(July 14, 1957 – February 13, 2024)
Passed peacefully, surrounded by family, in Wellington Hospice in Guelph Ontario.
Garth is loved and much missed by Linda, his wife of 44 years, son David and his wife Ludivine Gentils, son John and his wife Lucy Isherwood, daughter Pamela and her partner Stephen Van Helden, and grandchildren Josephine, Cora, Louis and Madeline. Garth also leaves behind his much loved sister Karen as well as numerous in-laws and nieces and nephews.
Throughout his life Garth was keenly interested in aviation and pursued several careers in this field. While in high school he obtained his private pilot’s license and then went on to train in North Bay as an aircraft maintenance engineer. Garth began his career with Leggat Aviation in Buttonville before securing a job as a junior mechanic at Air Canada in Toronto. As the years passed Garth held various positions in the company and worked his way up into hangar management. After 34 years of service Garth retired from Air Canada and decided to pursue opportunities in private aviation (Execaire, Flying Colors, and consulting).
When presented with the opportunity to design and develop an airline maintenance training program for FlightPath International, Garth eagerly rose to the challenge – as it was a chance to utilize the knowledge and experience he’d gained as well as learn new skills. Subsequent to retiring from FlightPath, Garth took what was to be the final position of his career, at Webb Airport Services managing the baggage handling system at Pearson Airport’s Terminal 1. This job, though it employed his management skills, proved to be too removed from aircraft operations and Garth, deciding it was time to permanently retire, began to pursue his retirement dreams.
Snowmobiling and motorcycling were two of Garth’s passions. In winter, Garth could be found (many times with his son Dave) on snowmobile trails in Ontario and Quebec. In Spring, Summer and Fall you’d find him on his motorcycle. Following taking a training course and purchasing a motorcycle, Garth joined and became heavily involved with the BMW Motorcycle Club of Ontario, serving on the executive. Garth enjoyed motorcycling trips with the Club and trips on his own to Iceland, Spain, Greece, and throughout the US and northern Ontario.
It was while motorcycling in the Dryden area and trying to find the memorial for the Air Ontario Flight 1363 (which crash landed near Dryden on March 10th 1989), that Garth found an additional passion. Having searched quite a while and venturing down a poorly marked trail, Garth finally came to the site and was disappointed with the small plaque he found there. He began working with the City of Dryden on the development of a new site and memorial of this event, for which the inquiry that followed resulted in changes to aviation safety regulations worldwide. He kick started the project with a donation and continued to work with the city on it up until his passing. Family and motorcycle club members will continue to work with the city to bring the Air Ontario Memorial Monument project and Garth’s vision to fruition.
Garth discovered another of his passions while working with the BMW Motorcycle Club –The Dawn Ride – a fundraising program for research on ovarian cancer. Spearheading the Club’s participation in the program and mentoring members for future leadership roles in the project, Garth was awarded the Helping Hand Award (“Helping others without expecting anything in return is what true self-worth is all about.”) from the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America.
As per Garth’s wish, a Celebration of Garth’s life will be held in the Spring. Details will be posted on this site. Arrangements entrusted to WALL-CUSTANCE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL (519-822-0051 / www.wallcustance.com).
Donations to the Canadian Cancer Society or to the City of Dryden’s Air Ontario Flight 1363 Memorial Monument Project (cheques can be made to 15 Van Horne Avenue, Dryden, ON P8N 2A5) would be appreciated in lieu of flowers.
A tree will be planted in memory of Garth A. Twitchell in the Wall-Custance Memorial Forest.