Obituary of Robert N. Gilson

Robert Gilson After a courageous battle with cancer, Robert "Bob" Gilson, of Aylmer Ontario, passed away on April 25th in his 76th year. He was the loving husband of Mary Helen (McBrien) for 54 years and proud father of daughter Shelly, son Jeff and his wife Kelly, all of Woodstock and son Patrick and his wife Melissa of London. He is survived by his grandchildren Paige, Katie, Samantha, Julia, Taylor, Ryan, Patrick, Elizabeth, Connor, Cooper, Jackson, Mark and Quinn and his sister Bonnie Ostrander. He will be welcomed in heaven by his sons Paul (1969), Robert Jr. (1996), Thomas (2006), grandchildren Matthew (2005), Olivia (2005) and his mother Margeurite Barrett. Bob was a family man who adored his children and grandchildren. Bob enjoyed attending their activities and was a constant source of support and encouragement. He was kind-hearted and always willing to help anyone in need. He cherished his lifelong friends and spent many years as a committed driver for the Meals on Wheels program in Aylmer. Bob worked for London Life, Royal Trust and Family Group before his sports dream came true when he spearheaded a partnership that formed the London Tigers Baseball Club, an AA Affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, acting as the General Manager from 1989-1993. That cemented a love of all things Detroit - Tigers and Red Wings! Bob gave back to his community in many other ways. He officiated basketball and football at the high school level for over 53 years, played and managed the St. Thomas Tomcats Junior Baseball team, acted as the coach and manager of the St. Thomas Elgins and was involved with minor baseball and hockey in Aylmer. Funeral Mass will be celebrated by Father Graham Keep at St. Anne's Roman Catholic Church, 20 Morrison Dr., St. Thomas on Thursday, April 30th at 10:00 am. A celebration of Bob's life will take place immediately following Mass at St. Anne's Centre, adjacent to the church. At Bob's request, cremation has already taken place. In lieu of flowers, donations to London Regional Cancer Centre or to Myeloma Canada would be appreciated. The family would like to thank Dr. Marta Louzada and the dedicated nurses who cared for Bob in the ICU and on the fourth floor of the St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital. kebbelfuneralhome.com