The family of Cliff Gaudry is sad to announce that on Saturday, June 10, 2017, after a lengthy battle with cancer, he was set free of his pain and will be laid to rest in Rainy River, Ont.
Left behind is his wife, Sharon Joseph; son, Sean (Jen) Owen and children, Nolan and Olivia; son, Jay and his daughter, Mia; and his mother, Millie.
He also is survived by his sisters, Sharron Kropp and Diane Greene (Terry); stepdaughter, Shauna; and step-grandchildren, Jeremy and Avery.
He was predeceased by his father, W.G. (Bill) Gaudry and brother-in-law, Royden Kropp.
As a young lad in Minnihico, it was obvious to his mother and father of his mechanical skills as he would tear apart and put back together whatever he could get his hands on.
Once in his teens, like every other Canadian kid, he had to try his childhood dreams of being a hockey player, so off to private school in Gravelberg, Sask. he went to live out the dream.
Realizing that it wasn’t for him, he then returned home, where he then went to work with his father in Clearwater in the lumber industry. After a stint in the bush, Buena Vista Resort was started up by his father and was run as a family business, where Cliff’s mechanical skills shone as he could rebuild or repair any Merc that was sent his way.
His skills earned him many certificates and the Golden Wrench award, becoming one of Mercury Marines best mechanics.
As we all know, it’s a long winter and seeing as the tourist industry was seasonal, snowmachine racing was taken up in the off-season. Cliff and a couple of his buddies, along with his father, Bill, started up Team Polaris.
They raced modified sleds that they did all their own mods to and won literally hundreds of trophies for their team. They were a force to be reckoned with.
His next adventure kept him where he loved to be on Lake of the Woods: right next door to Buena Vista at Bayview Marina, where he and his family moved to run the new camp. His love for the lake was hunting and fishing.
His next adventure led him to obtain his pilot’s licence. He loved to fly his Cessna around Lake of the Woods and helped collect minnows from the minnow lakes for his father.
His next venture led him into the business of renting out houseboats, eventually purchasing property in Morson, Ont., where he started his own base camp to run the houseboats.
Always up to try anything, his next venture led him to Kenora, Ont., where he mechanic for Pat’s Outboard and Marine for a number of years.
Through his years of travel, he fell in love with South Padre Island, Tex., where he continued with his lifelong love for boats, buying, fixing, and selling. Cliff and Sharon then moved back to Rainy River, Ont., where Canada North Houseboats was born, renting out boats on Lake of the Woods once again.
The old base camp in Morson was purchased and the boats once again were run out of the same spot.
Cliff and Sharon then retired from the boat business and moved out west to British Columbia.
Of course, sitting around was not his style, so a French fry truck was built. Cliff and Sharon ran this for a number of years before returning back to Fort Frances, Ont., where it finally was time to enjoy retirement.
Of course, there was still many projects on the go—one of his favourite projects was working with wood, building cedar furniture and birdhouses.
He loved to spend time with his grandkids and build them wooden toys, from an elaborate doll house to toy trucks.
Summer trips to Sioux Lookout, Ont. were looked forward to in order to spend time with family and, of course, a lot of fishing.
Well, my friends, Boat 14 has left the dock for the last time. As he cruises around the lake watching over us, you may hear the clacking of spoons off Cliff’s knees and Bill, of course, playing the accordion for some friends as they cruise down the Sunset Channel.
If you do, raise your glass and give them a little cheers.
CF GUO
A service will be held Thursday, Aug. 3, 2017 at 1 p.m. at the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Rainy River, Ont., with a luncheon to follow at the Rainy River Evangelical Covenant Church for friends and family.
In lieu of flowers, in memoriam donations may be to the Tamarack House or Cancer Care Fort Frances c/o Northridge Funeral Home, P.O. Box 89, Emo, Ont., P0W 1E0
CLIFFORD GAUDRY
