Duane Bristow

We are heartbroken to share that our precious handyman went to build a new life with the Heavenly Carpenter on Thursday, January 20th, 2022. After a very courageous battle with cancer, he is now pain and worry free. He leaves behind his high school sweetheart and loving wife of 33 years, Lenora (nee Hawton), and two wonderful children Sabrina Amethyst and Spencer Jordan. He is also survived by parents Carol and Don Bristow, and his siblings Tim, Dale and his wife Cathy, Julie and her husband Cliff Moody, and Joy Bristow, four aunts, mother-in-law Olive "Pat" Taylor, sister/brother-in-laws Lynda and John Earl, Brenda and Tim Whibley, Marsha Hawton and several nieces and nephews. Duane was predeceased by his father-in-law Carl Hawton and nephew David Gelyk. 

Duane was born June 20, 1960 in Milton, Ontario, moved to the Bruce-Grey area at 10 years of age, living at Williamsford, then rural Tara, and Dobbinton, during his teens and early twenties with his family. He attended Sullivan Community School and Arran Tara Schools and Chesley District High School. He developed a keen interest in carpentry from summer construction jobs and helping his family's renovation business. Eventually he earned his Carpenter's License through Georgian College in Owen Sound. After working with construction companies in Chesley, Durham, and area, he started Duane Bristow Carpentry. 

Duane's legacy lives on in the many construction projects he so capably built with his strong hands, agile body, keen eye, and aptitude for calculations. Swinging a hammer to frame or create a wooden structure was his favourite activity. He loved to build and fix all sorts of renovation jobs and often jokingly boasted about the precision of his saw cuts to 1/16 of an inch or less. Duane's greatest carpentry accomplishment was building a beautiful dream home for his treasured family in a cozy corner of the Glenelg countryside. 

Duane was a good-humoured, gentle-natured man with a strong faith who made friends easily and will be greatly missed by his close buddies and appreciative/satisfied customers. A huge thank you to the host of "angels" family, friends, and church families who kindly and generously supported us in a myriad of ways since his diagnosis in April 2020. You provided much reassurance, hope, love, prayer, and comfort and our family is forever grateful. Our family gratitude is also extended to the many medical staff who provided care at home and in the London, Durham, Owen Sound, Walkerton, and Wingham Hospitals.

A private funeral service celebrating Duane's life will be held. Friends and extended family are welcome to view a recording of the service on Monday, January 24th at 10 a.m. by visiting the home page of McCulloch-Watson Funeral Home website (mccullochwatsonfuneralhome.ca) or the McCulloch-Watson Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/mccullochwatson/). The video will remain posted for viewing afterwards. Spring interment at Trinity Anglican Cemetery. A social gathering to celebrate Duane's life will be held at the family home in June.

If you wish to make a donation as expressions of sympathy, we encourage you to support one of these care facilities (Durham Hospital Foundation, London Health Sciences Foundation, Wingham and District Hospital Foundation, Walkerton and District Hospital F