Obituary of Mildred Hazel Gorman

GORMAN, MIDDY MORLAND Age 91, passed away at The North Bay Regional Health Centre on January 16, 2013. Middy was born in North Bay on April 11, 1921, the eldest daughter of Mildred and David J. Morland. She was named after her mother, but was always known as Middy. She was predeceased by her parents, brothers Ken, Russ, Jim, David II and sister Beth (Hambley), and Jack, her loving husband of 69 years. She is survived by her sons John and Bill and her brother Bill, all of North Bay. Middy attended Harvey Street Public School and North Bay Collegiate Institute and Vocational School. She spent summers at her parent’s cottage on Premier Park Road and though tiny, became an excellent swimmer and foot racer. Each summer she looked forward to attending Camp Tillicum, where those who could, were allowed to swim out to the raft. Middy loved to ski at Laurentian Ski Club in the winter and to hike with her sister to Duchesnay Falls in the autumn. Happiest with her husband and their sons, Middy was always gentle and caring and a devoted supportive wife and mother, who liked to cook and entertain friends and family. For many years she was a member of the Esperanza Club which raised funds and gave hands-on help to those in need in the community. When it was her turn to be President, the task she found most difficult was to attend that year’s inaugural meeting of City Council to extend her club’s best wishes and ask for Council’s approval of an Esperanza Tag Day to raise funds As a 20 year old, she was employed in her father’s real estate and insurance firm. When making the daily bank deposit, Middy was asked by representatives of Warner Brothers if she would double for Brenda Marshall, James Cagney’s leading lady in the motion picture “Captains of the Clouds” then being filmed on Trout Lake in North Bay. Well remembered is her scene with Middy standing on top of a wagon load of hay waving at a Norseman aircraft diving close to her outstretched hand with the frightened horses tightly reined. For almost 40 years, Middy was active in business as Manager, Treasurer and co-owner of Canmere Construction Limited which built, maintained and leased their commercial building on Cassells Street in North Bay. An ardent curler and golfer, she loved the friendship and competition of both. A skip at the North Bay Granite Club until 1968 when, with their sons in University, Middy and her husband moved to Toronto. The day after her arrival Middy was enthusiastically curling as a member of the Toronto High Park Curling Club where she again became a skip in both club and competitive curling. She later joined and skipped at the Lambton Curling Club and also became a member of the Senior Ladies International Curling Club which met annually at Chateau Montebello in Montebello, Quebec. At the end of each curling season, Middy and the members of her Toronto competitive curling rink, all golfers, spent 10 days golfing together in Florida, to start each new golf season. A member of the North Bay Golf Club until 1968, Middy then became a member of the Toronto Board of Trade Golf Club for the next 34 years. On her husband’s retirement in 1982, they lived in Florida in the winters, where Middy joined the Bobby Jones Golf Club, where she also played for the next 20 years. Middy missed curling but was pleased with the results of the extra golf. At the age of 71 she broke 80 for the first time with a birdie on the 18th hole of the Bobby Jones par 72 course. At age 74 she had a hole-in-one on a 165 yard par 3 hole on the same course while playing in a ladies tournament. At age 80, she won first place in the Spring Luncheon Invitational Tournament of the Bobby Jones Women’s Golf Association in Sarasota, Florida and again won the 18 hole Annual Competition for ladies 70 years of age and over at her home Board of Trade Club in Toronto. In October 2002, Middy and her husband Jack returned home to North Bay. Visitation will be at the MartynFuneral Home on Friday, January 25, 2013 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Funeral services by the Rev. Jane Howe will take place at 3 p.m. A reception will follow. Spring internment in the family plot in Terrace Lawn Cemetery.