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September 3, 1933 - August 21, 2026

After circling the sun 92 times and having survived more than his fair share of 9 lives, Eric Balkind has moved on to his Next Great Adventure. In his first 17 years in London, England he likely never dreamed he would spend his last 36 clearing, building and enjoying the quiet and solace of his own particular Nirvana on Manitoulin Island. Eric “Twinkletoes” Balkind and Peg met at the family dance hall in Toronto. He was both a gentleman and a gentle man, who simply fell back into the arms of Peggie Nell, his forever love and wife of 66 years, mother of his beloved children Joe, Jeff, Nadine and Gillian. We take solace from the thought of his reunion with Jeff and Gillian - what a joyous moment that will have been! Eric was a much loved husband, father, brother, uncle, grandad and great-grandad extraordinaire who thought every Dogs-body and Cat-person he met was a “truly remarkable creature.” Lover of roast potatoes, Winston Churchill, soccer, Digging for Britain, Hudson and Rex, and coconut macaroons (not necessarily in that order), he never tired of introducing folks to his favourite singer Paul Robeson, and could recite Kipling’s “If” at the drop of a hat. Long time principal with an impressive collection of eclectic ties, he loved nurturing his students above all else - the paperwork not so much. We never heard anything but love and praise from the many teachers and office staff he worked with over the years. He was an innovative, forward thinking educator who embraced new thoughts and wasn’t afraid to try new things, particularly advocating for parenting education in the Halton Region. Eric was always up for an adventure. In the 1970s he retrofitted a big old school bus with bunk beds and his family of 6 trekked to the West Coast and back spending 14 nights out of 28 on garage lots. After retirement he wrote a sometimes contentious column, “Wordsworth,” for the local paper and spent winter months in England, Portugal and Spain. Eric did it right. He lived a full life with love, compassion and thoughtfulness, and then was gone in a peaceful, pain-free moment. We have all been truly blessed. Family and friends will gather to celebrate his life from 1 - 4 pm on October 24 at the Unitarian Church (122 Harris Street) in Guelph, Ontario. Memorial donations can be made to either Operation Smile Canada or Friends of Misery Bay, two of Eric’s favourite organizations.