TIM ROBERTSON
It is with immeasurable sadness we announce that Tim Robertson lost his long battle with ALS on November 6, 2016, at the age of 58. He was blessed to pass in the loving embrace of his family and close friends. Despite living with ALS for over 12 years, we were not prepared for this moment and he is incredibly missed by his wife of 30 years, Beth (nee Harvey); his children Lindsay and her husband Sean, Barry and Jeffrey. Also missing their hero are his parents Mary Louise and Clyde Robertson; brothers Mark (Dawn), Pat (Michelle), Paul, Chris (Nyla) and sister Joanne (Jim) D’Orazio; sister-in-law Barb O’Neill and brother-in-law Blaine (Joanne) Harvey. He was adored by his many nephews and nieces. The love of his friends from high school, university, State Street Trust and the Oakville community was boundless and provided Tim many amazing life experiences. Tim and Beth met at the University of Windsor in 1982, the farm girl from Dresden, Ontario and the Toronto boy. They married in 1986 and lived in Mississauga while he was articling for his CA designation. He worked in the banking industry most of his career, ending with many years at State Street Trust as a Senior Vice President. Their support after his diagnosis with ALS allowed him several more years working in an environment, and with colleagues, that enhanced his quality of life. Tim earned his longtime nickname “Blades”. He played hockey throughout his youth and adulthood. He coached all three of his children through many hockey seasons for the Oakville Hornets and MOHA, serving for over five years as the President of the Hornets girls league. He watched their soccer games for years and when they grew up, he became the official team “spouse fan” of Beth’s teams. Many of our valued lifelong friendships emerged from the world of sport. He had a strong bond to St. Dominic Church in Oakville, and loyalty for the Liberal Party. He assisted with many local, provincial and federal campaigns and it wasn’t unusual at election time to see Tim serving as the sign sherpa during door-to-door canvassing. He was active in the ALS community and the inspiration for Tim’s Titans in 13 past Walks for ALS. He was an advocate for others with the disease and privileged to be a mentor to so many who were diagnosed after him. Living for 12 years when the life expectancy is 3 – 5 years says a great deal about the fighter he was. Words cannot begin to express the gratitude for the exceptional care Tim has received by ALS Canada and Laurie Laxer, the McMaster ALS clinic under Dr. John Turnbull and Jane Allan, and the support of CCAC and March of Dimes. He was blessed to have three very special PSWs throughout his journey – Donette, Jean and Joanne. No one held him together as well as his palliative care nurse, Glenanne and our family doctor, Mira Backo-Shannon. A special thank you to the nurses, therapists and doctors at Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital for making his last week as comfortable as possible. There will be a Memorial celebration of Tim’s life to be held at Kopriva Funeral Home, 64 Lakeshore Road West, Oakville, with visitation from 2-5 and 7-9 p.m., Wednesday, November 9th. Funeral Mass and reception will be held at St. Dominic Roman Catholic Church, 2415 Rebecca Street, Oakville, at 1 p.m. on Thursday, November 10, 2016. Donations to ALS Canada (www.als.ca) in lieu of flowers would be appreciated. Visit our guestbook through www.koprivataylor.com