In Loving Memory of E. Robert (Bob) Witty
July 25, 1944 - November 23, 2024
Bob Witty was the loving, long-standing husband of Sarah (Sally) Witty, treasured and hilarious father of Judith (Don) and Christine (Dan), proud, advice-dispensing grandfather of Quinn, Evan, Ben, and Tenzin, cherished and entertaining father figure of Ellena, and valued, mischievous younger brother of Jennifer.
Bob’s journey began in England, and in 1965 he embarked on a new adventure, moving to Kamloops, BC. He and Sally were married in 1967. In 1972, he made Guelph his home, where he raised his family with unconditional love and support, peppered with the odd joking threat of a knuckle sandwich. He became a proud Canadian citizen in 1976. He sounded British to his Canadian family and Canadian to his British family: a true dual citizen.
Bob was a man of many talents and held a variety of jobs. Mainly working in the automotive industry, early on he worked as a school bus driver, and then as a driver for Red Car Airport Service. He often worked two jobs, which offered Sally the immense privilege of raising two young, wildly opposite daughters, often threatening under her breath for their father to get home. At one point, Bob ventured into entrepreneurship with his own piano tuning and repair business: good for both tension relief and pulling strings, some might say.
Music was one of Bob’s greatest hobbies, and he was an exceptional musician who played a variety of instruments by ear. He would have made a great one-man band, although his collection of instruments would have outweighed him, especially with a piano in the mix. In his earlier years, he was an avid photographer, dancer, sailor, golfer and he loved both tennis and table tennis. His fierce competitive spirit shone through, whether it was a game of cards or the game of life.
Bob's dry British sense of humour was one of his defining traits. To determine if what he was saying was serious or funny, all you had to do was look for the twinkle in his eye. If you were questioning if a joke might be just a little too dark, according to Bob, there was no such thing.
He spoke his mind and lived his life with a strong faith. His involvement in the Anglican Church and later at Kortright Presbyterian Church, where he served as an Elder and Trustee for over three decades, showcased his commitment to his community. It wasn’t all serious meetings though, as evidenced by rediscovered photos and memories that captured some lighter, entertaining moments - some of which involved homemade costumes.
Bob died peacefully at home, surrounded by his family, enveloped in love, keeping us laughing right up until the end. He probably could have written this way better than us but trust us, if anyone would have gotten a kick out of a lighthearted obituary, it would have been Bob.
Thank you to the many doctors and nurses who cared for Bob over the past four decades and to Wall-Custance Funeral home. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations to Service Dogs Canada, Operation Smile, or a charity of your choice, as a way to honour Bob’s life.
A funeral service for Bob will take place on Saturday, December 7, 2024 at 2:30pm at Kortright Presbyterian Church, 55 Devere Dr., Guelph. For those unable to attend but wish to watch the service remotely, you can do so by clicking the link on the funeral home website.
Arrangements entrusted to the WALL-CUSTANCE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL 519-822-0051 / www.wallcustance.com.
A tree will be planted in memory of E. Robert (Bob) Witty in the Wall-Custance Memorial Forest.