Obituary of Percy Alfred Jordan

Percy Jordan passed away peacefully on February 27, 2024, with family by his side. He would have been 99 years old on his next birthday, April 7.

Percy had been in long term care at Summit Place in Owen Sound for the past two years. Percy was pre-deceased in 2017 by Amy (Morris), age 93. Celebrating Percy’s life at this time, are his son Graham (with wife, Sharon MacKenzie-Jordan) and his daughter Glenys (with husband, Mike Buhrmann), along with many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Sadly, Percy and Amy’s second child, David, only survived two days after his birth.  

Percy was born in Toronto, on April 7, 1925, to Art and ‘Dolly’ Jordan (both deceased), of Welsh heritage. Percy had 3 siblings, namely ‘Edie’, Alf and Doug, all deceased. The family was raised in a part of North York (Toronto) known as Mount Dennis.

Percy attended Roselands Public School. His high school years were at Western Tech, where he acquired skills which would prove to be valuable later in life.

At age 18, in 1943, Percy enlisted in the RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force). Building on Percy’s tech skills, he was initially sent to training in St Thomas, Ontario, where he learned about aircraft maintenance.

LAC (Leading Aircraftsman) Percy Jordan was deployed to the UK, in the role of Airframe Mechanic, to 422 Squadron RCAF. The Squadron was part of RAF (Royal Air Force) Coastal Command, where they flew the Short Sunderland. The Sunderland was a large four-engine ‘flying boat’, tasked with anti-submarine patrols over the Atlantic approaches to the British Isles, as far out as the Bay of Biscay, Iceland and Norway. Equipped with depth charges, machine guns and early-version radar, the Sunderland was referred to by some of the enemy as the ‘Flying Porcupine’. LAC Jordan’s task was to ‘patch-up’ the damages to the aircraft and keep them flying. The Squadron was initially located at Lough (‘Loch’) Erne in Northern Ireland, later to Pembroke Dock, near Milford Haven, Wales.

During Percy’s deployment, he met up with members of his extended family. Liverpool was where Percy met Amy. They wed on September 1, 1945, in a marriage of almost 72 years. Amy came to Canada by ship, as a ‘War Bride’.

In 1948, under the VLA (Veterans Land Act) they got to work on building their house in Etobicoke, on the outskirts of Toronto, when the area was still mostly farmland. Many of those tech skills were utilized in the construction and maintenance of that house over the 47 years that Percy and Amy lived there. Growing vegetables and flowers was an endeavor Percy and Amy both shared.

Percy and Amy, and family, were active members of St. Matthew’s (Eatonville, later Islington) Anglican Church. When they joined the congregation in 1948, St. Matts was just a ‘basement church’, and Percy participated in many of the renovations over the years.

In those early years, Percy was employed as a Constable with the Etobicoke Police Department, numbering about 20 officers at that time. During Percy’s tenure with the Etobicoke Police, he and his fellow officers suffered the ravages of Hurricane Hazel (1954). Percy was engaged with the rescue and recovery of people and possessions along Raymore Drive, a neighborhood on the banks of the Humber River which was largely washed away by flood waters.

When the Etobicoke Police were amalgamated with other Police Departments to form the Metro Toronto Police (1957), Percy continued his service to the Township of Etobicoke (later known as the Borough of Etobicoke (1967), the City of Etobicoke (1983), and then part of the City of Toronto (1998)) by becoming a Building Inspector. The Zoning Branch was established and Percy became Chief Zoning Inspector, a position he held until his retirement in 1982.

Travelling and car-camping around Canada and the USA was a shared pleasure of the family. Later in life, Percy and Amy travelled extensively in their camper van. They also travelled internationally, by cruise ship and around-the-world upon retirement.

Another important part of Percy’s life has been his long-time association with the Masons. RWM Percy Jordan was initiated into the Masonic Lodge in 1951, continuing into the Scottish Rite, and the Royal Arch Order and the Shriners. In addition to holding the position of DDGM (District Deputy Grand Master) for Grand Lodge Ontario, Percy was Secretary to Mimico Lodge for 25 years. He was awarded a ’50-year Jewel’ and a ’60-year Jewel’ to mark his achievements.

As they aged, Percy and Amy sold their house and bought a condominium, later moving to a retirement home (Heritage House) in the Cooksville neighborhood of Mississauga. Amy passed in 2017. Percy moved to Summit Place, in Owen Sound, in March 2022.

A Celebration of Life for Percy is scheduled for St Matthew’s (Islington) Anglican Church (3962 Bloor St. W., Etobicoke, ON), on Saturday, May 4, 2024, at 1:00pm.

Memorial donations may be sent to St. Matthew’s Church (www.saintmatts.ca), or to the charity of your choice.