Obituary of C. Trevor Boyes
To view the video tribute and funeral service, please click here.
July 2, 1935–July 18, 2021
Trevor died on July 18, 2021, at Lisaard House in Cambridge, Ontario, surrounded by his loving family. He was a devoted son, loving husband, cherished father and grandfather, and much-loved brother. Trevor was also a successful teacher, a respected university administrator, a loyal friend to many, and a man of faith who placed the needs of others above his own.
Trevor was born in Bracebridge on July 2, 1935, to Claude and Lila Boyes (Sheffield) and spent his formative years in Vankoughnet, a picturesque hamlet on the Black River in Muskoka. As the second-born of eight children, and the eldest son, he was expected to take on a great deal of responsibility. Trevor embraced this role, helping his parents with all manner of household chores and providing a guiding hand to his younger siblings.
After graduating from Bracebridge High School, where he excelled in academics and athletics, Trevor attended the University of Toronto. The first in his family to attend university, he earned a B.A. in 1956, then embarked on a seven-year career as a teacher of English and physical education at Orillia District Collegiate and Vocational Institute. He coached a variety of sports, including track and field, basketball, and volleyball, and led the school’s cadet training program. His love of sport made him an informed and avid fan of basketball, particularly college ball, and of his Toronto Blue Jays.
Trevor married Mary Jean MacKay in 1962 and was a devoted husband and true partner in all aspects of their exemplary 59-year marriage. Together they raised four children, for whom he was a lifelong cheerleader, coach, and mentor, quietly encouraging them to be and do their best, no matter the effort required. He was keenly interested in their lives, proud of their accomplishments, and a welcome source of wise counsel to the end of his life. His ten grandchildren were an enormous source of joy, and their close relationship was one of mutual adoration.
A move to Kitchener-Waterloo in 1964 began what would be a fruitful and rewarding career at the University of Waterloo. As the University Registrar, a position he held from 1966 until his retirement in 1996, he made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of postsecondary administration within the university and through leadership roles and committee work across the sector. A knowledgeable and generous leader, Trevor served as an important mentor to many.
Trevor maintained enduring friendships with work colleagues and those he met through playing tennis, Scottish country dancing, and committee and volunteer work. He was a member and Past President of the Probus Club of Kitchener-Conestoga, and served as an Elder at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Kitchener for five decades.
A quiet but determined man, Trevor found joy in accomplishment, and in figuring things out, be it a clever repair or a better way to do something. He was as adept at hemming a pair of pants as he was at making a perfectly flaky pie crust, building a deck, or fixing a leaky pipe. Trevor had a love of language and inspired his children to share his passion for the beautifully chosen word or a well-constructed verse. His Muskoka upbringing instilled in him a love of the natural world, and he savoured its beauty – the trees and birds, hills and fields, the setting sun, a slice of moon.
He enjoyed more than 25 happy years in retirement, always up for a journey – whether a short drive in the country or a road trip to Maine or South Carolina, always with his beloved Mary Jean as capable navigator.
Blessed with a quick wit, and a wry, often self-deprecating, sense of humour, Trevor was always able to see the comical aspects of everyday life, a quality that was very much in evidence even during the trials of his final days. He met the challenges of his diagnosis and end of life with the same grace and faith that had served him so well all his life.
Trevor is survived by his loving wife, Mary Jean, his children, Sue-Ellen (Jeff Schreiter), Jeannie-Anne (Dwayne Priestman), Jamie (Christie Halpenny), Jeremy (Katherine Young), and his beloved grandchildren, Cullen, Fiona, Liam, Emma, Hayley, Allison, Sadie, Rory, Finlay, and Lucy. The family would like to express its sincerest thanks to the dedicated and wonderful staff of Lisaard House in Cambridge for their kind and compassionate care during Trevor’s final weeks of life.
A private family service to celebrate Trevor’s life will be held in Kitchener on August 7, 2021, and will be livestreamed beginning at 1:15 pm at https://www.youtube.com/user/arithmecode.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Trevor’s memory can be made to Lisaard House, Cambridge (www.lisaardandinnisfree.com), St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Kitchener (https://www.standrewskw.com), and St. David’s Presbyterian Church, Vankoughnet (http://stdavidsmuskoka.com). If desired, donations to these organizations may be made by phone through Erb & Good Funeral Home – 519 745-8445.
“In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14: 2-3