KENNEDY, Charlie Kennedy

Passed away peacefully on Monday July 13th, 2026 at Lakeridge Health Ajax Pickering Hospital.

Beloved husband of 54 years to his wife Carol, father to his children David (Jenny) and Jennifer (Sean), brother to Mary (Neil),”Grampa” to Ben and Ryan, and beloved “Doggy Grampa” to Daisy; predeceased by his father, Charlie, and mother, Betty.

Born in Glasgow Scotland in 1948, Charlie spent his younger years in the hard-scrabble neighbourhood of Easterhouse. Blessed with a sharp mind, Charlie used his quick wit to stay out of trouble that befell many of his peers. He performed well in school, and earned a job as a lab technician at a local hospital immediately after finishing school. It was in his spare time that Charlie discovered he had a talent for music, especially the acoustic guitar. Inspired by The Beatles, Charlie never learned to read music; his incredible skill was derived entirely by playing by ear. It was at this time that Charlie met the other love of his life; he and Carol met at work in 1969, and despite Carol crashing Charlie’s cherished Mini Cooper, they were married in Glasgow three years later.

After their son, David, was born in 1974, Charlie and Carol took the chance on a new life by emigrating to Canada in 1975. Jennifer’s birth two years later completed the family, and they settled into their family home in Oshawa, which became a landing place for numerous family members visiting or emigrating from Scotland. Charlie found work as a lab technician which soon evolved into becoming a sales representative for various medical supply companies and finally retiring from Roche Diagnostics; his real job, however, was honouring, creating and sharing a love of music with everyone that he met. Charlie’s prowess on the guitar, along with Carol’s beautiful Scottish lilt, formed The Nicky Tams, and the duo filled spaces from parties to festivals with joy whenever they would perform together – not just songs but also sharing stories that provided an instant connection to those songs that they chose to share. They were blessed to share spaces with Alan Frew, John Allen Cameron, Daniel McLaughlin, Bobby Watt and the Tartan Terrors to name a few.

Charlie Kennedy’s story then turned to a love of magic which he shared with his grandsons and performed with zeal at family parties. For Charlie, the focus was never on the trick, but rather on ‘the patter,’ which filled pages of his notes as he cataloged each one. In Charlie’s mind, the patter was more important than any ending of his trick, or any story that he would share. Even as dementia began to take its toll in his final years, Charlie never lost his spark, making jokes with his family and charming the doctors and nurses at St. Mike’s Hospital, Lakeridge Health, and Fairview Lodge until his final days.

An intimate service has taken place with the immediate family. A Celebration of Charlie’s life will take place in the coming weeks.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Alzheimer Society of Canada.

Alzheimer Society of Canada