Thursday, January 5, 2023 at 12:00 a.m.
Warren, John
JOHN WARREN, beloved husband of Barbara, born August 18th, 1939 in Shenfield, England, passed away peacefully at home in Lethbridge, on January 4th 2023 with the help of MAID (medical aid in dying) at the age of 83, encircled in love by his wife and three daughters.
JOHN WARREN, beloved husband of Barbara, born August 18th, 1939 in Shenfield, England, passed away peacefully at home in Lethbridge, on January 4th 2023 with the help of MAID (medical aid in dying) at the age of 83, encircled in love by his wife and three daughters.
Barbara's memories: John and I met in January 1955, when he was 15 and I was 14. From that magical moment we enjoyed every step of our journey together.
On 16 March 1963 we were married and, four months later, we sailed to Montreal on the Empress of Canada. We drove our VW van to Calgary where we spent the next 13 years, enjoying our lives and our new family. Christine, Pauline and Tania, three wonderful daughters, were all born in Calgary.
We all moved to Lethbridge in 1976, and this move was a good one for our family. We enjoyed our lives here, and were happy to see our girls mature into kind, loving, strong women. Their spouses, Michelle, Troy and Ted have all added to the tapestry of our family, as have our grandchildren, Russell, Tegan, Samantha, Colton, Denver, Matthew, Dylan and Kaleigh. We all love and enjoy each other.
John chose to ask for medical assistance in dying (MAID) because he had been suffering from the pain of peripheral neuropathy since 2010. John, from this experience, believed in the right to die. From 2012 to 2015 he was Vice President of Dying With Dignity Canada and fought for the right of Canadians, "who were suffering intolerably from an incurable condition", to be eligible for MAID. The organization won that battle in 2015 when the Supreme Court of Canada ordered the government to change the law.
In October we hurriedly returned from our winter home in Mexico because John was so sick.
John applied for MAID, served the mandatory waiting period of 90 days and on 4th January his suffering was ended with the help of a physician. He was surrounded by his daughters and was in my loving arms. We had a magical life together till the end of his journey. That is all that matters.
Dr. Seuss was right, "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of John may be made to the Shooting Star Foundation, 5015 - 50 Avenue, Taber, AB, T1G 1N3.
A private Family Service will be held at a later date.
Guestbook (11)
Share a memory or send a tribute in memory of John.
I hope that you are comforted during this sad time by your many precious memories of your time with John and by the closeness of your family and friends. You have all my tender sympathy through your trials. With love, Mandy
Tom and I loved John dearly and will miss him terribly.
As long as I am alive, John will be alive in my memory. My thoughts are with you Barbara and the family.
I was very fortunate to have known John. The hiking trips in Glacier park were a highlight and that was when he furnished me with his knowledge and shared memories. Condolences to Barb and the three girls.
Our prayers are with you Barbara and your family. We are very sorry to hear about John's passing. May you be blessed with many fond happy memories of your time together. Randall and I remember him as a knowledgeable and kind person. It has been many years but we still think of you both and comment how much we appreciate you.
Our condolences to Barb and Family. We have been friends with Barb and John for 56 years when our first babies were born in Calgary. Barb saw my ad for a used English pram (baby carriage) and have been friends ever since and our children used to play together until Barb and John moved to Lethbridge. Rest In Peace John.
Barbara our sincerest condolences to you and your family.
I am really saddened by reading that John has passed away. John and Barb were my neighbours for a few years. I send my condolences to Barb and his daughters. Rest in peace John! Bal
Mattie & I first met John in Dec. 1986, less than 1 year prior to the market crash on Oct.19/87. We invested all of our savings with him & everything looked great until the crash. John assured us the market would recover & had a common sense attitude that I have always appreciated. I can still hear his voice as I peppered him with questions about our investments & he would spend the time to answer my questions. From the early days of Canadian Equity Planners to Money Fax to Future Focus, it was great to work with him. He will be missed. Thanks John for all your advice & especially your friendship. David & Mattie Takeda.
I am so sorry for your loss Barbara! He is at peace now.
To Barbara and Family my heartfelt condolences. I got to know John at some professional meetings and conferences we both found each other attending. I respected his desire to inform his financial planning knowledge with more understanding of how charitable giving could be a 'win-win.' From my own travels to Puerto Vallarta, I know that he volunteered many hours helping people to learn and better their English and others to learn some Spanish. His recent years have, I know, involved some neurological struggles and admire his courage to act on his principles.