Obituary

Obituary of Mr. William "Ken" Colley

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With great sadness we announce the passing of Ken Colley on November 21, 2023, surrounded by his family, after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. Beloved and devoted husband to Donna; loving father to Greg (Elizabeth), Chris and Matt (Lindsay); cherished grandfather to Brendan, Ryan, Caitlin, Lucas, Nathan and Noah; brother to Graham (Liz); and uncle to nephew, Jonathan and niece, Katie. Ken will be sadly missed by many other extended family members and friends; and especially by his son, Chris, who called his dad "my best friend."

Ken was born in Montreal and was a lifelong Habs fan, which continued throughout both the good and the bad years, long after his family's move to Toronto in 1954. A graduate of Leaside High School and the Commerce and Finance program at the University of Toronto, Ken obtained his Chartered Accountancy designation in 1970. He spent his career in the finance departments of the City of North York and the City of Toronto, where he survived the tumultuous days of amalgamation as Manager of Financial Reporting until his retirement in 2006.

Ken was a proud member of the Salvation Army. He was actively involved in both the Earlscourt and Yorkminster Citadel Corps bands, and also supported finance and administration activities. He leaves behind a legacy of over 70 years of dedication to God and the Salvation Army.

Special thanks are extended to Dr. Kiran Madala and Dr. Paul Lau for their expert care and guidance during his battle with cancer, also Dr. Andrew Patterson (Stouffville Palliative Care) and Dr. Arif Dharamshi.

A Celebration of Ken's Life is planned for 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 25, 2023, at the Salvation Army Yorkminster Corps, 1 Lord Seaton Road, Toronto, with visitation on Friday, November 24, 2023, from 7:00-9:00 p.m. at the same location. Interment at Elgin Mills Cemetery will follow on Saturday at the conclusion of the service.

Ken's Celebration of Life will also be livestreamed, for those who are unable to attend in person. You can watch the service at Yorkminster Citadels' YouTube or Facebook page.

In lieu of flowers, a donation in Ken’s honour to the Salvation Army Yorkminster Citadel Family Services would be appreciated. If you would like to send flowers, please send them to Yorkminster Citadel (address above).