Allan Watanabe
Advertising producer, husband, father, grandfather, cook. Born on Oct. 1, 1936, in Vancouver; died on June 10, 2015, in Baltimore, Ont., of liver cancer, aged 78.
Allan Watanabe never swore, not even a gentlemanly "damn," and never spoke an ill word against anybody. This despite the fact that for many years he worked in the sharp end of the advertising business, notorious for its intense pressures.
His award-winning career at a top ad agency was a long way from the 1930s Vancouver where his family lived when he was born. When the Second World War began, young Seiichi (his given name), his family and their entire Japanese-Canadian community were moved to the hinterland, interned as enemy aliens. While some Japanese-Canadians harboured resentment about this injustice, Allan saw a brighter picture. Like his father Sumiye (who was instrumental in securing the apology issued by the Canadian government in 1988), he believed that the move brought the Japanese minority from its toehold on the rim of the country into the mainstream.
After war's end, the family moved to Toronto where Allan attended high school and studied English at the University of Toronto. Then he set out to earn a living, and ended up as a producer of commercials for Cockfield Brown, then one of Canada's largest ad agencies. Many of his works won awards in New York, Toronto and at the Cannes advertising festival in France.
Allan's job often required travel to foreign locations, where his calm demeanour stood him in good stead. One time, on a shoot in South Carolina, we needed sunshine but found only monsoon-like rains. On the second morning of waiting, someone commented that the weather was impossible. Al looked up from his breakfast eggs and said, "So far." Sure enough, we had a couple of 10-minute spells of sunshine and got the shots we needed. Another time, at post-shoot wrap party in a British pub, one of the locals got aggressive. Al cooled him down by persuading him to arm wrestle, rather than fight, and then called over one of the Canadian crew members, a former truck driver. In two seconds, the pub-goer's arm was on the table and the threat was over.
Allan's work consisted of choosing the right director, cameraman, crew and the "talent" for every commercial. Once he had found right team of techies, the only variable was the choice of actor or model. On a shoot for Esso, he chose a beautiful Toronto model, Jane Vickers. The resulting commercials were a success, and so was the chemistry between Allan and Jane. They married in 1969, had two daughters, Kate and Shana, and later welcomed four grandchildren.
After some years, Jane gave up modelling, returned to university and was ordained as an Anglican priest. Although Allan had no interest in organized religion, he supported her choice throughout her training and Toronto church placements. In 1997, he retired from advertising when Jane was offered an incumbency in Orillia, Ont. There he took on the role of a minister's spouse. While Jane conducted her morning service he would be at home, preparing a wonderful lunch for church newcomers (gourmet mac and cheese was a favourite). His superb cooking, and the welcome the visitors received, would often turn them into regular churchgoers and friends.
In 2003, Allan and Jane moved to the Northumberland Hills, east of Toronto, where they lived in a beautifully restored farmhouse. It was there that Al finally gave up his struggle with cancer, after 18 uncomplaining months, with his loved ones at his side. He is sorely missed.
Ted Wood is Allan's long-time colleague and friend.