Obituary of Clair Edwin Kelso

Clair Edwin Kelso

January 6, 1931 - December 17, 2025

With great sadness, we announce the peaceful death of Clair Edwin Kelso at the Smiths Falls Site of the Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital on Wednesday, December 17, 2025.

Clair was the precious son and only child of the late Hugh Kelso and Blanche (Mundle) Kelso and beloved husband of the late Grace (Millar) Kelso. He was the cherished father of Charis Kelso and Felica Kelso, the loving father-in-law of the late Edward “Ted” Griffith and Christopher Jackson, and the treasured grandfather of Rhianna Jackson-Kelso (Michael), Emily Jackson-Kelso (Jordan), and Sophia Jackson-Kelso (Andrew).

Clair grew up on a farm in the hamlet of Domville outside of Prescott, Ontario, surrounded by a large extended family. Among the family traditions he held dearest was the annual Kingston Family Reunion, which began when he was two. This July 1st gathering of family on the Kelso side of his lineage was very important to Clair, who relished reminiscing and catching up with extended family for the 92-year span in which he regularly attended. He was committed to the event marking its 100th anniversary in 2033, even though he suspected he wouldn’t be attending that celebration in person.

Clair excelled from a young age at all things academic and adored reading and studying both history and English. He was class valedictorian in his graduating year at Prescott High School and attended Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, on a history scholarship. In 1953, he earned an honours bachelor of arts in English and History. It was also at Queen’s that he chose to become an Anglican. While attending teacher’s college in Toronto in 1954, Clair was confirmed at St. Thomas’s Anglican Church, Huron Street.

Throughout his adult life, he wore two rings: his Queen’s ring, as a sign of his love for his alma mater and a symbol of his commitment to life-long learning, and a Canterbury Cross ring, itself an emblem of the Anglican Church and fitting for a man who could recite Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales in Middle English up until his passing. 

When Clair arrived in Smiths Falls in 1955, his goal was to secure the open position for an English teacher at the Smiths Falls and District Collegiate Institute. Instead, he made such a positive impression that the principal conducting the interview asked if he would like to be the head of the English department. Clair served with devotion and integrity in this role from September 1955 to his retirement at the end of January 1991. He loved teaching, having followed his mother into the profession, as well as the camaraderie with his students and fellow staff members, many of whom became lifelong friends. By the time he retired, he had taught many parents and children in the same family, endearing him to generations of Smiths Fallsonians.

He loved words and instilling a love of reading, critical thinking, and writing skills in his students and everyone he mentored. In an April 2023 article for the Retired Teachers’ Association newsletter, Clair said, “I love teaching and in my career hoped that I inspired students to become lifelong learners who understand the joy of using one’s own imagination when reading books and the power of language whether written or spoken.”

When he came to Smith Falls for his job interview in 1955, Clair stopped by St. John The Evangelist Anglican Church and met Sexton Harold Millar, the man who would later become his father-in-law. He then dropped in at the Bank of Montreal to open an account with a bank teller named Grace Millar, who would become his wife on June 27, 1964. As Grace later retold the story of their first meeting, she turned to a work colleague after opening the account and said, “There goes something pretty special.”

Having spearheaded the committee allowing teachers to take sabbaticals for the pursuit of continuing education, Clair took his young family to England from 1968 to 1969, where he earned his master of arts in English from the University of East Anglia in Norwich.

Highlights of his experiences during this time in England included starting to work on his goal to visit every cathedral in England, attending a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, and making lifelong friendships with people in Norwich and the village of Ketteringham, where the Kelso family lived for the year.

His passions outside of his family and teaching included participating in the life of St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church, the Smiths Falls Public Library, and the Smiths Falls & District Historical Society, where he served in leadership roles for many decades. Clair was also an exceptional green thumb. He delighted in working in his garden from sunrise to sunset. He created such beautiful results that many a family friend requested to use the space for engagement parties or asked him to do the flowers for their weddings. He also loved live theatre as an audience member, actor, and director.

Clair and his wife, Grace, were founding members of the Smiths Falls Little Theatre and in the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s enjoyed putting on plays for the community and participating in the Eastern Ontario Drama League. In 2000, Clair and Grace organized a Little Theatre reunion, which showcased just how many people’s lives had been enriched through the Little Theatre experience. Clair was an avid supporter of subsequent theatre groups in Smiths Falls and extremely proud of the work of all involved with the Smiths Falls Station Theatre. He loved attending performances at the National Arts Centre, the Ottawa Little Theatre, and the Thousand Islands Playhouse in Gananoque, as well as periodic trips to the Shaw Festival and the Stratford Festival. His last outing before his final hospitalization was to see a musical production at the Thousand Islands Playhouse on November 1, 2025.

In his early 70s, after surviving what turned out to be his first of five heart attacks, Clair set out to transform his health. He started working with a personal trainer and, through self-discipline and yoga, adopted a commitment to fitness that lasted the rest of his life. He was also an enthusiastic believer in the power of chiropractic care, which he felt contributed greatly to his longevity, as did his superb cooking skills. Having been taught to cook by his father at age nine, he was a great cook who prepared nutritious and delicious meals for himself, and later his family, for the majority of his life.

Clair was an avid reader and continued his daily practice of reading two newspapers—in actual print, in accordance with his computer-free lifestyle—until the end. In his last months, his passion for words and the agility of his brain were increasingly expressed by playing multiple daily games of Boggle and Upwords. Unlike many other members of his family, who are fiercely competitive when it comes to games, for Clair it was always more about making interesting words and enjoying time with loved ones than about the final score.

Clair and Grace bought their forever home on Glen Avenue in Smiths Falls in 1965, and one of Clair’s wishes was to live there until his death. Thanks to the devotion of his daughters, supported by an amazing team of caregivers, Clair was able to remain at home until the final weeks of his life. The family will be eternally grateful to all members past and present of Team Clair Kelso, and especially Kerri-Lynne, Kim, Marjorie, Cheryl, Courtney, and Dawn. Clair was supported brilliantly by so many wonderful caregivers from Bayshore, his chiropractor for 22 years, Dr. Frazer Smith, the dedicated staff at his pharmacy at Cornelia Court, his family doctor, Dr. Mahysin Siyih, his cardiologist, Dr. Nadine Gauthier, and the dedicated professionals of the community paramedics. A very special thank you, as well, to every doctor, nurse, and staff member who treated him with care and respect in the Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital and the University of Ottawa Heart Institute over the years. Without your dedication and understanding, he could not have enjoyed his beautiful life for as long as he did. 

Friends may pay their respects at the Blair & Son Funeral Home at 112 Beckwith St. N., Smiths Falls, Ontario, K7A 2C3 (613-283-2800) from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Monday, December 22, 2025. The Funeral Service will be held at St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church, 2 George St. S., Smiths Falls, Ontario, K7A 1X4 at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December 23, 2025.

Clair’s ashes will be laid to rest at a later date beside his beloved wife Grace in the family’s plot at the historic Blue Church Cemetery outside of Prescott, Ontario.

In remembrance, contributions to St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church, Smiths Falls, Ontario or the Smiths Falls Station Theatre would be appreciated.