Calvin George Travis: April 19, 1926 – August 24, 2024, by Susan Farrelly
A proud WWII and Korean War Veteran, Calvin grew up during the Depression and had a long life full of love, family, friends, golf, and travel. Calvin was a dedicated and hard-working plumber for the Toronto Board of Education for 30 years and retired to Guelph, Ontario.
Early Life and Family
Calvin George Travis was born on April 19, 1926, to Doris (nee Dixon) and John William Travis, in Toronto, Ontario. Calvin was born right in the middle of a group of siblings that were close in age, with Joyce and Bill coming before him and Murray and James (Jim) arriving after him. Calvin and his siblings were never far apart their entire lives, both in distance and in fondness for each other. He grew up on Helene Street in Toronto and as a young boy. He would wake up at 5:00 am to deliver newspapers before heading off to Hillcrest Public School for the day.
Calvin’s childhood wasn’t easy, as he often spoke of the Depression and how life was difficult during those years. Calvin’s father worked as a superintendent in an apartment building until he was able to build his own home, and he worked odd jobs as a handyman. His father would often bring Calvin with him during odd jobs, and Calvin would be required to sit in the car and guard his father’s tools. Times were desperate for many during those years, and people would peer into the car intending to steal the tools but would carry on when they saw Calvin sitting there. This was a task that Calvin resented. It was so cold and there was no heat in the car. Yet Calvin understood that this was what he had to do, especially being the middle child.
Calvin attended school until grade nine and then left to start working in a gold mine in South Porcupine near Timmins with a friend. Calvin worked there for over a year, but he decided that mining life wasn’t for him, so he came back to Toronto. Calvin experienced hard times but was never bitter.
Wartime Service
When Calvin was 17 years old, he was hired to work on a cargo ship launching from Toronto and heading to Europe. He was boarded onto the ship and ready to go when he was called off the ship to find his sister Joyce on the docks holding a record showing proof of his age. Calvin had lied and said he was 18 years of age, so he returned home. On October 8, 1943, Calvin joined The Royal Canadian Air Force but felt it wasn’t for him, so he then decided to join the Army Reserve and signed with the Queen’s York Rangers.
Shortly afterward, he started training for World War II (WWII) and joined the Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry in Edmonton, Alberta. While preparing to go overseas to join the war effort, WWII ended on September 2, 1945. Even though Calvin never saw battle in WWII, he was awarded full WWII honours.
Since Calvin was a fully trained Canadian soldier, the opportunity to serve came again to be part of Canada’s assistance to the United Nations (UN) military effort. This time, it was the Korean War that began on June 15, 1950, when North Korean armed forces invaded South Korea. In 1951, Calvin arrived in Korea just after the battle of Kapyong. He was 25 years old.
Calvin would often share his memories of serving in the Korean War over the years. His troubling recollections of battle would affect him throughout his life. He lost several friends during this time. There was one particularly bad battle that he wasn’t sure he would survive. Calvin and a fellow soldier had to hide in a foxhole as they were left behind after being separated from their group during the Battle of the Hill. The two soldiers fought bravely from this foxhole and made it through the night. While in this foxhole, it was the only time Calvin questioned why he chose to serve in the war.
Calvin also shared good memories. For the soldiers to rest, they would be taken to a hockey rink to play hockey and relax for a few days. Calvin made many friends, some of which were medical personnel. The soldiers also went to Japan a few times, where he bought some records and would sit around with his buddies, drink beer, and listen to music.
Post-War Life and Family
After the war ended on July 27, 1953, Calvin returned home with the music records in tow and took an apprenticeship as a plumber. One fateful day, Calvin’s brother Murray invited him to a dance in Streetsville, Ontario where Murray was living at the time. Little did Calvin know, that Murray and his friend Alan Crawford were scheming matchmakers, and planned to introduce Calvin to Alan’s sister, Ruth. The plan worked. Ruth and Calvin hit it off and a year later, he proposed and the pair were married in Streetsville on June 19, 1955.
In 1965, Calvin and Ruth welcomed their first child, Donald Calvin Travis and they fell in love with being parents. Two years later, they welcomed their daughter, Brenda Ruth Travis. Calvin was very easy-going and well-liked by many. He was a hard worker dedicated to his job at the Toronto District School Board. He moved up to the position of Senior Plumber, mostly looking after swimming pools, where he retired after 30 years of service.
Calvin made travel a priority, and over the years there were many family ski holidays and a trip to England. Calvin and Ruth travelled during retirement with a close group they called ‘The Gang’. It was a big group including many friends and family members, and their trip to Hawaii was a favourite. Calvin and Ruth decided to move to Guelph, Ontario for their retirement. Golfing was Calvin’s passion, and Ruth enjoyed it as well. They often golfed at Turtle Creek and Puslinch Lake Golf Courses. Calvin especially enjoyed his weekly Thursday outings to Jarzie’s with a group of 25 friends until he was 96 years old.
Calvin’s Legacy
Wherever Calvin lived, he joined the Legion. He also worked alongside his fellow veterans to raise funds for the Korean War Memorial, now located in Brampton’s Meadowvale Cemetery. The memorial includes a long wall etched with the names of all who served in the war, including Calvin’s.
After 52 years of marriage, Ruth passed away in 2011 after a six-week struggle with cancer. Her passing was devastating for the family, and Calvin was recovering from cancer himself at the time. Calvin was a true warrior and survived many health crises in his later years. Calvin never gave up. He read for hours each day to keep his mind active. In January 2024, Calvin moved to Sunnybrook Veterans Residence. He had dementia and with this move, he quickly adjusted, and his health improved. He started going on weekly outings and enjoyed going out to lunch and dinners at his favourite restaurants and attending concerts in the Warrior Hall. Whenever his records from Japan were played for him, despite the dementia, the music would bring him right back.
Calvin’s last outing was the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) Warriors’ Parade held in August. The veterans had a police escort for the parade and Calvin cherished the experience. Calvin became ill and passed away peacefully shortly afterward, on August 24, 2024, with Brenda lovingly by his side. He was 98 years old. He left behind many loving friends and family members, including his only remaining sibling Jim, his son Donald, daughter Brenda, granddaughter Caitlyn and great-grandson Colin, and ‘Lucky’ the beloved family dog.
Every year, Calvin made a point of visiting Woodlawn Memorial to lay a poppy where his fellow veteran friends are resting. Now Calvin and Ruth are resting side-by-side at Woodlawn Memorial as well, in Block G, Cremorial 17, located in the lower cremation garden. Calvin is interred in Unit 4B.
We thank Veteran Calvin George Travis for his loyal and courageous service to Canada during WW II and the Korean War.
Sources:
Korean War | The Canadian Encyclopedia
The Battle of Hill 355 – Veterans Affairs Canada
Meadowvale Cemetery, Brampton, Ontario – Korean War Memorial: Wall of Remembrance – Memorials in Canada – Memorials – Remembrance – Veterans Affairs Canada
Veterans Program – Canada’s largest war veterans’ care facility – Sunnybrook Hospital
For the story recitation: battle of kapyong pronunciation – Google Search
