Hon. Yonah Martin: Honourable Senators, just over a week ago, my dear friend B.C. MLA Harry Bloy lost his father, Robert Bloy, who passed away peacefully in his sleep at age 94. I take this opportunity today, honourable senators, to pay tribute to Robert Bloy.
He was a loving family man with impeccable work ethics and devotion, who taught his children and his grandchildren the same core values. I have been a witness to Robert Bloy's influence on his son Harry, who is a government liaison to the B.C. Korean community. I have worked closely with Harry on various community projects.
Robert Bloy — Rob or Bob to his family and friends — was born in England and immigrated to Canada in 1927 at age 13. First settling in Montreal, he went to school and delivered groceries by bicycle in Mount Royal.
He later moved to Ontario, working the mines of Falconbridge and Sudbury with his brothers. He lived with his family of eight in a tent for two years. Robert worked hard, eventually earning a ticket as a stationary engineer.
While life was good in Northern Ontario, Robert took a gamble and moved to the big city of Toronto. He worked on many large buildings in and around the Greater Toronto Area. The job Robert did then is now done by a computer chip. Robert Bloy eventually worked in schools and proudly retired as head custodian of schools for the Etobicoke Board of Education.
Of course, his greatest job was building a family of three sons — Harry, Wayne and Randy — and one daughter, Debbie, with his wife of 61 years, Agnes. His legacy now includes many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Like my father, who passed away last spring and would be celebrating his seventy-seventh birthday on March 16, Robert Bloy was a man of great integrity who taught his children, grandchildren and all who knew him, by example, that more than what you are doing, it is how you are doing it that makes all the difference.
Honourable Senators, I end this tribute to Robert Bloy and to the loving memory of my father, Lee Sung Kim, with the words of John W. Gardner, who stated: "Excellence is doing ordinary things extraordinarily well."