DERSTINE, Clayton Kolb
Our friend, husband and father died on Good Friday at Toronto Western Hospital. Clay would have liked to have been remembered both as a writer and as a pioneer in establishing French public schools in Toronto. Clay wrote throughout his life (including book reviews for The Globe and Mail) but his magnum opus is his book Treegodspace. Clay believed in multi-culturalism and in Canadians speaking both official languages, and was active in left-wing politics. He devoted his considerable talent and energy to working to establish a French public school system in Toronto, and the success that system is now enjoying is due in no small part to his efforts.
Clay was born in 1928 to Mary Elizabeth Kolb Derstine and Bishop C. F. Derstine of First Mennonite Church, Kitchener. Clay grew up in Kitchener and was a football star at KCI and Waterloo Lutheran. He came to Toronto to do graduate studies, but fled to Paris, where he sought to come to terms with the divergence between many of society's values and his own. He taught himself French from friends, books and the street, and worked at UNESCO. He returned to Canada in 1958, met and married Joyce Carter, his love and companion for the next 50 years. Their son is Dirk Derstine of Toronto. Clay was also blessed with a daughter, Julie Saavedra, born in France. He also leaves his daughter-in-law Jennifer Penman, his son-in-law Téo Saavedra and his grandchildren Madeleine, Benjamin, Lou and Atina. His brother John and sisters Ruth, Yvonne and Grace will all miss him as will their families and the rest of his large family.
Clay was a believer in wonder, joy and close observation triumphing over order-mongering and those who define interest, profit and riches in money. We loved him and we are all blessed by his memory and example, while poorer for his absence. A celebration of his life will be held Sunday, April 6 at the Enoch Turner Schoolhouse, 106 Trinity Street, Toronto, at 5 p.m. until whenever.