Your Great Grandfather Horace Rosenberg

Hello Theo;

This will be one of a series of postings about people who were important in your father's and my life before you were born. I've been thinking for a while about your great grand parents - on both sides and how to tell you about them. In a way that would help you get to know them from your dad's and my perspective. I was just doing a google search on my own name to see who had referenced my Geography MA thesis for what purpose, when I happen to find your great grandfather Horace's obituary in the Newfoundland Telegram. And that is what started it all.

Your great grandfather Horace died at home on February 14th, 2001 (they lived at 1 The Driveway in Ottawa). He was 86 years old. Your great grandmother Anna, your dad, Patty (the nurse in duty - she was a wonderful person) and I were there with him. Your dad and I had just arrived at Horace's and Anna's place about 20 minutes earlier (some time around 9:30 pm). We had come over after going out to Festival Japan for dinner on Valentine's day. It was a spur of the minute decision - I'm glad that we had made it to their place on time. He had been sick for a very long time. I never knew him when he was healthy. In many ways and as a result I don't really think that I knew the real person that Horace was prior to being sick.

From what I have been told, Horace grew up in St. John's and attended Bishop Field and Memorial University before taking his medical degree at Edinburgh University. He devoted his life to the practice of medicine, and on returning to Newfoundland worked in Burgeo-Ramea and later in St. John's where regular house visits and night calls were an essential part of his routine as a General Practitioner and Obstetrician.

Your great grandfather Horace also pioneered the establishment of natural childbirth in Newfoundland, and was loved by thousands of patients and never stopped missing them. In 1962 fatigue forced him into the "semi-retirement" of a job as medical advisor to the Government in Ottawa where he worked until his "full retirement".

Horace was an accomplished amateur musician, and played a large role in the cultural life of St. John's, where he was a great supporter of the London Theatre Company and was a leader in the Community Concerts Association. He had a trained baritone voice and was a frequent performer in musical presentations in St. John's, including the annual Burns Night celebrations and performances of Handel's Messiah and other classical works. He also played the violin and the viola in various ensembles including, most recently, the Ottawa Civic Symphony. This must be from whom your dad inherited his musical talent! :)

Your great grandfather loved to go fly fishing and always managed to go trouting at least once a year. He loved to garden and could do almost anything with his hands, from carpentry to painting (although he had given up on these things by the time I met him).

I will remember Horace for many reasons. He was a very kind person. He was a 'devout' atheist. He always said that sugar is the white poison (every time I put some in my tea or coffee), he loved to play the violin and hated it when his hands could no longer cooperate so that he couldn't play. He loved to have discussions on a variety of subjects. It was terrible when his illness prevented him from speaking as well. It was as if the signals from the brain didn't translate properly anymore and what he meant to say came out insensibly. It was terrible! But he was a very brave man throughout his illness. I'm not sure if he loved Scotch, but your great grandmother Anna did! :) I should ask your grandma Cathleen about that some time.

Horace was also stationed in England during the war. That's where he met your great grandmother Anna. They moved back to Newfoundland after that, although your grandma Cathleen was born in the UK.

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I will also write something about your great grandmother Anna in a separate posting. I think it is important that you know their stories so that you can get an idea of what they were like. So that you can know about where you came from. To know your history. This posting and a few others that will follow will take some time and will be a work in progress. Maybe your dad will help when he has the time. And I think you should see them through his eyes also. They were his beloved grandparents. You should know them as he did!

Love, Mom.