Paul Russell Whitson

Paul Russell Whitson, 69, of Thamesford, ON, passed away January 17, 2026 after a courageous battle with Mantle Cell Lymphoma, surrounded by family and holding his beloved wife Colleen’s hand.

Paul was born August 29, 1956 in Edinburgh, Scotland to Abraham James & Edith Whitson. Paul, who was named after his grandmothers, Margaret Paul and Ann Russell, was blessed with his mother’s red curls and his father’s love of the outdoors. He spent his childhood outside of the city in a home with a garden, a pony, and family dogs. His father instilled in him the importance of family vacations, and along with his younger sister Dianne, Paul took adventures packed in the family motorbike’s sidecar to camp and fish in the Scottish countryside. In 1966, the Whitson family sought opportunities available in Canada, and sailed on the SS Corinthea, landing in Montreal in April 1966. They settled in Hamilton, ON, where Paul attended Westview Public School. Paul was known for his wit and he fondly remembered getting in trouble from teachers. He played football and was part of the diving team at Westmount Secondary School. Paul would tell stories about the guys he knew and the antics they would get into, including one such story about the time he jumped so hard he broke the diving board. Weekends were spent at Hutches, fishing, at The Roundabout roller skating, or helping his dad with odd jobs renovating basements. He was known for his huge halo of red, curly hair and as we look back on photos, his now-questionable fashion choices. Paul’s first love, classic cars, was firmly cemented around this time, and he frequently talked about the cars he had owned in his younger years. While we love him dearly, apparently we all tuned him out, because we can only remember that one might have been a Chevelle. We hope he forgives us for not paying better attention.

After graduation from highschool in 1974, Paul began working with his dad full time at Westinghouse (later named Siemens). He attended Mohawk College for CNC Controller Training, and worked a variety of jobs at Westinghouse, including crane and forklift operator, health and safety trainer, and CNC machine operator. During his 37 years there, Paul worked three shifts at the Beach Road and Sandford Ave locations. He was a proud member of CAW and worked for a term as union chief steward. Paul’s seniority led him to be one of the final employees on site when Siemens closed in 2011. He stayed in touch with his friends from Siemens/Westinghouse through their monthly Limeridge Mall meetups, which we lovingly referred to as his “old folks meetings”.

In 1978, Paul was set up on a blind date with Colleen (nee Babineau) by mutual family friends, and he proposed over dinner a mere 6 weeks later. They were wed on June 14, 1980 at St Anne’s RC Church in Hamilton. They lived in an apartment overlooking the Copps Coliseum construction site until they found out they were expecting their first child and quickly purchased and began renovating their first house in central Hamilton. Their daughter Stephanie was born in 1984, and after a subsequent move onto the Hamilton mountain, their son James was born in 1989. Paul and Colleen were so fortunate to find a home next to neighbours Wayne & Sharon and Pat & Jackie who became forever family, and they lived there happily for 33 years.

As a husband and father, Paul loved and was loved. He was the dad who would bring home donuts on a Friday night after slipping out early from working an afternoon shift, who would drive his kids to and from every shift at their part time jobs, who would raise his 6’2” frame on his toes to see over a crowd and give a wave and a smile after a school performance or concert. He was the husband who celebrated every holiday and birthday with a thoughtfully chosen card, gifted a bouquet of yellow roses every anniversary, let Colleen be the forever passenger princess, and did the majority of the weeknight dinner cooking. As a father-in-law, Paul welcomed Stephanie’s husband Sean, and James’ wife Brittany, with open arms, usually offering a cold beer and a big hug. Paul was the consummate handy man and had a list of projects to do around the house going at all times. Shortly before he passed, he made sure his family knew the projects he wanted to finish to make Colleen’s life just a little easier. Paul made every house they lived in their home.

Paul carried on his dad’s tradition of family vacations and together, he, Colleen, and the kids travelled every summer, whether flying to Britain, road tripping to Disney or the East Coast, or towing the Jayco to MacGregor Point. Once the kids were older, they all spent countless weekends and summers at the trailer on Long Point. Paul’s dream of owning a boat was realized first with a 19’ Crestliner, and later as the family grew, his “Papa boat” - a pontoon. Paul and Colleen celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary with a cruise to Alaska and soon became diamond members from their annual trips. They visited almost every Caribbean port over the years with their up-for-anything travel buddies John & Anne. These trips together provided countless happy memories.

Paul’s love of golfing, fishing, and hunting were lifelong hobbies that occupied as much free time as (in his words) Colleen would “allow”. He looked forward to annual golf trips with friends and family to Cross Creek in Pennsylvania. After retirement, Paul had more time to fish with his friend Joe, and they enjoyed fly-fishing trips to BC and Alberta. Paul was looking forward to river fishing with him this coming summer. After losing his father in his early 20s, Paul was so fortunate to have gained a father-in-law in Reno who shared his love of the outdoors. Their annual November hunting trip was a permanent plan on the calendar and eventually, through friends Tom and Keith, Paul and Reno were embraced as family by the entire Camp O’ Blue. Paul enjoyed his final hunt in 2025, and when he unknowingly experienced relapse symptoms from his lymphoma while at the camp, his camp ‘brothers’ stepped up with concern and love, for which we will forever be grateful.

In 2014, Paul was diagnosed with Mantle Cell Lymphoma. Though scared, he was placed in the reassuring and enthusiastic care of Dr. Kylie Lepic at Juravinski Cancer Centre in Hamilton, and his 6 months of chemo was followed by a stem cell transplant in spring 2015. One of Paul’s driving forces to get through treatment was knowing that both his daughter and daughter-in-law were pregnant. He wore his “Grandpa To Be” t-shirts each week to chemo and would talk to his nurses about the impending births of his two granddaughters. Paul’s anticipated year-long recovery surpassed expectations and Dr. Lepic was shocked to hear he was building a deck less than 2 months post-transplant. The treatment Paul received through Juravinski, and follow up treatment and care from Dr Joy Mangel at Verspeeten Family Cancer Centre in London gave him 10+ years of healthy, joyful life and irreplaceable time with his family.

In 2019, Paul and Colleen made the difficult decision to leave their neighbours and friends in Hamilton, and enjoy a quieter life in small-town Thamesford. They were grateful for the move when, in 2020, their grandson was born and they were able to ‘bubble’ with family through lock downs and enjoy retirement. They continue to be grateful for the sense of community they’ve found in Thamesford. In fact, the day before Paul passed, he reflected how fortunate he and Colleen were to have once again found such caring neighbours, Rick & Leanne and Steve & Jane. Paul and the entire family extend thanks to them for the care and concern they’ve provided to Colleen through his last few months.

Paul’s last chapter in life was slower, and his greatest pride was being a Papa to his three beloved grandchildren, Claire, Amelia, and Henry. Whether joking with them on video chat, sneaking them a few extra bites of dessert, attending soccer games, school events, or drama performances, or even installing a new pool in his backyard for them to enjoy, his love and devotion to them was undeniable. Paul's absence at the head of the dinner table will be felt by us for years.

We take comfort knowing Paul was greeted in the afterlife by his parents, his in-laws Martha and Reno, a party’s worth of family and friends, and the many dogs he loved in his lifetime, in particular, his dog Kacee. Paul is remembered by a huge extended family, including his sisters- and brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles, cousins, and even Stephanie and James' in-laws for his kind, oversized presence. Words can't describe how grateful he was for his much-loved family. Every message of support, every prayer, every thoughtful gesture, and every shared memory remind us of how loved he was too.

Paul will be remembered by his family for watching the Fast and Furious, and Mark Wahlberg movies on repeat, hanging pictures around the house slightly too high for those of average height, being the very best steering wheel air drummer to classic rock songs, packing more things into a cooler or trunk than humanly possible, finishing projects around the house perfectly to about 95% completion, sitting with a wood stove blazing hot while wearing shorts inside all winter, not letting anyone but his son-in-law drive his truck, yelling at Tiger Woods on the television, enjoying a Timmie’s double cream, picking out the best purses for his sister in laws and wife, and complaining loudly about most inconveniences but also willingly giving you the shirt off his back and being the first to offer help.

Paul’s final few months were filled with hope and determination. He had been accepted to receive an incredible new Lymphoma therapy that was only approved in the past 2 years and was a direct result of stem cell research. We are incredibly grateful for the entire team at LHSC, but specifically Dr Gillian Mount, the oncology ward nurses, and the hardworking team in the CCTU for their positivity and compassion over the past month. Paul directly benefited from new and current cancer treatments and research, and courageously looked forward to being a part of advancements in medicine.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to cancer research, or to simply pour yourself a rum and cranberry and have a drink in his memory.

The family invites friends and relatives to join them at Brock and Visser Funeral Home, 845 Devonshire Ave., Woodstock (519-539-0004), on Monday, January 26, 2026, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The service will take place in the funeral home chapel the following day, Tuesday, January 27, at 11 am. There will be a time before the service to visit with the family.