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Note: Allen died at the age of 53.
Following is his obituary, written by his wife Wendy and son Timothy, and published in the Calgary Herald, on Sunday October 28, 2001:
"Allen Fredric Aylesworth passed away quietly on Thursday, October 25, 2001 in the Calgary home he shared with his beloved wife Wendy. Born September 24th, 1948, Allen spent his entire life in Calgary save for a treasured five years he and Wendy spent living in their special place, beautiful Invermere, BC.
He was deeply loved, and will be sadly missed by his children, Timothy, Anglea (Kevin), and Donald; his brothers and sisters, Bob (Arlene), Sam (Diane), Tom, Carol (Al), Sigrid (Glen), Arthur (Debbie) and Frank (Mary Ann); all his nieces and nephews; and the jews of his life, his grandchildren, Michaela, Matthew and Meghan.
Curious and intelligent, Allen was always up for a challenge, and had many sucessful careers. He was active in the Masonic Lodge, joining in 1972 an serving as Grand Secretary from 1984 to 1991. A man of strong principles, Allen believed in doiing what was right before what was easy. He never backed down from a good debate or a good cause. Allen's sense of justice and kind heart will never be forgotten. He was a loyal and faithful friend.
A Memorial Service will be held at HERITAGE FUNERAL HOME, 1708 - 16 Avenue N.W. (across from the North Hill Shopping Centre), on Tuesday, October 30th, 2001 at 1:00 p.m. with Rev. David Ranking officiating. Please join us for a Reception, next door at the Days Inn (1818 - 16 Avenue NW), immediately following the Service.
If so desired, a memorial tribute may be made directly to the 'Agnes & Wes Aylesworth Fund' (to support services for children) at The Calgary Foundation, #1920, 540 - 5th Avenue SW, Calgary AB T2P 0M2."
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Readings From the Books of Freemasonry, read at the funeral of Allen Aylesworth
If you see a man who quietly and modestly moves in the sphere of his life; who without blemish fulfils his duties as a man, a husband, and a father; who is pious without hypocrisy, benevolent without ostentation, and aids his fellow man without self interest; a man whose heart beats warm for friendship; and who will be resolute in the hour of danger.
The man who towards himself is a severe judge, but who is tolerant of the debilities of his neighbor; who endeavors to oppose errors without arrogance; who honors virtue though it be in the most humble garment; and who administers justice to merit, whether dwelling in palaces or in cottages.
The man who, without courting applause, is loved by all noble minded men, respected by his superiors, and revered by his subordinates; the man who never proclaims what he has done, will do, can do, but rather, where need is. A man who will lay hold with dispassionate courage, circumspect resolution, and a rare power of mind, and who will not cease until he has accomplished his work, but who then, without pretention, will retire into the multitude, because he did the good act, not for himself, but for the cause of good.
If you, my brethren, meet such a man, you will see the personification of brotherly love, relief and truth; and you will have found the ideal of a Freemason.
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A Life Lived with Passion and Guided by Principal
Eulogy for Allen Aylesworth, October 30th, 2001, spoken by his brother Arthur Aylesworth
Written based on conversations with the family the evening of October 29th, 2001
When we look for the words that will best define the life of Allen Aylesworth, it is simple yet strong words that come to mind
.words like passionate and determined, words like enthusiastic and energetic, words like fortitude and perseverance, words like compassion and conviction. Words that paint a picture of a man who spent a lifetime pursuing his dreams and living true to his beliefs. With all of the attributes required to provide leadership and positive influence, Allen was forever pushing others and himself towards new frontiers.
To anyone who spent time with Al over the past several years, it is no secret that his physical ailments had placed many limitations on the activities of his day to day life. And through this period of his life, he was an inspiration to all of us, as he chose to see the things that were still possible without dwelling on the things that were not. To understand what kind of man is capable of handling adversity the way Allen did, we can look back in time at a life that was always lived with passion.
It was easy to see at an early age that Allen was a doer, not a watcher. He grew up with enough of his mother's moral perspective and his father's "shoulder to the wheel" strength, that whatever he tackled, he tackled with all his heart. As a young man, Allen became enthralled with animals. Our parent's home became a bit of a petting zoo and anyone who visited was never quite sure what kind of creature might bound across our living room floor. Already the family was getting a snapshot of what might lie ahead! By the time he reached high school, he had developed a keen interest in the sciences and was soon reshaping the Bowness High School Biology Club. It wasn't long before his enthusiasm put him at odds with a few teachers who found the club's dissection samples stored in the frozen school courtyard, just a bit "over the top". His eagerness to learn all about chemistry was also quite renowned, however a small explosion in the school lab and an unscheduled visit from the Bowness Fire Department dampened the possibilities of a career in pharmacy. You could not deny his sense of adventure.
Allen would like to see us enjoy a smile about these contributions he made to our lives but while he may have made us smile, he also made us think. In his senior year and at a time when fraternities were becoming little more than socially defined drinking clubs, Allen took a leadership role in the creation of Pie Delta Epsilon, a fraternity with a simple message
"Treat others as you would like to be treated yourself". Allen never lost his desire to help others and make everyone he met feel just a little special.
Al was only nineteen when he married Wendy Rogers, but there was little question they were ready to take on the world. Together they began a thirty-three year voyage that saw them live in over ten different houses, raise several dogs and a few monkeys while bringing up three wonderful children (Tim, Angie and Donny). Allen loved each of his children and encouraged them to ask questions, consider the answers and think for themselves.
After studying biology at the University of Calgary, Allen found his dream job
In 1968 he became a zookeeper for the Calgary Zoo. Over the next seven years he was like a kid in a candy shop and his enthusiasm for his work earned him the respect of his peers. As is common with driven people, Al often took his work home with him and that spelt trouble in their "no pets" apartment on Memorial Drive. Eventually the sound of animals coming from unit 17 would lead to the relocation of the young Aylesworth family!
As much as Allen loved the Zoo and the animals, he had a burning desire to run his own business, and what better business than your favorite hobby. Al's enjoyment of music led him to Chinook Stereo in 1975 where he took the reigns of the company and began to make his mark in the Canadian Hi-Fi business. There was no doubt that Allen Aylesworth was a force in the industry and within two years he had earned a reputation as a man who could accurately predict future trends and capitalize on them. Under his leadership, the business tripled in size over three years. But it was not just the sales growth that punctuated Allen's eight years in the stereo business. He managed to harness the raw potential within several young people (myself included) and positively influence their lives with his encouragement and drive. We became a very good team at Chinook and that was a reflection of Allen's leadership. Our successful run at Chinook Stereo lasted for five or six years but his influence in my life continues on today and always will. Al was also quick to provide opportunity to people who needed it and his generosity provided him with many life long friends. These were glory days.
Al had several interests outside of music and Chinook Stereo, including carpentry and general handy work but nothing captured his heart more than his involvement in the Masonic Lodge. From the moment he entered the Lodge in the early seventies, he loved to participate in the activities of Masonry with his father and brothers. He not only enjoyed the camaraderie it offered but he was drawn to the fundamental principals of Masonry as you heard in the earlier readings by his son Tim. In the years after Chinook Stereo, Allen proudly took the position of Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Alberta where he spent seven years upholding the values he so much believed in that were the foundation of Masonry. Allen was welcome at any lodge meeting anywhere in the province and his caring way and ability to remember the names of hundreds of members made him a popular guest wherever he went.
By 1990, Allen was nearing the end of his term as Grand Secretary and the first significant changes in his health were setting in. He was already suffering from the effects of Ranauds Desease, which affects the nervous system, when he was struck by cancer of the throat. The surgery and ensuing radiation were the beginning of a slow but steady decline in his health. Al and Wendy made a big move to Invermere, BC in 1993 where Allen tried to put his energetic aggressiveness to work in the real estate business. Unfortunately, his health problems now declined further as more complications from his bout with cancer left him unable to maintain sustained focus. Although Allen loved the home at Invermere, it was necessary that he and Wendy move back to Calgary where they could get the support they needed.
Family meant everything to Al and it was for the best for him to be closer to his children, his parents and his siblings. Unbelievably, not long after his move back to Calgary, Al learned that he was still not free of cancer and soon underwent a larongectomy to remove his voice box
.At this point, we were all quite worried that Al would sink under the burden of poor health and his inability to work. But just as he had always done, Al rose to the occasion and fought back. Not long after his surgery, his sister Carol smiled as she recounted his efforts at a Calgary Stampeders football game to cheer on the hometeam. After the Stamps scored a touchdown, and amidst all of the fan screaming and celebrating, Carol felt a tap on her shoulder. It was Al passing her a note that simply said
"Yayyy!"
From that time on, it became obvious that Al had no intention of giving up and he had no intention of complaining. He went on to be a wonderful loving grandfather to his three grandkids and he continued to participate in every family event that came along. When the call went out for help of any kind, Allen could be found at the front of the line and ready to dig in. We're not sure how the Foothills Academy "Fall Funtasia" will get by in the future without him as he worked so hard to make sure this annual fundraiser was a success. And when it came to being supportive, not only did Al not ask for or expect any sympathy, he made it his priority to spend time with his mother and father almost every day in their later years.
So as we leave today, remember who Allen really was
.He was indeed a character. He was certainly an individual who did things in his own way. He made time for the children and nephews and nieces in his life and he could be easily talked into taking the kids for a boat ride at the family cabin. He loved his music and he loved to play cards, or more specifically, he loved to win at cards, which he regularly did while he giggled with delight. He may have been the only man in history to simultaneously own an AMC Pacer, a quadraphonic stereo system and an orange leisure suit.
It is great to look back on the man that was Allen Aylesworth, and to remember that like the title of one of his favorite songs, the Sam Cook classic "Stand by Me", Allen always did. How many could say that they could honestly have risen to the challenges of life as Allen did. We are fortunate to have known him and he has given us all much to think about. When all is said and done, Allen truly did live his life with passion that was always guided by principals. We loved him and we will miss him.
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