Obituary of John Henry Watkinson WATKINSON, John Henry, of Peterborough, died December 9, 2016. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland on April 30, 1943, he spent much of his early life at Melville College boarding school, leaving him with a life-long distain for orange vegetables and anything custard-like. Leaving boarding school at the earliest opportunity, he enrolled in the University of Southampton, School of Navigation in England, following a family tradition of service at sea and spawning many “when I was a boy at sea” stories for his children and grandchildren. Self-taught in many aspects of his life and career, he became a pioneer in the field of clear communications in the financial industry. He played, at various times, the piano, guitar and banjo, as well as the tenor saxophone, which he played with great enjoyment with Swing Set and the Fundamentals, two of the New Horizons bands in Peterborough. The week before he died, John was delighted to be visited by his brothers, Mike and Peter, and his sister Judy, who travelled from the UK to see him. He leaves behind 3 loving sons, Scott, Adam and Alex - grateful for the example he set in success and adversity; and 4 grandsons, Andrew, Carter, Ryan and Eric - wary of orange vegetables. He said often that his loving wife, Elizabeth Rand, gave him the happiest years of his life. Together, and with their dogs Piper and Sami, they built a home and a life that was warm and supportive, made richer by a small but close circle of friends in and around Peterborough. Fathers are giants in our lives. He will be missed. Donations in John’s memory can be made to your local Humane Society or at www.AshburnhamFuneral.ca