Howard William Irwin

Peacefully on Monday, November 1, 2021 in his 89th year, in Cobourg (having recently moved there from Gravenhurst). He will be missed by his wife Donna, children (Deb, Judy and Connie), sons-in-law (Allan and Paul), grandchildren (Leah and Ethan), brother Donald, sister Bertha, and many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. Howard was a loving husband to Donna, and a caring and supportive father and grandfather.
He was a paymaster and pension supervisor by trade (Smith Transport, CP Express), but a builder by vocation. Howard always had a project on the go. With help from family members, he built a rowboat, a sailboat, a cottage and a house. He also had a passion for building furniture, and for stained glass, scroll sawing and intarsia.
Howard grew up on a farm in Innisfil, worked and raised a family in Toronto, retired in Gravenhurst and moved to Cobourg this year. During their time in Gravenhurst, he and Donna were very active members of the Gravenhurst Seniors’ Centre, and Howard was the Muskoka lead for the Ontario Seniors’ games.
When their kids were young, Howard and Donna took them on an epic camping trip every July. And, having caught the cruising bug (Alaska, Bermuda, Panama Canal, Rideau Waterway), they passed it on to the whole family with a tradition of Christmas cruises that began a decade ago.
There will be a Celebration of Life Memorial Luncheon on Wednesday, November 10th at 1:30 pm in Cobourg. If you would like to attend, please RSVP to judy.irwin@bell.net. (Please note that proof of full vaccination will be required.) If you can’t come, please give someone you love a hug in memory of Howard, and next time you are working on a building project, think about how much Howard would have enjoyed hearing about it.
A longtime supporter of the Heart & Stroke Foundation, Howard would be pleased to have people make a contribution in his name.