Obituary of Albert Walter Strickland

Albert Walter Strickland passed away peacefully on June 1, 2026 at Victoria Hospital in London, Ontario. Al enjoyed a full life, playing many roles, wearing many hats: Beloved son, brother, husband, father, uncle, grandfather & friend… He was a first son named after his father ‘Albert’ Leslie Strickland. He was born in North Bay/ Baie du Nord, NFLD on July 16, 1939… when it was still a separate entity in the British Empire, yes, ten years before Confederation. And although only a very small child when he moved to Ontario, he had some vivid memories of the Rock… he spoke of hearing German U-boats charging batteries in remote coves; him- barely a toddler- helming a fishing boat and narrowly missing a cliff, when his grandfather went down to check on a problem with the engine; … the family ox a living tractor… a long life indeed. He was indisputably a bright, charismatic character and the world is dimmer for his loss. He could be utterly charming with anyone and it must be that Irish side of the Newfish that gave him the gift of the gab… he could definitely gab, he could tell some tall tales… he was the epitome of a gregariousness. He was a good friend to man & beast… he enjoyed feeding the backyard birds, loved his cats and he kept milk-bones in his garage for passing neighbours’ dogs… He was man of good taste, he enjoyed fast cars, fine food, fishing, any festivities involving fermented beverages, A&W teen burgers, Turtles and butter tarts. In fact, visiting him couple days before he passed… we took him down to Timmies where he demolished a box of Timbits and was game for an arm wrestle! His taste for treats & challenges never diminished… He rarely did things half way… at one time, he assembled a fully equipped exercise room in the basement and worked out regularly; he was an avid distance cyclist- often concluding his trips with a frosty Heineken; he dabbled in tropical fish for many years, meticulously maintaining a huge fish tank- a centrepiece of the dining room; he had a modest collection of original art and got into winemaking, installing-what to a child’s eyes- a complex system of buckets, bottles & tubes…to craft some tipple… pretty decent stuff I’ve been told. And he always, always revelled in good music and quality audio equipment, acquiring an impressive collection of vinyl… classic rock, blues, jazz… the house was filled with music every day, all day long- often at high volume, often to mom’s chagrin. He worked many years in industry & sales, the lion’s share of employment at Webster’s Manufacturing… where he enjoyed the benefits of international travel, fine dining on a business stipend and company cars- which he kept pristine. In point of fact, he was something of a perfectionist, any summer weekend you could find him attentively & conscientiously hand washing his cars, poking around- tweaking the engine, or mowing the lawn in perfectly aligned diagonals… if he wasn’t puttering with his sound system. He worked hard, but put equal, if not more, energy into playing hard… the parties at 1802 Royal Crescent were legendary, liquid spirits flowed, fragrant smoke wafted, great music blasted, footballs & frisbees flew, friends frolicked …police were called… yes, there were noise complaints- and when the law arrived- of course, he’d offer them a cold brew. …and the ROAD TRIPS! The vivid memories of the many summers: driving to Grand Bend or Manitoulin Island, or to the Jeffrey’s farm in Wiarton, rock & roll cranked-up on the 8-track, his dagger tattooed arm resting on the ‘65 Bellair’s open window, holding the classic brown bottle… it was legal then. He always enjoyed a tall cold one, and continued his art of hospitality at Gatineau Crescent where he was a master mixologist, whipping up Bloody Caesar’s, Harvey Wallbangers and Margaritas with aplomb, or just offered a tot of finer stuff- for anyone who happened to drop by… and of course, the background music… always background music… like Jimmy Buffet’s ‘Margaritaville’. I remember one summer, sitting by Aunt Diane’s pool with grandma- and she said- out of the blue… “I don’t know how Lee does it?” … then before my 10 year old brain could respond... she said, “Jr can be a handful”. He was a big personality, bursting with energy- or piss & vinegar- mom was the quiet one… but somehow they stuck it out and would have made it to their 65th wedding anniversary this year. That’s an achievement. The last few years were challenging for both my parents and dad’s world shrunk considerably. However, he discovered gaming- spending endless hours on his computer playing various shooter games. If he couldn’t participate in real life, he’d do it virtually... He followed news & world events and always had strong opinions he was keen to share. You always knew his firm position on a subject. During his last months in hospital he enjoyed the visits of family (Especially mom) & friends and would never decline a butter tart or date square- we even once snuck in a cold Heineken … in the end he passed peacefully amongst family, leaving a wealth of memories. He was most definitely, one of a kind… and he lives on in our thoughts & fond remembrances, and we are honoured to celebrate his wonderful life and the memories we have all shared. He will be missed.