an Ontario election, but John missed this entirely because he was in hospital with his kidney stone (see section 4). Nevertheless, his party (the Progressive Conservatives) won --however with a minority.Three Mile Island Nuclear DisasterOn 30 March, 1979, the Three Mile Island nuclear plant near Harrisburg sprung a leak and threatened the region.Federal Tories Come to Power, 1979Perhaps the biggest political event of this period, as far as John was concerned, was Joe Clark winning the election of 22 May, 1979. The Conservatives would not stay in power for long, however, as a confidence vote on their first budget failed, and they lost the next general election (18 February, 1980). Trudeau was returned to power and John records this as a "sad day in Canada's history, a day in common with 25 June, 1968; 30 October, 1972; and 8 July, 1974."Pope Shot, 1980Pope John Paul II was shot at the Vatican on 3 May, 1980.Sadat AssassinatedEgyptian President Anwar Sadat was shot in his reviewing stand in Cairo, 6 October, 1981.Patriation of ConstitutionAfter tense negotiations, including the last minute, middle-of-the-night "night of the long knives" (in which Quebec's Rene Levesque was excluded), nine premiers agreed to a compromise for a new constitution, including a charter of rights and freedomes. This came into affect 17 April, 1982. John opposed this replacement of parliamentary decision-making with judge-led law (in their role of interpreting the new constitution) because it was yet another step towards Amerianization. It was seen, however, as Trudeau's great accomplishment, and he retired from public life two years later. |
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18.5 Life on Beaufort Road (1970s and 1980s)FriendsJohn knew many people. Some were local figures, such as Ted Reeve. Others he knew through having taught them at Malvern, such as Bruce Kidd and Glen Gould. Others he knew through golf at Scarboro.A close friend of Esther's was Barbara Gilroy (61 Beaufort Road). According to Esther, she "lost her leg because of diahrea" (diabetes). A close friend was Rich Anthony across the street at 48 Beaufort Road. He and Doris had two children: Dawn, who married John Miller and became a teacher at Malvern; and Graham (friends of Bern and I) who became a secondary school teacher as well. 51 Beaufort RoadThis picture is of 51 Beaufort Road:
John's HealthIn the summer of 1975 John health suffered as a result of a kidney stone. This gave him much discomfort and 8 September entered the hospital. He was operated on within a few days (10th), and spent until the 19th recovering in hospital. We all visited him many times, and he refers to his room as being like "Grand Central Station" in his diary.Family PhotosThe following photo is from 1979:
The following photo is from 1981: 
The following photo is from 1985: 
The following photo is from Christmas, 1985: 
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18.6 A Peak Reached in GolfJohn's golf collegues at Scarboro Golf and Country Club included:
During the next period of five years, John and David made extensive use of the 'golf pit', hosting fellow Malvern students Dave Deasely, Bill Forsyth, and Chris Tancock. Georgia Trip, 1977Between 31 March, and 12 April, 1977, John went on a golfing holiday in Georgia.John's "career rounds" were during this period of the summer of 1975. John shot a 77 on 19 July, --but he called his "career round" his 76 on 15 August, 1975. John's obcessive nature and dedication to completing a round of golf are illustrated by one story from 21 August, 1977. He was one in a foursome, when one of them, Ivan Younker, suffered a heart attack on the sixth green. Ivan was fortunate indeed that Doctor Longo was in the foursome with them. Longo accompanied Ivan to the ambulance, but John and Jack Rutherford continued on. In fact, John was undisturbed and recorded back-to-back birdies a few holes later, on numbers ten and eleven. A Peak in Golfing CareerAs the chart below illustrates, this season of the year 1977? represents a peak in his golf.
This was beginning too, of a long period of friends dieing. John would go to many of the funerals of relatives, friends, school acquaintances, golfing partners, and war buddies. For example, Phil Farley (1974). Particularly disturbing were the suicides on Beaufort Road. Right across
the street, at 52 Beaufort, there was the hanging of Sylvia Perkins on 30
April, 1975. This was followed one year later by the suicide in the same
basement of one of the three sons, Reynold. They were survived by ____ sons
Frank and Victor --but they disappeared and have not been seen since.
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18.7 1977 to 1983: After the Peak: Less and Less GolfSeniors' TournamentsJohn recorded that on 31 March, 1975, he helped Bern to film the Sikorsky helicopter raise up and place the highest antenae on the new CN tower. Bern had just recently purchased his 8 mm movie camera.1 April, 1975, John visited his mother, Ada, at Thamesview Lodge. During the 1970s, John had many minor traffic accidents. For example, 13 April, 1976 he rear-ended a Volvo. In late March, early April, 1976, John drove with his close friend 'Doc Jim' Richardson on a golf holiday in the southern U.S. Last Golf Season, 19791979 was really John's last major golf season.In the 1980 season, John did not get out to the course at all until 6 August. He did not play more than five rounds this year. 1981 saw even less golf. |
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18.8 Esther Fletcher: 1973 to 1977
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18.9 Ron FletcherRon and Sue's daughter, Laura, (born on 28 August, 1968) was by now growing up. In 19__, Ron, Sue, and Laura moved into a second floor apartment near the beach. Ron's Move to ScarboroIn 19__, Ron, Sue, and Laura moved to 34 Madras Crescent in Scarboro. During the 1970s, John and Esther would often babysit.Ron, Sue, and Laura had a dog, Skippy, who was often brought to 51 Beaufort Road when the family went on holidays. John would walk the dog. Ron's Holidays, 1970sRon and Sue holidayed in England. They left 12 August, 1978 and returned on 4 September.Ron, Sue, and Laura vacationed in Quebec 11 May, to __ May, 1979. They then vacationed in Newfoundland 11 August, to 31 August, 1979. Ron's Problems and Separation, 1980Problems became serious and became a burden on John in the Fall of 1979. John tried to help, by paying off Ron's mortgage, etc. but neither John nor Esther knew what else to do. By June, 1980, they were openly having problems and Ron was often back at home. By August John was accompanying Ron to lawyers, helping him fill out affadavits, etc. On 29 August, 1980, Ron moved to 58 Hambley Ave. In January, 1981, court arrangements were made.Ron and John MarketingEvery Sunday Ron and John would go together to the Harbourfront Market. Ron would sell books and John would buy sheet music.Ron's Divorce, 1981Ron's last day offically married was spend in the University Ave. courthouse. This was 18 June, 1981, and this was the finalization of their divorce. On 3 July, 1981, they separated belongings at Madras Cres. John was involved as an intermediary with respect to things such as delivering cheques from Ron to Sue. This was the cause of one particular incident on 4 September, 1981, which John records as an "unpleasant scene" at Madras Cres. 2 October, 1981, Ron signed over the deed of the house to Sue.Laura Becomes DistantSoon after the divorce, there was one more time that Laura was seen. This was the day after her 13th birthday, 29 August, 1981.Christmas at 51 Beaufort, 1982The three sons and Doris are shown here at 51 Beaufort Road, Christmas time, 1982.
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18.10 Bern FletcherJohn recorded in his diary that extensive efforts were made to help Bern find a teaching position in the Toronto Board. 10 January, 1974, for example, John drove Esther around to the headquarters of all of the Toronto region's boards of education to drop off Bern's resume.
Ron and Bern are shown here at the dining room table of 51 Beaufort in 1974:
Bern and David Buy MotorcyclesA source of great concern for both John and Esther was that both Bern and David rode motorcycles at this time. The photo below is from 1974.
Bern was in Europe from 2 July to 1 August, 1976.
Bern started shoping for a house in February, 1978. On 17 March, 1978, Bern's offer on 71 Pickering was accepted and he moved from his rented Guildwood apartment to his first home soon after the closing date of ___ 1978. |
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18.11 David Fletcher (Me)Every year, I would play in the Scarboro Golf Club's "Junior Club Championship Tournament". On 16 September, 1972, I shot 77 --even with a 7 on the 16th hole. This meant that I won easily. The next year, 14 September, 1973, I did not play as well, with an 80 in the Scarboro Golf club Juniors Tournament. Nevertheless, I beat both my traditional rivals Scott Laird and Larry Longo, giving John great satisfaction. Parent-Child TournamentsEven more important than the Juniors tournaments, were the parent-child tournaments. There were two each summer: the Ontario and the Scarboro. In the Scarboro tournament on 16 September, 1973, John and I played well and shot 81. This tied the Lairds (our major competition) and beat the Longos. But it turned out the Rothwells had an extraordinary round and won the tournament with a 79.GirlfriendsAt this time, John was very concerned who I was dating. In the mid 1970s I was dating Kathy Bond, from Lambeth, Ont. She graduated from Laurier C.I. (London) and I attended her graduation party 7 April, 1974. See Chapter 29 section 6 of the biography of David Fletcher.Probe ITThe summer of 1976 I was operating an environmental investigative tour project with Pollution Probe. Mom and Dad came on a few of my tours, for example, the 20 July Pickering Nuclear tour. They took great pleasure in wathcing me be interviewed for 25 minutes on televsion (Rogers cable channel 10) on 30 July, 1976.Motorcycle PurchaseI came back to Toronto in March of 1978 to buy a new Honda 400 motorcycle. I then rode it down to St. Hyacinthe on 31 March, 1978.David and Doris Move in With BernFrom St. Hyacinthe, David and Doris moved into Bern's newly purchased house (71 Pickering) in July, 1978. David did a year at the UofT school of architecture fall, 1978 and Spring, 1979.Purchase and Renovation of 485 ManningI re-did the garage roofing on 24 May, 1979. It was that same Spring, 1979 that I bought 485 Manning Ave. John and Esther toured the house before an offer was put in. This offer ($43,000.) was accepted on 7 February, 1979, and the sale closed on 30 April, 1979. On this day, John and Esther helped me with a financial contribution to the downpayment. We moved out of Bern's and into 485 Manning Ave. on 1 May, 1979. I almost immediately started renovating, using recovered materials from Harbord Collegiate (where John had taught). See chapter 25.Trip in Ambassador, 1981After the purchase of the new car in July, 1981, the Ambassador was to be scrapped. Before it was, I would use it for one last trip. From 30 July to 5 August, 1981, Doris and I surveyed housing in Ontario for my energy conservation in housing research project for the gederal government. We did this trip in the Ambassador. At the time of our return of the car to 51 Beaufort Road, 5 August, Murray and Freda were visiting, as shown in this photo below. This was also the last day of the old Ambassador car. That afternoon it was taken away as a gift to the son of John's mechanic's son (Karl). Many things had gone wrong with it, which John did not want to invest more money into the car to repair. He had bought an almost new 1980 Oldsmobile Omega the week before (seen iin the driveway just over Mom's shoulder). Amongst the things wrong with the Ambassador was the fact that the muffler system was falling apart. I had held it up with six-foot long 1 by 5 fence boards suspended by wire coat-hangers. In fact, in the photo below, one can see that my food is resting on one of these boards. Murray is on the far left. Beside Doris is Esther (Mom), then Freda, then John.
David's B.A. Convocation
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18.12 Other Family Members (1970s)Jim Fletcher's Wedding1 December, 1973, Jim Fletcher married Patricia Dianne Campbell at the Baptist Church in Stratford. John noted in his diary that Johnny McCall had told him that Arch's oldest daughter Margie Fletcher was expecting "any day now". Indeed she had a baby soon after: David was born 7 December, 1973.Jim and Patty had a son (Jay Cameron) 6 May, 1979. George Jordan's WeddingThe whole family (John and Esther, David and Kathy Bond, Ron and Sue, and Bern) also attended Marjorie's younger son George's marriage to Judy Grandes on 19 October, 1974. It was held at Wesley United Church and the reception afterwards was held at the Holiday Inn.Debbie MacknessDebbie Mackness, who had been in Toronto for one year, quit her job and moved back to London on 30 November, 1974. Debbie married ________ on 20 June, 1981, at St. Luke's Chapel. The reception afterwards was at Talbot Steak House.John Jordan VisitedOn 2 December, 1975, Marjorie's older son John visited while in Toronto for the Vegetable Growers' Convention. He was coving this for CBC radio. Meanwhile, his wife Barbara and baby Lee Ann visited Esther at 51 Beaufort Road. John, Barbara, and Lee-Ann visited in Toronto again after a trip to Europe (10 August, 1981)Doug Fletcher26 June, 1976, Doug Fletcher died and we all went down to Chatham for the funeral. We had planned to go down anyways, at about this time, because on 29 June, 1976, was a retirement roasting for Arch Fletcher in Mitchell. Mother Ada sang "Birds on the Wire".Fletcher-Farquharson ReunionDuring this period, several Fletcher-Farquharson Reunions were attended. For example, John, Esther, Ron, Sue, Laura, and David attended one on 13 August, 1977.Grandmother Ada's 100th Birthday and DeathAda, John's mother, celebrated her 100th birthday on 12 September, 1979. For the occasion, John had a scroll made. She was in reasonably good health at this time, reciting poetry and singing favourite songs from heart. One of her favourites was the Robert Burns poem:
There were signs for many years, however, that she was loosing it. John writes in her diaries about her having "her chickens" on her mind all the time. Of course she tended chickens when she was a little girl. The last time she this would have been in the 1920s, but now in her 90s she fretted about her needing to take care of them. By December, 1979, Marj began phoning that Ada was in ill health. Ada died at 13:30 on Epiphany, 6 January, 1980, at Thamesview Lodge in Chatham. She had been born near Nelson in 1879. John and Esther took the VIA train to Chatham for the funeral, which was held 9 January, 1980. John wrote in his diary: "fortunate indeed are we to have been blessed with such a wonderful and gifted Mother."
The Mackness family is shown below, from left to right: Shirley, Clayt, Eileen, Esther (Mom), Murray, and Hazel. 
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18.13 Activities in the Off-Season: Historical ResearchJohn was very excited about the opening, in October of 1977, of the new Metro Central Reference Library on Yonge just North of Bloor. For the next twenty years he would go to this several times every week. |
18.14 Music
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18.15 Sheet Music (Songsheet) CollectingIn the late 1970s, as John's level of fitness and general health declined, and golfing all day became increasingly difficult, he started collecting songsheets as a hobby. The growth of this hobby into a full-blown obcession can be linked to three other developments in his life:
Gift From Marjorie, 1978May, 1978, John's sister gave him her sheet music collection.Collection Reaches 1,000 in 1979John recorded that his sheet music collection on 12 April, 1979, included 930 different songs. Later in that year it reached 1,000.Buying Sheet MusicJohn made many trips to other towns and cities to buy sheet music. For example, 22-25 July, 1980, John and Ron went to Boston to buy sheet music. On a weekly basis, John also went to smaller fairs in Aberfoyle and Woodstock. A typical weekend saw him buying 100 or so song sheets and then Monday to Wednesday was spent cataloguing them.
By late 1980 sheet music collecting had become a day-in, day-out obcession. His calanders and diary entries were full of this bid or that auction. A successful bid and purchase within the context of an auction is referred to as a "win".
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18.16 John's Life in this Period: 1973 to 1983
Kidney StonesNew Car, 1981On 24 July, 1981, John and Esther bought a 1980 Oldsmobile Omega for $6,975. |
Chapter 19 1983 to 1993 |