Obituary of Mr. Alan Westwood

Alan Westwood passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family and friends at the age of 83 on October 26, 2024, in Scarborough, ON. Born on April 15, 1941, Alan led a vibrant and fulfilling life marked by his dedication to his family, friends and numerous entrepreneurial ventures.

After immigrating to Toronto from the West Midlands, UK in 1965, Alan embarked on a diverse career path. He initially worked as a technician at GE from 1966 to 1976, before pursuing his entrepreneurial spirit by founding North-East Appliances, which he operated until his passing. His business ventures also led him to own and operate Family Video in the early 80s and Pets Palace in the early 90s. Prior to his immigration, Alan was a familiar face in Dudley, UK, where he was a milk salesman at Silverwoods Dairy Products.

Alan's educational journey began at Kings Norton Grammar School and later, he honed his skills in electrical studies at Garretts Green Technical College and then began his electrical apprentice at Cadbury’s Chocolate. His knowledge, personality and expertise greatly contributed to his professional success and the service he provided to his community.

Alan is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Yvonne (nee Holland); sons, Gary and Steve; “daughter”, Suzie; daughter-in-law, Nicole; and granddaughter, Kyleigh. He was preceded in death by his father, Garnett Westwood; mother, Alice Edith Westwood (nee Hackett); brother-in-law, Bob Payne; and sister-in-law and spouse, Carol and Norman Brandrick, as well as brother-in-law, Michael (Mick) Holland.  He will be greatly missed by his sister Annie, brother-in-law and wife Jim and Debbie and his 3 nieces, 7 nephews, 10 great nieces/nephews and their families in England, as well as the many close friends here in Canada, that were like family for over 50 years.  Particularly, Jackie Maxwell and her husband Allan, one of their first customers at North East Appliances, soon became long time friends and confidants - ‘a sister from another Mother’.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Alan can be made to his favourite organization The Toronto All Stars Big Band (www.torontoallstarbigband.com) or to the Alzheimer Society of Canada (www.alzheimer.ca) or Fighting Blindness Can.