Obituary of Kenneth Carleton

Ken Carleton of Hilliardton died on May 12, 2010, at the Englehart and District Hospital. He was born on June 23, 1930, in Hilliard Township to Cecil and Kathleen (nee Quigley) Carleton, the third of nine children. Mr. Carleton attended Brethour-Hilliardton Public School until the age of 14 when he entered the workforce. In the winter he cut timber for Lyle Shortt and in the spring and summer he worked on the river drive alongside his father for the C.I.P. Company. Mr. Carleton was a jack-of-all-trades, a truck driver, miner, wherever there was work. He eventually got regular summer employment with the Department of Highways (DHO) as maintenance for the large shovels used for construction. In 1954 he became a fulltime employee as labourer, moved up to equipment operator, then became patrolman for the Englehart Patrol Yard. Mr. Carleton continued to work for the DHO until 1989 when he retired after 35 years of dedicated service. He married Joan Deline on June 24, 1950, and they purchased their farm in Hilliardton in 1951 where they raised their four children. Mr. and Mrs. Carleton ran a very successful farming operation which at one time included a dairy herd with a substantial milk quota, a large beef herd and several different cash crops. Mr. Carleton became a Mason on January 14, 1974, in Englehart Lodge #534, passed on February 11, 1974, and raised to the Sublime Degree of a Master Mason on March 11, 1974. He served as Master of Englehart Lodge in the years 1982-83. He was a member of the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, received the 4th to 18th Degrees at the Lodge of Perfection in the Valley of North Bay, and the 19th to 32nd Degrees at the Moore Consistory in Hamilton. He was a member of the Silver and Gold Scottish Rite. Mr. Carleton joined the Shrine in 1982 and became a member of the Northland Shrine Club shortly thereafter. He was elected President in 1986 and was appointed by the Illustrious Potentate of Ramses Shrine Temple to represent the club as Ambassador in 1990. Mr. Carleton was a member of the Clown Unit and entertained many children at special events. His dedication earned him "Ambassador at Large." Mr. Carleton gave his all-encompassing love and dedication to his wife, children and grandchildren, his farm, land, horses, friends, Freemasonry and the Shrine. He was a philanthropist in every sense of the word, which his innumerable good deeds and hard work throughout his whole life will attest. He touched and helped the lives of so many children, families and individuals and still strived to do more, to help more. "The world knows not the kind of man of his stature, his strength, his uprightness, his morals, his courage and bravery, his determination, his work ethic, his knowledge of the ways of the past, that it has lost," said his family. "He was the kind of man and human being that all should aspire to be, and that we, his family are so proud to call husband and father. We have never, and will never again, know a man so great as Kenneth R. Carleton." Mr. Carleton is survived by "his childhood love, partner in all that he did, lifelong friend, woman that he held in such high esteem" and wife of almost 60 years, Joan; children Keith, Janet (Ross Martin), Joanne, and Jerry (John Simmens); grandchildren Jennifer Mikovitch (Jerry), David Knott (Lyndsay), Caitlan Carleton, Sarah Gagnon (Eric), Stephanie Simmens and Mitchell Simmens; great-grandchildren Grace and Kevin Mikovitch, Wesley and Graham Knott, and Jeremy Simmens; brother Jim (Madeleine) and sisters Mary (Ronald), Pat (Morris) and Lynn. He was predeceased by his parents Cecil and Kathleen, brothers Lorne, Alan and Leslie and sister Ruby. The family expressed their gratitude to the Temiskaming Hospital and to Northview Nursing Home for the kindness, devotion and genuine care given to Mr. Carleton. "Please remember his smile, for the beauty and essence of all that he was, was there." Donations in memory of Mr. Carleton to the Shrine to help children would be appreciated by the family.