JOHN ANTHONY PARZYCH

John Anthony Parzych of Toronto, Ontario, passed away peacefully, on May 21, 2023, at the age of 92, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s and more recently, an aggressive form of leukemia. He was a devoted and loving husband to his wife, Ruby, for 66 years, a dedicated father to Greg, Tracy and Brad (deceased), and a much-cherished grandfather to Melissa, Mckenzie, William and Jessie.

John was born on September 30, 1930, in Toronto. As a young boy of Polish immigrants growing up in the depression, John displayed his strong work ethic early in many part-time jobs including: synagogue candle lighter, bottle collector and, at the age of 12, the manager of a small silk-screen company! After graduating from Central Technical School, he went on to work at Northern Telecom, where he met the love his life, Ruby, who was working at Bell. They married in 1958, and soon after welcomed their first child, Bradley, followed shortly thereafter by Greg and Tracy. A natural entrepreneur and never one to be ‘managed,’ John launched his first company in 1965, ITR (International Time Recorder), which he grew to become the largest time clock company in Canada with offices across the country. He went on to add additional parking companies, including CPE (Canadian Parking Equipment) and APE (American Parking Equipment).

While John’s first love was always Ruby, he found great joy in growing his businesses, where his children worked alongside him at various times throughout the years. John was a passionate collector of cars and all things curious, including log buildings, antique clocks and even unusual vintage stuffed animals. A “frustrated architect” at heart, John designed and built their country home in Caledon, which was made from several heritage log buildings, complete with stained glass windows and even communion rails from a church. John loved his family, and his grandchildren brought him immense joy and happiness. He was a wonderfully energetic and fun-loving grandfather, and the grandkids lined up for a wrestle with “Gagi,” even while a win was never guaranteed. John was by reputation strong-willed and at times, a little too frugal, but he was first and foremost known for his enormous heart, unwavering bravery and loyalty, and his generosity toward his family and community.

John loved to travel and was intent on seeing the world. He and Ruby travelled extensively throughout his lifetime to both well-known and remote places, leaving almost no corner of the world untouched. He passed on his love of exploration and family time to his children, creating a tradition of family vacations each Christmas that have filled the Parzych generations with cherished memories of their beloved ‘Gagi.’ While passionate about his business, John cherished family above all else. He absolutely adored his wife, and always said he didn’t need friends because he had Ruby. John is survived by his wife, Ruby (Huxted); his children, Tracy Mcleod (Mark Mcleod) and Greg Parzych (Helen Gallagher-Parzych); sister-in-law, Ellen Case; his sister, Irene Stockwell; brother, Henry Parzych; and grandchildren, Mckenzie Holden, William Mcleod, Jessie Mcleod and Melissa Parzych. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews. While John was adamant that there be no funeral, he was surrounded by his family during his last hours on this earth. The family will celebrate John together during a return trip to Nicaragua this Christmas. Nicaragua was a special spot, where John enjoyed one of his final trips abroad ‘unaided’ by care and still functioning independently. Sadly, in his later years John developed Alzheimer’s and spent the past year at Parkland Retirement Home, where he was well cared for by his main PSW, Jovita Livey; as well as Prezy, Flor and Deena. Many thanks to these attentive women for their tireless and respectful care. While suffering with the disease, John carried himself with dignity and was always a gentleman. During the past two years, he delighted in watching wildlife shows, one of which was Hope for Wildlife.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to: The Hope for Wildlife Foundation www.hopeforwildlife.net

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