Patricia Joanne Moir
Patricia Joanne Moir died July 20 in San Jose del Cabo, Baja California.
Born August 31, 1939 in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Moir graduated from high school in Terrace, B.C. and worked at a lumber company before settling into a career as a realtor on Vancouver Island for 25 years.
Moir moved to Guadalajara in 2002, where her greatest and most fulfilling adventure began. She was director of studies at the Vancouver Language Centre in that city for six years.
She purchased a home in the Lake Chapala area in 2004. Once settled at lakeside, she jumped in with both feet, working as a director with the Niños de Chapala and Ajijic educational scholarship program and volunteering at the charity’s thrift store.
Her great love of animals took her to the local cat shelter where she spent many hours helping out.
Her life became complete five years ago when she met and fell in love with Domenic Valenti. They rode Harley’s with the Los Guerros lakeside-based motorcycle club, danced any chance they could and enjoyed being together.
Valenti preceded her in death just a few weeks before she died.
Moir is survived by daughter Kim (Terry) Grimm; son Kyle (Michelle) Moir; grandchildren Tara, Lori, Olivia, William, Colt and Harlan; great grandchildren Shayla, Elyse, Brooklyn and Megan, all residing in Canada. And, in her own words, “her guardian angel” Alberto “Beto” Lopez Rodriguez and her many friends.
Moir’s wish was that there be no funeral, no memorial, only a party. She wanted her children and friends to honor that wish by dancing, eating, drinking and being with family and friends, celebrating a life well lived. The “party” will be held next spring when her Canadian family can gather at lakeside together with her Mexican family.
Moir always tried to get the most out of life. She traveled the world and was one of the hardest working people you could meet.
As she would say, “Live life to the fullest. This is not a dress rehearsal.”
Wilbur Norman Smith
Wilbur Norman (Bill) Smith died at his home in Canacinta on August 8, with his friends by his side. Smith was born in Balmy Beach, a suburb of Toronto, Ontario, on June 14, 1918. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in September 1941. He trained in St. Thomas, Ontario as an instrument technician. After a year at the RCAF Trenton base, he was posted overseas.
During World War II, Smith served as an auto pilot technician with RCAF 415 (Swordfish) squadron, Coastal Command on the English Channel. He recalls that more than one badly mauled and seriously injured crew got home on his auto pilot. He was later transferred to No. 6 (RCAF) Bomber Group in Yorkshire, England.
Smith’s expertise with the sax and clarinet did not go unnoticed and it was “suggested” by his commanding officer that he might play for the thousands of allied troops awaiting the D-Day invasion.
On Smith’s return to Canada, he and his wife Barbara started a family and built their first home in Etobicoke, a district in the western part of Toronto. Smith studied his passion, structural steel; his career highlights being his involvement at Frankels Steel, helping with the construction of the Toronto-Dominion Centre and Ontario Place entertainment and exhibition complex.
Smith and his wife (who predeceased him) decided to buy a home in Ajijic in December 1984, and over the following years met and made many friends in both the expat and local community.
As well as being involved with other Lakeside “ham” radio operators, Smith was also an avid musician, being self taught on the sax and trumpet. He played from his youth in Toronto until his recent demise.
He was an avid Canadian Football League (CFL) fan, model builder and proud member of the 904 (Lake Chapala) Wing – Royal Canadian Air Force Association, where he was a held in great esteem.
Smith was recently feted at the Canada Day celebration in Chapala, following his 98th birthday.
Smith and Barbara were a lifelong team, and the proud parents of Chris (Cambridge), Robin (Belize), Greg (Vancouver) and Peter (Toronto), honorary daughter Gabriella (Toluca) and grandchildren: Nigel, Jeff, Cameron, Jacob, Emily Barbara, Faye, Simon and Dexter.
Smith will be sorely missed by his myriad of friends at lakeside and in Canada.
His family offer special thanks to friends Lynn, Luz Maria, Ron, Dianne and Augustina, who all helped Smith close the last chapter of his amazing life story.
A memorial service will be announced at a later date.
Robert Labrozzi
Former Ajijic and San Antonio Tlayacapan resident Robert (Bob) Labrozzi died July 15 in Port Saint Lucie, Florida at the age of 78.
Born in Washington D.C. on July 22, 1938, Labrozzi served honorably in the U.S. Navy between the Korean and Vietnam wars. He was a masonry contractor prior to retirement.
Labrozzi and his wife, Judy, lived in Mexico from 2004 to 2013. They lived at lakeside for four years before relocating to Playa del Carmen. The couple enjoyed extensive travel throughout Mexico in their motor home.
While living at lakeside, Labrozzi and Judy taught English to a group of preschool and elementary children every Saturday at Cristiania Park in Chapala.
He was honored to be asked to be padrino to a local Chapala girl, who is now 18. The two families have remained close.
Labrozzi and his wife were horse lovers and at one time raised, trained and sold Arabians. One of his greatest joys was rescuing street dogs. He never met one that he didn’t love and spoiled them to a fault.
Labrozzi is survived by his wife of 47 years, Judith, of Port Saint Lucie and a daughter, Polly Bouker, of Winder, Georgia.
Wendell Franklin Jackson
Wendell Franklin Jackson died in his sleep July 27 at his home in Riberas del Pilar at the age of 77.
Jackson was born September 9, 1938 in Hannibal, Missouri and raised in that same town. Before moving to Mexico in 2002, Jackson had been a navigator in the U.S. Air Force, a long-haul truck driver, an auditor for Southland Corp., a corporate fundraiser for the Salvation Army, and had dabbled in real estate.
At Lakeside, he made many friends and acquaintances and found a home at Lake Chapala Baptist where he served as steward. He was also a member of American Legion Post 7.
Jackson will be missed by his friends, his church, and the elderly folks that he was so faithful to keep tabs on. He was extremely active up until his sudden death.
He is survived by his daughter, Stephanie Jackson Paproski (Jeff) of Aurora, Colorado and his sister Kay Norman (Larry) of Sterling Heights, Michigan.
A memorial service will be held 11 a.m. Monday, August 15 at Lake Chapala Baptist Church.