
Obituary of Ern Mansell
Ernest "Ern" Edward Mansell
Ern passed away peacefully on Jan. 29, 2025 at Hospice Peterborough. He is the beloved husband of Anne (née Fuller) and loving father of Margaret (Kevin Whitlock), Gatineau, QC and Emma (Dimitri Katotakis), Toronto. Former husband of Judith (née Armstrong) and loving father of Katherine (Rick Nelson), Allen (Marie Windover), and Jon (Jodie Smith), Peterborough area. Dear grandfather of Matthew and Gregory (Molly Seaton) Nelson, Port Alberni, B.C. and Madeleine and Keenan Whitlock, Gatineau, QC. Dear uncle of Kevin Walker (Anne Willems), Pickering.
Born on Sept. 20,1935 in East York to Northern Irish immigrants, Richard Albert and Regina Mary (née Shields), Ern is predeceased by his parents (1967) and (1968), siblings Joyce (2017) and George (1943), brother-in-law James Walker (1999), and nephew Brian (1971).
Ern graduated from Danforth Tech and was drafted to the CFL. Shortly thereafter, he suffered a shoulder injury, ending his athletic career. Subsequently, he held several jobs as apprentice pressman (McLean-Hunter), salesman (Kellogg’s), and OPP officer. After moving to Peterborough in 1968, with his wife, Judith, and their three young children, Ern attended Trent University and graduated in 1971 with a B.Sc. in Geography. He particularly enjoyed physical geography and the effects of glaciation. A highlight was a field trip to Schefferville (on the Labrador Peninsula) to perform snow studies. Also, while at Trent, Ern helped to start the Trent Rowing Club and to build its first boathouse.
These early experiences prepared Ern well for a career as a geography and physical education teacher in five Peterborough area high schools (1971-1995). With a blend of wit and wisdom, he encouraged his students to learn to the best of their abilities and to achieve a high school diploma, which “could never be taken away from them” and which he felt would help them gain employment. Ern also coached students on the football field and on the basketball court with passion and skill. Decades later, former students would greet him with the same enthusiasm he once showed them.
On Dec. 27, 1986, Ern married Anne Margaret Fuller. Together, they thoroughly enjoyed raising Margaret and Emma, lovingly encouraging them and their families in their personal lives, education, and careers. Life on a farm in Selwyn, surrounded by nature, was a delight; the building of a cottage in the Kawartha Lakes added to their happiness. Ern also encouraged and enjoyed the company of his three older children and two grandsons, all of whom lived nearby. Ern was a giver and a receiver of friendship; he kept in touch and eagerly sought out opportunities to interact with friends.
As a young person attending family house parties, Ern had been delighted by the communal singing of Irish folk songs accompanied by Reggie on the piano. His father, Bertie, would also sometimes perform solo comedic vocal roles. Ern was drawn to sing publicly in the 1980s and 90s, first in men’s choruses, particularly The Bonachords. Then, his rich baritone voice and tall stage presence enlivened many Peterborough Theatre Guild and St. James Players productions, especially musicals. Over the years, in fact, he performed in two different productions of both Guys and Dolls and The Odd Couple.
Ern also loved to travel, most often in the company of family and/or friends: on safari in Kenya, living in Théoule-sur-Mer, France and in Fanny Bay, B.C., each for several months, touring major European and North American cities, visiting friends in Singapore and relatives in Northern Ireland, and winter vacationing in Myrtle Beach and Florida.
But it was in the Czech Republic that Ern really found a second home. In 1991, Ern first joined a group of Ontario teachers who travelled to Moravia to participate in “Pavel’s English School,” a 2-week-long summer camp where Czech people, having been under Soviet rule until 1989, eagerly came to learn and to practice conversational English. Ern “liked the culture.” For instance, during his first of about 18 visits, a stranger welcomed him to participate in a wedding celebration in rural Czechoslovakia, where he joined in the fun of an outdoor party long into the night. Over the years, he became good friends with several of the adult students at the school, visiting them in their Czech homes and inviting them to visit him in Canada. At the school, often accompanied by family and friends from Canada, Ern’s sense of humour and his experience as a singer, performer, and engaging conversationalist broke the “traditional teacher” mould for the Czechs. Morning classes were more formal, but the evening featured, first, a large group session of singing, jokes, drama and games and, second, a visit to a local wine cellar. There, conviviality reigned: everyone was eager to converse and sing, accompanied by guitarists and accordion players; wines made in-house, cured meats, fresh veggies, and “beautiful” rye bread were enjoyed in abundance.
“Ern lived life to the edges, in all directions.” He cared deeply for his family, friends, and community. We are thankful for him.
Please join us in a Service of Thanksgiving at St. John’s Anglican Church, 81 Queen St., Lakefield on May 2, 2025 at 1 pm. Reception to follow at Royal Canadian Legion, 10 Nicholls St., Lakefield. Arrangements have been entrusted to Hendren Funeral Homes – Lakefield Chapel. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Salvation Army Peterborough Temple, 219 Simcoe St., Peterborough, K9H 2H6, Peterborough Regional Health Centre Foundation - Cancer Care, 1 Hospital Dr., Peterborough, K9J 7C6, or Hospice Peterborough, 325 London St., Peterborough, K9H 2Z5 by going to www.hendrenfuneralhome.com or by calling 705-652-3355.