In Memory of Francis Peter Baron
The valley has been a fixture in our lives from a very young age. Is was the best place to let your imagination run wild, to go on adventures and find interesting things as a kid. Dad always used to tell us to go outside. “What am I gonna do outside?” “Whatever your heart and imagination desires.” The valley filled that need and also kept us out of trouble. My hope is it continues to provide that escape for the next generation.
Dad and I went on so many walks there with four-leggers in tow, he introduced me to salmon fishing along those banks and always made sure to remind us to stay away from the eroding edges. It was at his side that I witnessed the fish ladder in full swing. He taught me to respect the wildlife both in and out of the water, he never fished for profit or for sport and would eat anything he kept. He would grumble about the careless fishermen who left their carcasses to rot after taking the roe and hoped we would never do the same. He showed me the fiddleheads and the blackberry bushes growing in the woods and I am glad to see they still grow every year. I continue to use the valley as a part of my route to work and continue to appreciate the restoration/maintenance work done along the path. Dad and I made the decision to buy a hackberry tree in Mom’s name (Helen Zdanowicz) for the commemorative forest and hope it continues to grow strong. I don’t think I would still be living in Bowmanville if the valley had been fully developed, it has provided so much joy for so many in town.
My father was a spiritual man in his later years, turning to tarot reading and animal totems. He never lost his connection to the natural world after he moved up north. If I were to leave any quote from Dad it would be the one he left in his sole book he wrote about freshwater fishing called “What Fish Don’t Want you to Know”. In his final paragraph he wrote:
“I will have achieved what I aspire to when I am no longer an interloper on the water. When I walk away from a muddy bank and leave no boot prints. When even a sharp-eyed osprey cannot distinguish me from the rock I am sitting on. When I arrive, and ultimately leave, without snapping a twig or leaving a ripple.”
I like to think he accomplished that goal. It was his final wish to have us direct funds to his charities that were dear to him and to choose ones that were dear to us as well. We chose the valley. He was a giant in our lives and his steadying calming presence continues to be missed dearly. My brother and I carry on in his stead and do our best to honour him, knowing he is watching over us.
A link to his obituary can be found here if you wanted to read more about our amazing father: Northcutt Elliott Funeral Home | Obituaries
Thank-you. Francis and Jacob Baron
