Devon Beckford’s funeral was held on Saturday, May 15, 2010. He died suddenly at Hamilton General Hospital at the age of 61 years from an inter-cranial bleed after complaining about head pain.
He came to Canada in 1967 and after four years of corresponding with the love of his life, Sonia Allen, in Jamaica, they were married in Toronto. They moved to Kitchener in 1975. Both their children, Andrew and Julia spoke of his devotion to them and Andrew spoke about how he learned to be a man from his father. He especially noticed the extra care his dad devoted to his mom when she was pregnant with Julia.

Devon was educated in accounting and wished to pursue it further, but his life’s responsibilities of family, a full-time job and church activities guided him towards certifications in the food service industry – one of his passions.
Devon worked at Toronto’s Nelson Chocolate Factory before he accepted an Accounts Receivable Clerk position at Waterloo’s NCR. After 14 years he changed jobs and became a cook at Freeport Hospital.

He was a founding member of two churches in Toronto and of the Kitchener Church of God where he served as the Family Training Hour president, Sunday School superintendent, Sunday school teacher and bus driver, a member of the Pastor’s Council, clerk/ treasurer for 14 years and cook. As president of the Life Builders (male choir), he organized special services like a special tribute to the mothers of the church for Mother’s Day and the Christmas candle light service. He was also the organizer of the May bus trip to Buffalo and the church’s annual men’s retreat.

His volunteer services also extended to his non-church community like Village of Winston Park for three years, Kitchener’s Millwood Manor where on a monthly basis, he sang with the ladies from his church, and visited a senior friend known as “daddy” once or twice a week. Over the last two years he helped LINK with bookkeeping, cooking, transportation, and general support.
Last fall he completed courses in another of his passions – to speak Spanish fluently.

His friends and family described him as a good listener and Wendy Nembhard, in her eulogy to Devon, echoed that he was “more than a brother, more than a friend, an elder brother, a surrogate father, a faithful friend, a wonderful cook and baker, had a great sense of humour, warm, compassionate and caring with a huge heart. He made each person feel special and included hundreds of people in his heart.”

The service was officiated by Rev. C. H. Riggan, Rev. R. Polack, and Minister Maxey Peats at the Kitchener Church of God, 533 Weber Street East. He was buried at Williamsburg Cemetery in Kitchener followed by the fellowship at the church.

By Sylma Fletcher
LINK Newsmagazine
Volume 5 Issue 3

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Send your stories, pictures, and memories of Devon to devon@linknewsmagazine.ca