Obituary of Robin Edward Berwick Coleman

It is with great sadness that the family of Robin Edward Berwick Coleman, of St. Marys announce his gentle departure from this earth on February 2nd, 2026 in his 93rd year.

Robin leaves behind his darling wife of 60 years, Joan Coleman (nee Hatcher) as well as his four children and their spouses, Mary & Chris (Wybrow), Elizabeth (Nancy) & Remi (Lemaire), David & Christy (nee Vanderheide) and Michael & Andrea (nee Coyle). He will be missed by his three cherished grandsons and their partners William & Emily, Noah & Taylor and Jack & Jayla. As proud as dad was of his Coleman and Berwick roots, he embraced his large and boisterous Hatcher family with enthusiasm and love. He leaves behind several members of the Hatcher family, including Hannah (Minnie) Taylor, Clifford & Rachel Hatcher, Ann & Willie Parsons and Mary Gharzouzi, various nieces, nephews and their partners & children as well as several cousins on both sides of the family. He leaves behind many dear friends old and new, including some of his oldest friends, Tony Pichler, Reg Barker and Ann Birch.

Robin was predeceased by his parents Roy and Marie Louise Coleman (nee Berwick), his in-laws Henry & Myrtle Hatcher as well as Roy & Irene Hatcher, Tom Taylor, Harry & Marjorie Hatcher, Murdock & Helen Matthews, John Hatcher and Morgan Taylor. He was also predeceased by his dear cousins Frank Lewis & Jeanette as well as Mary Zinn and Frederick & Norene Zinn and childhood friend Bill Middleton. He will be reunited with his loyal and best fur friend, Betty, from his childhood as well as our family dog, Tia.

Robin was the precious only child of his parents, the product of a beautiful love story. Born in the Shelburne, Ontario area in November, 1933, he was said to have heralded in the wintry weather of that year. Growing up, he was very much “all boy”, who had a history of both adventures and misadventures, resulting in many a skinned knee and a grin. Dad loved sports of all kinds and enjoyed both participating in them as well as watching them. He also loved planes, particularly the Avro Arrow, trains, and automobiles. Dad’s knowledge of cars was practically encyclopedic, and he could identify the make, model and year of any vehicle he saw on the road. As a young man, Dad purchased a few beautiful automobiles, including a 1956 Mercury Monarch and later a 1960 Monarch with robin egg blue leather seats. He admittedly owned one or two ‘lemons’ over the years, which were the subject of many (interesting!) conversations. He loved his adventures on the water, including deep sea fishing in Newfoundland. Dad owned a beautiful wooden motorboat as a young man and spent many happy hours in Blind River, Ontario waterskiing with his friends. Dad loved being outside and always said swimming in a lake was preferable to anything else. Dad even won a bowling trophy for “Best Dad Ever!” at his 90th birthday party.

Dad began a career with the Royal Bank, which moved him to many different places in Ontario. Once he got married in 1965, Mom and Dad settled in London, Ontario and decided that they were more interested in providing a stable home for their family, resulting in a career change. He eventually settled into a career in optics, and went back to school as a young dad with a wife and three young children in order to earn his diploma. Dad worked in a number of capacities as an optician and eventually the family moved to St. Marys, Ontario, where he owned and operated Coleman Optical Shoppe for many years. It was always a delight for Dad to meet former customers, who he always remembered with fondness. Dad was a proud member and Past President of the Lion’s Club (St. Marys) as well as St. James Anglican Church of St. Marys and St. George’s Anglican Church of Thorndale, where he also made many meaningful and lifelong connections. Dad was a former member of the St. John’s Lodge, 209a, Ontario.

In retirement, Dad took his responsibilities of becoming a grandparent very seriously and he enjoyed playing with his three grandsons as well as proudly attending sporting events, concerts, plays and activities with them. He helped them to get over their fears and taught them important skills like swimming, skating and the love of reading. He and Joan were grateful to have the opportunity to travel, including going on cruises, day trips, exploring Canada and “Adventure Fridays”. They also wintered in Florida for several years and made a lot of happy memories doing so. Family was the most important thing to dad, and he relished any opportunity to get the gang together and have some laughs. With Dad, there was always laughter, love and Robin’s divine homemade wine. If You Know, You Know. He always said it was “hard to be humble” and loved to dance, party and be the centre of attention.

In his later years, Dad faced some health challenges with his usual optimism. He never complained, and gave us all a masterclass in accepting one’s challenges with grace and dignity. Aside from being lovingly supported by his family, Dad received the very best care from many compassionate providers, including the staff at the VON Day programs, One Care, Paramed, Ontario Health at Home and the Mobility Bus. Mention must be given to the wonderful people who made Dad’s days extra special, including Heather, Tina, Mercedes, Walter, Irene, Jantje, Amie, Marylynne, and especially Shannon. We are also grateful to the loving friends and neighbours of Trailside Court who helped Dad whenever needed, including Todd, Heather, Helena, Agnes, Doug and Simon. Thank you to the amazing teams at Rotary Hospice, Stratford General Hospital, St. Marys Memorial Hospital, Dr. Peel, Dr. Kara, Leanne Ruston and Dr. Hiscock for their wonderful care of Dad.

In memory of Dad, donations to a charity of one’s choice would be gratefully accepted. Some organizations which are near and dear to Dad’s heart are the Alzheimer’s Society of Perth Huron, VON Perth Huron, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the St. Marys Mobility Bus, the Stratford General Hospital Foundation, the Stratford Rotary Hospice and the Lion’s Club Gift of Sight or Leader Dogs for the Blind.

A private family service with interment in the cemetery in Shelburne, Ontario will be held at a later date.

We will miss you, Dad. We know that “Rockin’ Robin” will be waiting for us with his cap and fancy socks on, ready to give us a big hug, a back pat and a fist bump or three. “WOO WEE”