Obituary of John G. Fontaine

John Fontaine passed away peacefully at his home in Coldwater on July 28, 2020 after a courageous one year battle with cancer. John was surrounded by his loving family: his cherished wife of 60 years Joan (nee Williamson), his son Gord, and his daughter Melanie and her husband Scott McFarlane. Dear brother-in-law to Linda Clark (Bruce, predeceased). John grew up in a large family in the Beaverton area, where he was introduced to two of his many lifelong loves – cars and the outdoors. John loved to tell stories of his adventures ice fishing on Lake Simcoe – some of them might even have been true! John had a long and distinguished career with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, supervising firefighting operations and training staff throughout the province. John will be fondly remembered by cottagers on the Severn River from the 1960’s and 1970’s for the marina that he, Joan and his father-in-law George Williamson owned and operated at Severn Falls. John loved tinkering with old motors (outboards, tractors, cars etc.), and was widely known in the community for his ability to fix something no one else could quite figure out. Respecting John’s wishes and in keeping with current regulations, he will be cremated, and there will be no service or visitation. In lieu of donations or services, please take a moment to reflect on your time with John and enjoy time with your loved ones and friends.