Monday, December 23, 2024
Words cannot properly express our shock and sadness when we recently learned of the passing of our friend and co-worker Howard.
The Mayhew Alumni are a random group of co-workers and friends who still keep in touch, sharing our memories and stories of the good old days in the furniture business in the Toronto area and maintaining pride in our accomplishments, many of which Howard played an integral part in.
Many of us first met Howard during our 20’s and 30’s, back when the furniture industry provided rewarding work for all, and as a group we shared in those rewards.
Once you met Howard, you could never forget that larger than life character. He was a loyal employee who always wanted to give the client the end result they were looking for. Toward that end he was a strong team member who enjoyed his work, unless things weren’t going well on the job site, and then it was a good idea to duck and watch for flying parts! There are more than a few stories of those occasions that we enjoy retelling.
Howard was famous for his work ethic, his strength and his incredible stamina that allowed him to work long hours. Those traits made him the favourite of many clients who insisted that they had to have Howard working on their projects.
He was notoriously quiet, preferring to lean against the wall and take in the shenanigans of his coworkers but he would rise to the occasion at the company parties, and felt it his duty to entertain us on many occasions. That was the legacy of his charm, along with that huge smile and the thick strawberry blonde head of combed back hair and his car that he loved with all the chrome under the hood (and perhaps the occasional Molson Export).
The summer he was to receive his award commemorating 25 years of service to the company was also a Go Home year, so he taped a very sincere and heartfelt thank you message, dressed in one of his famous Hawaiian shirts.
In recent years, the furniture industry has become competitive and lean. A testament to the high regard in which his fellow installers held him, they always made sure Howard had work, despite the toll his career had taken on his knees.
As a group, Howard was an integral and beloved part of our history. We are very sad that we were not aware that he was ill, but we take comfort knowing that he was back home where he loved to be.
We would like to express our sincere condolences and sadness on the loss of your son, brother and our friend.
