Obituary of Ed Allan

It is with heavy hearts, and a smile in memory of the man he was, that the family of
Chester Edwin George Allan, known and loved by all as Ed, announces his passing on
Thursday May 28 th at 10:33 pm.
Born in Owen Sound on March 2, 1937, Ed made his way to Toronto in his late teens,
ready to build a life and a career. He earned his credentials as a licensed auto
mechanic, certifying in autobody, mechanical, and electrical work, skills that would
serve him and his community for decades to come.
In 1974, Ed met the love of his life, Jan, and together they combined their families in a
home in Brampton. It was there that Ed’s remarkable spirit of service truly flourished. He
gave generously of his time to the Ontario March of Dimes and was recognized for his
outstanding leadership and dedication to the Brampton Action Group, working to inspect
and improve accessibility in public spaces. He served as a volunteer at the Peel
Regional Police sub-office at Bramalea City Centre, earned a Volunteer Recognition
Award from the Brampton Health Coalition, helped organize the MS Self Help Group,
and played a proud role in the celebrations marking Canada’s 125th anniversary. In all
things, Ed showed up, fully, cheerfully, and with purpose.
In 1995, Jan and Ed embraced a new chapter, purchasing a beloved waterfront property
on Orr Lake to enjoy with family and friends. They moved to Midland in 2010, and for
several years brought some Florida sunshine into their winters, spending the cold
months at their home there until 2018. Each chapter of Ed’s life seemed to reflect the
same quiet wisdom, that the best things are found in good work, good people, and a
good view of the water.
In 2018, Ed began attending an Adult Day Program in Penetanguishene, and it didn't
take long for him to leave his mark there too. When he arrived, he noticed the other
participants were quiet and withdrawn. Within days, Ed's warmth, humour, and
irrepressible personality transformed the energy in the room, bringing smiles and
laughter. He formed many meaningful and lasting friendships there, including with his
instructor Carol, whose bond with Ed grew beyond the program, she would come to visit
him at home, a testament to the kind of person he was.
In February 2026, Ed and Jan had been excitedly planning the next chapter, a move to
a lakefront condo in Etobicoke, a new beginning. Though that chapter will remain
unwritten, it speaks beautifully to who Ed was, a man who, right to the end, faced life
with hope, warmth, and his family close.
To his children, Ed was simply always there. Greg recalls so many great memories
spent with his Dad, fishing, camping at Smallwood Acres in Acton, building a soapbox
car, and learning how to maintain his minibike. Greg still has his first guitar, a gift from
his father, and many of the things he loves and knows today are thanks to Ed's
knowledge and his devotion to his children's happiness. Gail remembers the years
when Jan and Ed lived on the lake, when one stray cat quietly became twenty or thirty

over time. Dad would feed them, give them water, and take good care of everyone. The
mother cats seemed to know they could trust him as they would drop their kittens right
at his feet, as if to say, could you watch them for a while? Gail's children loved when
Grandpa would show them the new kittens and let them hold them, and you could see
the joy in all their faces. Jennifer fondly recalls the school project that required shaping
a piece of soapstone into something new, Dad knew exactly what to do. He brought her
into his workshop and carefully drilled and shaped it into a lamp. Years later, when
Jennifer headed off to college, Dad found her just the right car to commute back and
forth. Kim remembers Dad with the same love and admiration as he built her a barn for
her model horses and a little house for her gerbils, crafting each one with care just to
see her smile. He loved nothing more than to help, and his family felt that love in a
thousand quiet, practical, and generous ways. His skills always in service of the people
he cherished most.
Ed is survived by his beloved wife Jan; his children Greg and his wife Dawn, Gail and
her husband Ken, Jennifer and her husband Harold, and Kim and her fiancé Scott; his
grandchildren Emma, Jacklyn, Daniel, Katrina, Kailyn, Matt, Calista, Emmett, and
Madalyn; his great grandchildren Desiree, Easton, Kiara, Myles, and Elliott; and his
siblings Dale, Beth and her husband Mac, and the many friends and extended family
whose lives he touched. He was predeceased by his sister Rosemerry.
Ed had a gift for laughter his jokes came easy and his smile came easier. He leaves
behind a community of people who will carry his warmth, his friendliness, and his
generous spirit with them always.
Jan carries with her a philosophy Ed shared from the very beginning of their life
together: that if they worked as a team, sharing the household chores, the jobs, the care
of their children, they would have more time to spend loving each other. It was a belief
he lived by every day, and it was the foundation of a beautiful life built together.
A Celebration of Life will be held on June 28, 2026, at 1:00 – 4:00 pm at Ivy Orange
Hall, 5085 20 th Sideroad, Hamlet of Ivy, Essa Township. Family and friends are
welcome.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to the Canadian
Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (CPFF) at cpff.ca, in loving memory of Ed.

Canadian Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation