Obituary of Lynn Leighton BASc Mechanical P. Eng. MBA Brush

Of London, Ontario, passed away with family at his side, on Tuesday, June 9, 2020, at the age of 81. Born in Windsor, Ontario on March 6, 1939, to Leighton and Isobel Brush. Beloved husband of Linda Brush (née Marshall) for 59 years. Loved and missed by his children: Laird Brush (Lise), Susan Brush (Dan), and Eric Brush (Pam). Cherished grandfather of Taylor, Sarah, and Jacob Brush; Jesse (Kayla) and Lexi Sherriff (Derek); Maegan (Adam) and Avery Brush. Great-grandfather of Benjamin and Gwenyth. Big brother of Gary Brush (Donna), Camilla MacKinnon (Lorne), and Catherine Gniposky. Remembered by his many nieces and nephews and one crazy sister-in-law, Norma Iles (Steve). Our father was about family: in his words… “When I hear a piano – I think of Laird When I think of beauty of the soul and body – I think of Sue When I think of joy – I think of Eric And when I think of constant love – I think of you (Linda) Nothing is more important than family.” Losing Lynn is one of the most difficult things we have gone through. As we reflect today, we realize how fortunate we were to have him in our lives. There are not words to express his positive influence in our lives and in the other lives he touched. He showed strength and love right up until his last days with us. We hope that one day, when we die, our children can look back, tell funny stories about us, and talk about how we loved them. Then, like our father, we will have led a complete life. There is a special bond that a father has with his children. That bond builds strength over the time and experiences that each of us are fortunate enough to share. We are privileged, honored, and extremely lucky to be our father’s children and grandchildren. He was, quite simply, a great Dad and Pa. Our dad was proud to be an engineer. He was the smartest man we have ever known. It has made these last few years all the more difficult, knowing his incredible mind was trapped inside his head. If what happened to our dad had happened to someone else, they might be angry, but not Dad! He never lost his sense of humour; at least not in front of us. Dad was hardworking, strong, loving, and gentle. He was a scout leader, coach, hiker, creator of whatever was required to support our dreams - including carving out a small nook for a sewing room for Sue. He was a leader in his professional life as well as his personal life. He was honest, kind, tough and funny. He loved his family and was deeply devoted to Linda for 59 years. He was a great “Pa” to his grandchildren and, for a short time, a “Great Pa” to his great-grandchildren. Dad loved to be outside. We all remember him sitting in his little beach chair daring the Atlantic Ocean to knock him over; when the tide would finally take him down, he would move that chair back a few feet and challenge the ocean all over again. We wonder how many people witnessed that and still wonder who that crazy Canadian was who refused to give in to the ocean. Our dad was someone to look up to, someone to follow and someone to admire; someone to be proud of and someone to brag about; someone to learn from and someone to respect; someone to listen to and someone to talk to; someone to try to impress and sometimes even rebel against. Thank you, Dad, for all that you taught us. We are so very proud to be your family. We love you and will miss you every day. As his eldest grandson says, “They don’t make ’em like that anymore….” Our sincerest gratitude goes out to all of his caregivers for their kindness and compassion in his time of need. Cremation has taken place and a small, family service will be held at Woodland Cemetery. As an expression of sympathy, memorial donations may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada or Thames Valley Trail Association (TVTA).