elevated 5RMjb It is with immense sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved father, father-in-law and grandfather, Jebam Ferdinand, on March 29, 2020 at 91 years young in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  Jeb was predeceased by Chithra, his wife of 43 years.  He leaves behind his three daughters, Jennifer, Marianne and Juliana, and his sons-in-law, David D’Silva and Timothy Joseph.  He was a proud and loving grandfather to Joshua, Michael and Brianna D’Silva.

elevated 5RMjb A New Year’s baby, Jeb was born in Sri Lanka on January 1, 1929.  Born into a family with modest means, Jeb lived through World War II as a young child.  He started his career at the Bank of Ceylon in Sri Lanka as a young man.  He secured a work transfer to London, England, where he lived for a time and travelled throughout parts of Europe when the world was much less accessible and tolerant.  He moved back to Sri Lanka to get married and start a family.  Known as Ferdi to his friends and colleagues in Sri Lanka, he excelled in his career with the Bank of Ceylon and became a respected and well-liked banker who thoroughly enjoyed his work.  At the peak of his career, while holding a very senior position, Jeb made the decision to immigrate to Canada in 1985 with his family, to give his children a better life.  Nearly every challenge that would follow in the subsequent years would be unanticipated and difficult, requiring Jeb to start over from scratch to provide for his family.  He will always be remembered with gratitude for the many sacrifices he made without complaint to care for his family.

elevated 5RMjb After a decade or so of work in Canada, Jeb retired to start the next phase of his life.  He found joy in simple things:  his daily walks to the library to read the newspaper cover to cover, his near-daily purchases of fresh vegetables and his twice-weekly games of bridge at the L’Amoreaux Seniors Centre.  He discovered a love for fine art and painting and took pleasure in creating a painting for each of his children.

elevated 5RMjb We will remember Jeb for his unwavering desire to be independent, his enduring commitment to a healthy diet and personal hygiene, and his incredibly sharp mind.  Although he didn’t have Wi-Fi or a smartphone, he was always up to date on current events and greatly enjoyed discussions about world events and politics with anyone who visited him.

elevated 5RMjb A man of high expectations, Jeb was unafraid to express his opinions, particularly when it came to the taste and quality of his food.  Jennifer has many happy memories of cooking for and sharing meals with her father, indulging his love for healthy, flavourful food, including lamb curry, butternut squash soup, the occasional glass of red wine and his insistence on vegetables at every meal.

elevated 5RMjb Jeb was known affectionately as Mr. Ferdinand to his son-in-law David.  David will fondly remember his last outing with Mr. Ferdinand and his zest in adventuring into stores, and describes him as a “prolific male mall-er”.  David will greatly miss having long intellectual conversations with Mr. Ferdinand.

elevated 5RMjb As a man who was born before the start of the Great Depression, and grew up at a time when scarcity was the norm, Marianne has many amusing stories of the way in which her father often insisted on finding a good bargain and took pride in reusing and recycling long before it became an environmentally conscious practice, only making room for rare indulgences in his later years.  Marianne will fondly remember him for never thinking of himself as old and for defying the expectations of the medical community with his remarkable will to live.

elevated 5RMjb Jeb was known fondly as Uncle to his son-in-law Timothy.  Timothy will remember the many outings with Uncle and Marianne, and the way in which he approached matters in his own uniquely organized, well-thought-out way.  Timothy has many memories of Uncle’s incredible independent streak and the quiet way in which he expressed he cared, as befitting a man from another generation.

elevated 5RMjb Jeb was a man who loved to read and instilled this love in his children.  Juliana has many happy memories of being taken to the library as a child every Saturday by her father to read, followed by a trip to the ice cream store.  She will continue to be inspired by his early travels, intellectual curiosity and life-long commitment to health and well-being.

elevated 5RMjb Jeb took great pride in his grandchildren’s achievements and thoroughly enjoyed his many humourous conversations with them.  Joshua will remember his grandfather’s unique sense of humour, and talking to him to compare parties at their respective “residences”, Canterbury Place Retirement Residence and the student residences at Western University.  Michael will remember explaining the mechanics of online university classes held via Zoom to his grandfather.  Being a recipient of his genes, Michael is hopeful that Grandpa’s full head of hair bodes well for the future of his own hair.  Brianna will remember asking her grandfather to consider dyeing his full head of silver hair to gold to claim his title as the #1 Grandpa and how it was easier to explain tech to him at 91 years of age than another (younger) member of our family who will remain unidentified to protect their privacy.

elevated 5RMjb Our family would like to express our gratitude and sincere thanks and appreciation to the stellar teams of physicians and nurses at St. Michael’s Hospital, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and North York General Hospital.  Special thanks to Dr. John King, Dr. Faisal Aljohani, Dr. Mala Chidambaram and Dr. Daphna Grossman for their humanity, compassion and empathy, Alex (Emergency room Social Worker) for his unlimited capacity for kindness and patience, and Desiree (Nurse) for her generosity, flexibility and compassionate care.  We will remember you with gratitude.

elevated 5RMjb Due to the limitations currently imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, a funeral service and celebration of life worthy of Jeb will be held at a later date when we can gather safely with friends and family.  Details will follow.  In the meantime, we would like to express our sincere thanks for the prayers, warm thoughts, messages of condolences and virtual hugs that we continue to receive.  Should you wish to make a donation, please consider one of the aforementioned hospitals. Please note that flowers are not being accepted by the Holy Cross Catholic Funeral Home due to the coronavirus pandemic.

elevated 5RMjb Be at peace now, Dada.

Family and friends are invited to view the Memorial Mass On Saturday March 27, 2021 at 12:00pm. Please click the link below: