Rene (Ray) Matthey

Husband, father, WWII veteran, artist, train and stamp collector and founder of the Saunders-Matthey Foundation for Breast Cancer Research. Born May 29, 1923 in Bienne, Switzerland. Died November 27, 2003 in Ottawa of prostate cancer.

I shall always remember Ray as a big man with an even bigger heart. From the moment that I met him about 6 years ago at a Breast Cancer Conference, he won my respect with his commitment, charm and wit. He was such a modest man, that I failed to learn of his many talents and hobbies until the last year of his life.

Although born in Switzerland, Ray was proud to serve his adopted country overseas during World War II, as a flight lieutenant in Radar with the RCAF. While he was writing his own obituary a few months ago, he wanted to make sure that his service record was included. While in England, he met his first wife Joy. They returned together to Canada after the war and spent 25 years together. After the War, Ray was hired by Bell Canada, where he worked for 33 years in various positions in Toronto, Montreal, Smith Falls, Kingston and Ottawa. He retired as an administrator responsible for salary and safety procedures.

Ray always had a zest for life, which manifested in numerous talents. While visiting his home, I admired two small watercolors which I told him reminded me of the Group of Seven. I was amazed when he told me that he had painted them while in Newfoundland with Bell. Always generous to the end, Ray gave me the paintings on one of my last visits with him.

After retirement Ray established a singles club in 1972 called "People Meeting People", which continues to flourish to this day. It was through the Club that he met his beloved second wife Suzanne. He also was involved in stamp collecting clubs and had a little boy's excitement over his extensive model train collection. When he moved into a retirement resort last spring, the management gave him an entire room to house his collection, in order that all the residents could share in his fun.

The most difficult and heartbreaking times of his life were the losses of his daughter Jeannette, a CBC radio corespondent in 1993 from breast cancer and then his second wife Suzanne to the same disease in 1994. Having lost both his parents to cancer as well, his own diagnosis of prostate cancer in 2000 was no surprise.

If I had to remember Ray for just one thing, it would be for his passion, for life, for those he loved and lost, and for the Saunders-Matthey Foundation for Breast Cancer Research, which he founded in 1996. One year, the Foundation donated $50,000 to the Canadian Breast Cancer Research Initiative, as well as funding numerous other smaller projects. Although Ray was in his seventies, he remained active not only in the Foundation, but also tenaciously pursued the media on issues near and dear to his heart.

In the last two years of his life, Ray became frustrated with the billions spent on cancer research, and the fact that a cure still remained elusive. As I was already involved with the Breast Cancer Prevention Coalition, we decided to merge our two organizations, and target all cancers. This suited Ray, as he was already battling metastatic prostate cancer. Since the new focus of prevention was not within the mandate of his Foundation, we decided to create a new organization based on a trust document, which would fulfill our joint concerns. Just a few weeks before his death, the application for a new charitable number for the Saunders Matthey Cancer Prevention Coalition was sent in. As his designated successor, I believe that it brought him peace to know that his final wishes were being carried out. Although I wish that Ray had lived long enough to see his dream become a reality, I know that he will always be with me in spirit.

Ray is survived by his son Brian (wife, Carol), grandson Christopher and granddaughter Karen.

---

Trish Balon

On Sunday, November 21, 1999, Trish Balon of Hamilton passed away after a long and courageous battle with breast cancer at age 36. Trish was one of several women who worked on the same floor of a Bell Canada office building in Hamilton, all of whom were diagnosed with breast cancer during a period of 18 months. They came to believe their cancers were caused by exposure to very high levels of electromagnetic (EMF) fields occurring in this office.

Three of these women - Trish, Maureen Steeves and Lorna Wilson fought to have the problem of EMFs recognized, and struggled for the right to safer workplaces for all Bell employees. Maureen died in October 1997. Trish was a member of the steering committee for Everyday Carcinogens: Stopping Cancer Before It Starts, but became gravely ill in February this year, and was unable to attend the conference in March.

Few expected Trish to survive past April, but devotion to her family - husband Les and their three young daughters - and her fighting spirit, gave this remarkable woman the will to live much longer. Trish was a shining example to all of us, and our condolences go out to her family, friends and colleagues.

---

Rosa Francia-Meneses

The Breast Cancer Prevention Coalition/StopCancer Ontario joins the The Philippine Breast Cancer Network in their tribute and heartfelt farewell to Rosa Francia-Meneses, August 28, 1952 - September 23, 2000, Founding President of PBCN.

Just five months after her mastectomy, Rosa traveled great distance all by herself from Manila to Kingston, Ontario, Canada to attend the World Conference on Breast Cancer in July 13-17, 1997. Responding to the call for Global Action towards the Eradication of Breast Cancer and encouraged by the courage and strength of many friends she made during the Kingston Conference, the PBCN was established on August 28, 1997.

Rosa touched many with her courage and truly made a global contribution.

Climb Against the Odds - Mt. Fuji in the year 2000, Buhawi, Rosa's son, climbed Mt. Fuji and reached the summit in her honor.

---

Irene Kock

A Remembrance
Friday, January 11th, 2002 By Suzanne Elston

2001 claimed an extraordinary victim on New Year's Eve. Renowned anti-nuclear activist Irene Kock, on her way to a party with friends, died in an automobile accident just a few hours before the closing of what will be remembered as a terrible year.

Her death has left the environmental community reeling. Together with partner David Martin, Irene had done the job that nobody else wanted, campaigning for nuclear safety. For almost twenty years, the couple worked tirelessly under the banner of Nuclear Awareness Project and Durham Nuclear Awareness. Last year, they joined forces with the Sierra Club of Canada to further raise the profile of nuclear safety in this country.

Much has been written about Irene during the past week, praising her remarkable tenacity and courage under fire. A dedicated environmentalist, both on the job, and off, Irene set a high standard for others to follow. More importantly, she was a really decent person and extraordinary friend to everyone who knew her. Humble intelligence and dedication were her trademarks.

At her funeral service last Saturday, many spoke of the tremendous hole that has been left by her passing. But even those who knew her best are only now beginning to understand the immensity of her loss.

Elizabeth May, Executive Director of the Sierra Club of Canada, Irene's boss and close friend, said, "Nobody knew everything that she knew. The best analogy that I can use is that losing Irene is like losing a tropical rainforest before biologists and botanists had a chance to understand everything that was there." For the woman whose love for this planet began at the family greenhouse, the parallel is a fitting one.

A tireless campaigner, Irene's passion and professionalism brought national attention to an issue that even other environmentalists often found too risky and difficult to confront.

"Irene had a tremendous mind and a gift for research and analysis unparalleled in the Canadian environmental community, " said May.

David Mahony, former DNA steering Committee member put it this way, "It's too much to lose," he said. "It's an incredible loss, even for people who didn't know her."

Most recently, Irene was working to bring national attention to the Iter project, a proposal to build a $ 14 billion experimental fusion reactor at the Darlington site. This will become the starting point for rebuilding the Sierra Club's nuclear campaign strategy.

Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of Irene, the Canadian anti-nuclear movement has attained broad public support in recent years. Unfortunately, as Elizabeth May points out, it's virtually unfundable. "It's easy to raise money to save the big trees in B.C. or furry little animals, " she said, "but nuclear issues aren't safe and they definitely aren't within the secure establishment of what you can support without rocking the boat."

But rock the boat is what Irene did with style and grace. She was also my very dear friend, and I miss her.

The following poem was written by Irene's friend, Wynn Walters and read at her funeral:

Tread Lightly in Her Footsteps

Tread lightly in her footsteps children of the earth,
delicate imprints on the land
whose impact will be counted in the countless
whose impression measured by the boundless.

Tread lightly in her footsteps, children of the earth,
to a place where you can quench your thirst
with a cup of purity.
Breathe the air of a pristine planet
unsullied by the stench of misdirected progress,
walk in the fields unpoisoned by the pestilence of productivity;
a place unthreatened by the Damoclean sword
of nuclear might undone,
a place where all the creatures of the earth
can live, and love and linger in the sun.

Gone too soon, you ask? A wasted life?
Only by a clock that measures lives of daily mediocrity.
Her time was not measured thus, in months and years,
but by a pendulum of deeds and words
that is not stilled by death or tears.

Tread lightly in her footsteps,
children of the earth.
Follow the path of this gentle warrior,
fierce in her convictions, formidable in her fight,
but gentle in her leadership,
unswerving in her vision of what she knew was right.

Tread gently in the footsteps of she who trod so lightly on the earth.
And as you go, look carefully where the forest is most green. And you will see, it is there she has been.

To gather some small idea of the scope of Irene's work, go to google.com and do a web search under her name "Irene Kock". You'll be amazed.

Donations to the Sierra Club of Canada can be made in Irene's honor. Phone 613-241-4611.