Paul Harris Love was born to parents Lambert and Alice Love in Toronto Ontario on March 4, 1929. Paul had one older brother, John Issac Love and one older half brother, Lambert (Bert) Love.
The Love family originally emigrated from Northern Ireland in 1774 and settled in Pennsylvania. In 1801 they made their way to Canada arriving in York Country, Ontario. The area the Loves settled in for 70 years became known as ‘Loves Corners’, which is now a suburb in Toronto known as Oak Ridges.
The Loves were industrious, God-fearing people who worked hard as homesteaders, blacksmiths, farriers, carriage, sleigh and wagon builders, and owners of numerous businesses including shingle mills and sawmills.
Sunday was always a full day of rest when the entire family would navigate across Lake Joseph in a rowboat to attend the Sunday service. Lambert, Pauls father, was an elder in the church and was instrumental in building the church with lumber from his sawmill.
In 1855 Lambert purchased a farm on Lake Joseph and began farming while also starting a sawmill business on the property. He called it ‘farming among rocks’. The decision was made to build what started as a boarding house; eventually evolving into a luxury hotel on the shores of Lake Joseph known by all as Elgin House.
Later on down the line, after Lambert’s first wife passed away, he remarried Alice Cecilia Young, Paul and brother John’s mother, in December 1925. Lambert made a bold decision to purchase more property across Lake Joseph, and in 1937 the foundation for Glen Home was laid. It was the first steel-framed horizontal-design building constructed in the Muskoka area. Glen Home opened in 1939; a second luxury hotel on beautiful Lake Joseph in the Love family name.
Following Lambert’s passing at the age of 92, Paul, his brother John and mother Alice ran Glen Home. Following John’s departure to pursue other interests in the Muskoka area, Paul and his mother ran the hotel until her death in 1973. Paul continued operating the hotel for a few more years prior to its sale in 1975.
Paul had an adventurous life; attending a one room schoolhouse in Muskoka; spending summers growing up on a lake resort; attending high school in Toronto and the Nazarene church where he met Elizabeth Leone Fowler, to eventually taking over and running an exclusive luxury hotel as the proprietor, manager, chief chef (and bottle washer), lead handyman and jack-of-all-trades. Paul followed in his father’s footsteps as a God fearing man who lived with grace and resolve; giving of his time and means supporting missions and the church.
During winter months when the hotel was closed Paul and his wife Elizabeth travelled back to Alberta where her family was based and where Paul worked at a high school in Red Deer Alberta as the head cook, planning and cooking for several hundred students each day.
Paul and Elizabeth moved to Victoria in 1988. They owned 2 homes in the Oak Bay area, and enjoyed much of their time boating with family on the beautiful west coast of BC. Elizabeth sadly passed away in 2003.
In 2009, Paul and Ruby Baker moved into the Rudyard Kipling on Beach Drive in Oak Bay and lived there for 17 years. Together, they moved into long term care in Victoria in November of 2025, where Ruby passed away peacefully on January 1, 2026. Paul passed away peacefully at the age of 97 on May 26, 2026.
Paul will be dearly missed by his family and friends. Folks at both his home in Oak Bay and at the long-term care home where he lived for a short time have commented on his ever positive outlook, calm, kind and caring presence, sense of humour and wonderful ability to engage in conversation with many interesting stories.
Paul always loved to sit in his living room and, as he called it, “watch the night come on over the ocean.”
A memorial service for Paul will be held at the Eventide Funeral Home in Red Deer Alberta, date to be determined.
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com
This obituary is the property of the “Love” family and may not be reproduced, distributed, or altered in any way without prior written consent.
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Darlene Fach
A lovely written obituary. For sure Paul lived a diverse life. He and Ruby had many happy years in Victoria. It was always a pleasure to visit them or have them in our home.
It is difficult to see our loved ones slip away – one at a time.
My condolence to all the family.