Photo courtesy of Ed Nixon
Dennis Allister Latham died on February 6, 2021 at the age of 80 in Victoria, BC. He would often say he had had a good life but still he didn’t want to leave his wife Barbara of 54 years, whom he adored, or his beloved children Allison (Los Angeles) and Warren (Toronto). He loved his grandchildren Eric, Nate, Calandre, Sullivan and Bronwyn and marvelled at their different talents (they did all eventually figure out that despite his enduring quote “I’m Johnny Cash” that he wasn’t). Playing the euphonium was his life-long love starting from when his mother signed him up for the Moose Jaw Junior Band when he was 10 years old. He could have been “the greatest there ever was” (The Natural) but as he would say, “a pizza can feed a family of four but a musician can’t” so he became a lawyer where he built a successful practice based on his trustworthiness and intelligence. He believed in education – a lot of it – getting his Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan and his MBA and his LLB from Queen’s University. He was not known for sugarcoating the truth and was willing to ask direct questions, making sure conversations with him were never boring and certainly never about the weather. He read voraciously, knew everything about baseball there was to know, enjoyed managing his stock portfolio and was always ready to watch his favourite movies again.
He valued his extended family, friends and community and appreciated the love and kindness he received especially in his later years, including from Brian Sagar, Jennifer Wells and their kids Cohen and Marlowe who he thought of as family. He has left an empty seat at the table and we will forever miss him.
Due to COVID19, no memorial will be held. In memory of Dennis, donations may be made to support young musicians at UVIC through the Eugene Dowling Scholarship Fund: https://extrweb.uvic.ca/eugene-dowling-scholarship
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com
77 Responses
Denny and I met at Freshman Calculus at the U of Sask in 1957 and have been friends ever since. We were part of a close knit group of Engineers from the 1961 class. We met frequently for reunions and shared “book club” suggestions. Sincerest condolences to Barb and the repost of the family. He will be missed but not forgotten.
Karen and Ray Bodnar
We are thinking of the entire Latham Family during this difficult time. The ones we love are never gone; they live within our hearts. I know this is true of Dennis given his impact on so many friends and family. Sending our love!
To Barb, Allison, Warren and their families,
Our deepest sympathies to all of you. We will miss his humour, his love of music, and his
forwardness.
May Dennis’love for you keep you feeling cherished,
Sincerely,
Anne and Ed, Toronto
Anne and Ed, Toronto
Barb and family I’m sorry to hear of your loss of Dennis who played such a major role in your lives. My thoughts and feelings go out to you.
Barb, Allison,Warren and families,
We so appreciated Dennis for all of who he was . We will miss him too. Our and sympathy to all of you.
Fondly, Jack and Cheryl Petersen
Dennis was one of our greatest friends dating back to the Moose Jaw Junior Band and Downbeater Dance Orchestra days of the 1950’s.
We have always admired his lifelong dedication to music and his beloved euphonium.
Barb and family, our hearts break for your loss and we will keep you in our prayers.
Love
Warren and Vicky
We are sadden by this news and our hearts are heavy for you. We remember meeting Dennis in Victoria and his found his quick wit endearing. Barbara and Allison are in our thoughts and prayers.
Sincere condolences to Barb & Family! So sorry to hear Dennis died! May he rest in peace!
Our heart felt condolences to the Latham Family.
My sincerest and heart-felt condolences to the entire Latham family. I had the distinct pleasure and honour of attending a few baseball games with Mr. Latham (Dennis) and his son, Warren. His knowledge about so many topics, extending far beyond baseball, was truly encyclopaedic and incredibly fascinating for me to absorb, if even just a modicum of his wisdom. He is a wonderful gentleman who will be greatly missed by everyone fortunate to have their life touched by him. During this very sorrowful time, I hope that we may all be able to take some solace in reflecting upon how he made all of our lives happier and more memorable by simply just knowing him! I offer my most solemn prayers to all of the Latham family.