AXFORD, Robert Charles

Robert Charles Axford, 92, of Guelph Ontario, passed away peacefully in his sleep on the morning of October 2nd, 2022 with family by his side.

Robert was predeceased by his wife, Magda, in 2002 and is survived by his three children, David (Michelle) of Victoria BC, Robert (Charlotte) of Fort Erie Ontario and Linda (Steven Farkas) of Guelph Ontario, as well as his three grandchildren, Jonathan, Christopher and Stevie.

Robert, or Bob as he preferred, was born on September 12th 1930 in Toronto Ontario, to Charles and Ida Axford. Bob’s childhood was not typical in that he was raised by his grandmother while his parents were busy pursuing their careers. This did have a lasting and significant impact on Bob and his attitude towards parenting. Like many of his generation, Bob went to work as soon as he could which was a surprise to many that knew him as his depth of knowledge and math skills were impressive.

Bob met Magda Fazekas and in 1954 were married. At this time Bob’s was working in his first career as a dining car service attendant and ultimately supervisor on the CP rail dining car. He absolutely loved this job and is the basis for many stories. Bob would have worked at CP for the rest of his career if it weren’t for the birth of his first son, David, in 1956 which tugged at his parental responsibilities to help raise his family. Bob’s family continued to grow with the birth of Robert in 1957 and finally his daughter Linda in 1960. The growing family was quite nomadic having moved countless times (at least 8 times before David was 8) until settling in Oakville in 1964 where they lived in the same house until all three of the children successfully fledged.

Bob was quite a skilled handyman and liked to renovate. As well as finishing the basement in the family home, Bob was very proud of a complete kitchen that he did for Linda and Steven, which they still enjoy today.

Bob worked in sales for the better part of his career but finished up his working life as a transit driver for the Town of Oakville.

When the love of his life passed in 2002, Bob decided to move to Guelph, Ontario to be closer to his daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter.

Bob was always focussed on his children and all have fond memories of how his commitment impacted them growing up.

Each of Bob’s children have special memories of him:
David remembers that dad almost never (likely never) missed any of his football games for the many years that he played, from peewee to senior year high school. This meant very much to him.

Robert shared with his father a love of movies. His son fondly remembers him treating him to see the movie, "The Battle of Waterloo" when he was a teenager. He was often guided to see the great classics by his dad and as a result of this influence eventually taught a course on cinema. His father's last years, with the help of his daughter, were dedicated to creating the ultimate DVD collection that is quite impressive by any standard.

Linda remembers attending some Toronto Maple Leaf hockey games with her dad that always included a visit to Switzer deli for sandwiches before the game.

Speaking of food, Bob loved food, but only if it was great food. For the last twenty years he went to Linda and Steven’s home every Sunday for dinner and in the warmer weather loved to sit on the patio in the backyard.

Linda also highlighted his love of hunting for the ‘deal’. Yes, he loved to shop for specials and created quite a storage area for all the goods.

Bob loved driving his black Buick, especially when he could take his friends Harry and Danny along.

Bob also enjoyed playing cards weekly with his friends in his building and missed it when COVID made getting together impossible. Covid was a tough time for everyone, however it was made much more bearable by the daily visits that he had from Linda when they would chat, watch tv and play cards. We all know that her companionship made a huge difference to Bob.

The family greatly appreciates the kindness and care provided by the PSWs and nurses who helped Bob daily over the past year remain in his home.

Resting at Gilbert MacIntyre and Son Funeral Home, Hart Chapel, 1099 Gordon St., Guelph, where the family will receive friends and relatives for a visitation on Friday, October 21, 2022 from 7:00pm - 9:00pm. A Celebration of Life & Memorial Service will be held at the Hart Chapel on Saturday, October 22, 2022 at 2:00pm followed by a reception in the Hart Fellowship Lounge.

As a strong supporter of the War Amps please make a donation in lieu of flowers. Donations can be made by cash or cheque at the funeral home or by following the link below his obituary at www.gilbertmacintyreandson.com