Obituary of John Alexander WIGGLESWORTH

December 20, 1932 – Upper Tooting, London

October 18, 2019 – Calgary, Alberta

John Wigglesworth, brother, husband, dad, uncle, grandpa, great-grandpa, and friend; passed away peacefully on October 18, 2019.

 John was born in London, England on December 20, 1932.  At age 6, young John was evacuated to Eastbourne, later to Wales and finally to Surrey.  Between evacuations, he returned home, and would search for “treasure” in bombed out buildings.  Adventurous by nature, in 1952, John boarded a steamer bound for Montreal.  He worked two years as a farmhand in Ontario, then headed west to Lake Louise, where his sister Barb worked.  John loved the Rockies and became a Brewster tour guide and bus driver. The day Betty Anderson graduated from nursing was the day John arrived in Calgary.  At a YMCA square dance that evening, he do-si-doed his way into her heart.  Soon, Betty wore his ring.  They were wed in 1956 after he found permanent work with the City Survey Department.

In 1957, they bought their forever home.  Soon Ron, Joy and Trish filled the house with energy and love.  A patient and engaged father, John was their guide and teacher as they explored the world.  Weekends, he tinkered with cars and puttered in the garden.  A John of all Trades; he could fix anything.  He loved playing badminton, ping-pong, bridge, crib, flying kites, and photography.  John retired in 1989 after 33 years of service.  This meant time to travel to the West Coast, across Canada and across “The Pond”.  Betty and John loved Cannon Beach and visited Oregon every September for 20 years.  John was an involved grandpa and rarely missed concerts, assemblies, sporting events, or graduations. 

John will be dearly missed by Betty, his best friend and loving wife of 63 ½ years, children Ron (Rose), Joy Gair (Scott), Trish Buckley (Bruce), grandchildren Stephanie (Foster), Josie, Conrad, Kristina, Alex and Mollie, and great-grandchildren Baron and Summerlin.  John was predeceased by his siblings Barb, Mollie and Alan. 

John was an endlessly kind and gentle man who lived each day with zest, humour and grace.  He loved his family deeply and his love was returned in spades.  In lieu of flowers, please donate to a charity of your choice.

A Celebration of John’s Life will be held Tuesday October 29 at 2 pm at Chapel of the Bells, 2720 Center Street N., with reception to follow.