HARRY ALEXANDER (BUTCH) PELLOW February 8, 1941 - December 13, 2016

After beating the odds for several months, Harry passed away at Princess Margaret Hospital as a result of complications from a brain tumour.

Harry was a distinguished Architect, having graduated with a B.Arch. (Honours) from the University of Toronto and was a graduate of Ryerson University with a Dipl.of Arch.Tech. He was awarded the RAIC's Gold Medal and was a nominee for the Pilkington Award. Harry become a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada in 1995. He served as a member of the OAA's Conduct and Complaints Committee for several years. His internship was completed in what he frequently described as a postgraduate environment working with some of the finest architects then working on signature buildings for Canada's major institutions and contractors. Prior to graduation,

 Harry worked with John Layng Architect and then Margison, Keith, Sage & Hamlin Architects and Engineers in Toronto as an architectural technologist. In 1970, he joined Parkin Architects Engineers and Planners, where through the firm's eventual transition to NORR, he was an Associate, Manager of Architectural Design, and Partner until 1978 involved in business development, administration and principal in charge of projects. Noteworthy of the projects at Parkin/Searle Wilbee Rowland (SWR)/ NORR were Toronto International Airport's Terminal Two; Four Seasons Sheraton on Queen Street; Westin Hotel on Richmond Street, and a master plan for Toronto Place, a mixed-use development encompassing an entire city block bounded by University, Richmond, York, and Adelaide Streets.

One of Harry's early design achievements, while at NORR, was a design for the National Art Centre (Place Pompidou) in Paris, an international competition judged by Philip Johnson. The firm was one of three Canadian finalists selected from a field of 681 submissions and was a 'premiated award'. Harry's team included Graham Bell, who worked with Harry until his retirement and continues with the company today. In 1978, Harry's restless spirit caused him to embark in a new direction forming Pellow + Associates Architects Inc. Over the course of the next several decades, the breadth of Harry's work and responsibilities included many successful and award winning projects, starting with a national competition for Cornwall Centre in 1978, a mixed-use development in Regina and ending with the design of an 73-storey tower at 50 Bloor West (Harry's dream scheme).

 Harry believed that architecture was a business and a profession and his hands- on creative style was imprinted on the firm's design portfolio. He and his wife, Brigitte built a business around a strong client base that endured for 37 years until a debilitating illness necessitated that he relinquish his role to his partners, David Moore and John Ricci, both of whom contributed significantly to the business' growth and success. Harry valued architecture for its challenges and opportunities and for the many people it brought into his life.

He always asked 'Why' and then 'Why Not' and never took anything for granted. As a consequence of his leadership and steadfast belief in professional and ethical standards, he and his partners garnered the continuing trust of loyal and appreciative clientele. Harry's sense of humour, intuition and fair play served him throughout his business andpersonal life. Harry epitomized the terms 'friend' and 'mentor'. Over the years of practice, people of all ages and nationalities called Pellow + Associates home.

Working with Harry was like being a part of his family. If you were in trouble or needed a hand, he was there for you. Amongst his achievements, Harry led the efforts to enhance the education for current and future students in architectural science at Ryerson University. He was instrumental in getting a team together to raise funds to create the David E. Handley Architectural Science Studios which opened in 2016; completed the Paul H. Cocker Gallery which opened in 2013; and establish a bursary in the name of Stewart Crawford.

As a teenager, Harry worked as a 'meeter and greeter', 'handyman' and 'hunting and fishing guide' at his brother Bill's tourist outfitting business on the Kebsquasheshing River in Chapleau, Ontario and was regularly attired in a jeep hat, jeans and denim shirt along with gum rubber boots and a belt knife. The customers nicknamed him 'the river rat' as they watched him dress the catch of the day. Always loving the North, Harry was a 'bush' guy all his life and enjoyed nothing more than spending time at his camp in Haliburton. Although Harry spent most of his adult life in Toronto,

Harry's home town of Chapleau was ever in his heart and he kept in touch with his childhood friends. He and Brigitte hosted many reunions for the Chapleau 'gang' where the 'remember when' tales and laughter filled the room. Harry is survived by his wife, Brigitte Gee; his two children, Christopher (Tammy) Pellow and Kaylyn (Michael) Bondar; and grandchildren, Christopher (CJ) Pellow, Joshua and Abby Bondar; brother, William Pellow; mother-in-law, Christa Gee; brother-in-law, Michael Gee; and his former wife, Marion Pellow (nee Maycock). He is predeceased by his parents, Aldythe and Clifford (Bill) Pellow and brother, Ross Pellow. If desired, charitable donations in memory of Harry can be directed to the Princess Margaret Hospital or a charity of your choice. There will be no formal funeral services but a 'Harry's Bar' will be scheduled at a future date.

Harry Pellow recalls enthusiasm at 'critical pitch' during Chapleau road hockey games of the Fifties

Butch at CHS Reunion 2012

By Harry "Butch" Pellow

I only recall the famous strip between Birch and Cedar but I did play on the pond on the back river once or twice. Both times I froze my toes and fingers and decided that it was too cold for me.

But on Aberdeen Street it was warmer and much closer to home to play road hockey. Frequently, snow piles were pretty high; often stained with dog urine and rarely without many deep holes in them where the pucks had been lost and had been recovered either by probing sticks or urgent kicks from various team players.

Players were randomly gathered either by purposeful visits to the destination or picked up on the way by. The skill level was indeterminate but the enthusiasm was always at a critical pitch.

Frequently the more proficient and sometimes the more senior amongst us effected a team selection process which created a lop-sided weighting of skill and ability resulting in long periods hen goals were only scored from one direction. By the way, I was not one of the more senior amongst us if you know what I mean.

Sometimes the call of nature shortened the attention span but then there was always the back of Schroeder's porch, Evan's barn or Mcleod's hedge available for relief. Not infrequently if the call was more urgent there would be knocks on adjacent doors (usually Evans or Schroeder’s) asking for use of the facilities but this was rare because it could have called an end to the game if dinner was seen to be on the table.

There were several constants including Mike Morris, Bill McLeod, Ken Schroeder, Jim Evans, Butch Pellow, Charlie White and Buddy Swanson. Down the block and around the corner players would be attracted by the shouting or previously having been invited to bolster a losing run. They included Tony Telik, Joey Steen, Mansel Riley, Mark Boulard, Tommy Jordan, Tim Goodwin (yes even that far away), and Gunner Collins and and and………………

Games usually started immediately after school and lingered well after the merchant families parents arrived home from work. Some evenings that was quite late. Generally speaking though darkness imposed a limitation and there were very few lights on the street to create a safe level of illumination. Especially low in fact as I remember because once the puck was lost, it remained lost until the next morning. In the absence of a puck there were alternative missiles however including a half size can of Carnation milk, Klick or Spam cans, other similar sized items from the nearest garbage bin, frozen ice balls, horse dung in various states of compression (frozen or not) and now and then, even gloves, shoes or rubbers.

Skates were never worn, we were generally wearing pretty warm jackets and they became sweaty, only the goalies wore pads, many wore hockey gloves and as often as not the sticks were retreads or broken.

I recall MIlton Schroeder often calling ".. Kinny, get in here for dinner", Zita arranging for communication to Jim for the same purpose and I was always under threat of 'no dinner' if I didn't know enough to come in from the cold.

Mcleod, Evans, Schroeder and I even think Mike Morris took turns in net. Mike later took up officiating as we know. The rest of us barrelled along the snow tracks left by the sleighs and the infrequent car or truck and now and then would do our best to shovel a somewhat level playing surface that would quickly become snowed over or covered in disturbed snow bank residue after searches were made for lost pucks. To say there was no contact would be an untruth. The reality was that all of us endured pain masked by the cold, many bruises, black eyes and very sore fingers. It was fun but it was rough and it was dangerous.

Once inside of course it wasn't easy to get back out again on school nights although it was different story on weekends when the games started immediately after hockey practice on Saturday mornings and continued until it was Hockey Night in Canada. Sundays were generally a replay of Saturday with the added flare of one or other of us posing as a "best player" from last night's game or attempting to interpret Foster Hewitt's description of a play that until the late fifty's was as exciting as it could get without a picture. Even when TV arrived it was grey and snowy on Doctor Young's cable line or and we relied on Foster Hewitt or Danny Gallivan to bring it all to life.

Note: Harry "Butch" Pellow, was born and raised in Chapleau, Ontario, a member of one of the community's pioneer families. He founded Pellow + Associates Architects Inc., of Toronto, in 1978. Harry was the architect for the Chapleau General Hospital, Chapleau Recreation Centre, Chapleau Civic Centre, Cedar Grove Lodge for Senior Citizens and the golf club house in Chapleau.