Obituary

With deep sadness and gratitude we say goodbye to Ed Harder, someone who touched countless lives in his 80 years. Ed died peacefully on June 10, 2024 surrounded by his loving family and his dear friend Ranj. Ed’s life was rich and full. His relaxed and calm manner, his sense of humour, his integrity and signature smile stayed with him to the end. Ed grew up in Niagara-on-the-Lake, the middle child of Arthur and Adelheid Harder, where he enjoyed his childhood and youth. He studied Math at the University of Waterloo and while living at Conrad Grebel College he established life long friendships. Ed experienced a varied and broad career as a civil servant, teacher, farmer and contractor. He was also an avid cyclist, hiker, traveller, gardener, tree planter and volunteer. In particular, Silver Lake Mennonite Camp was a special place to him and he spent countless hours helping to make it more beautiful with his building skills and artful eye. He loved music of many styles, particularly choral music. Ever curious about our world, Ed kept up with current affairs daily and traveled broadly throughout his life. He had a soft compassionate heart and a deep sense of social justice. Ed built and created two wonderful homes for his family. The first was a log house on a farm in West Garafraxa, which was an oasis and retreat for many. Then 35 years later, with a move to Elora, he completed another major renovation to an older home, which he vowed would be his last build. In 2017 Ed was diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease. He was able to accept and manage the challenges for some years, still cycling with a recumbent trike and enjoying some travel. In recent years Ed experienced more losses as the disease progressed. His daughters and grandsons began to play an important role in his care and a dear group of friends came regularly to play music around the kitchen table. Those afternoons were filled with laughter, chatter and love. His community in Elora, his caring friends and neighbours, the Rockway Mennonite Church community and his dedicated family all shone a light on the last months of Ed’s life. We are grateful for the daily Home Care workers who eased Ed’s days with kindness and smiles as did the Upper Grand Family Health Team. Ed was admitted to hospital following a brief acute illness. The compassionate palliative care at Groves Memorial Hospital was a comfort to our whole family. Heartfelt thanks to the attentive nursing staff and Doctors Cummins and Phillips. Ed was a loving husband to Jo-Anne for 56 years, adored by his daughters Rebecca (Duane Heide) Rachel (Matt Snider) and five grandsons, Nicholas (Hanneke), Noah, Kieran, Adam and Toby. These beloved grandchildren were the joy of his life and even more so in his later years. He also leaves behind his sister Deanna Harris and brother Glenn Harder. His many nieces and nephews held a special place in his heart. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Huntington Society of Canada, Silver Lake Mennonite Camp or Groves Memorial Hospital. For Visitation and Celebration of Life details please visit www.grahamgiddyfh.com.