Cliff Plant, close friend of Ed & Jean, dies June 16th.

Cliff passed away at 1 a.m. Wednesday at Stratford Hospital. He had been in much pain and announced that he was going to die, requesting to be taken to the hospital from their retirement residence. He died later that evening.
Cliff began his working career as a veterinarian in St. Catharines, before entering the United Church ministry, a few years before my father did. He served at Lion's Head, in Kitchener, and as director of personnel for Manitou Conference, based in North Bay. He and Isabel retired to Stratford in the early 90s but continued as marital therapists and Tai Chi instructors.
Cliff and Isabel were my second parents during university. Our two families met at Family Camps at Five Oaks in the late 50s-early 60s. I would hitchhike from U of Guelph to Kitchener and fill in on the organ at Christ the King. Their son, Ross, and I roomed together for a semester or two at Guelph. I took courses at Interfaith Counselling Centre in Kitchener with Cliff and Isabel in 1970. In going through my dad's papers, I recently noticed that he officiated at my brother Brad's funeral in 1979.
My wife and I took mom to the funeral At Central United in Stratford on Sunday, June 20th. A rich and muscial celebration of his life.

So.. our elders are dieing and the mantle of patriarchy passes down.