John Cseff
With his children by his side, John Cseff passed away peacefully on Sunday, October 3, 2021 after enduring a courageous 14-year battle with cancer.
He was born on May 30, 1950 in Voeklabruck, Austria to the late John and Mary Cseff. John is predeceased by his parents and his wife of 44 years, Kathryn (nee Windle). He is survived by his three children, Eric, Adam (Jocelyn) and Karyn (Michael); his sister, Rosemarie (Dan) and two beautiful granddaughters, Selina and Logan.
In 1954, the family immigrated to Canada settling in the town of Aylmer. John attended East Elgin Secondary School where he participated in a variety of sports but was best known for his skills on the basketball court. He made a successful bid to become president of the Student Council using a most unique campaign style that remains the stuff of legend. Despite his enthusiasm for sports, his studies were never neglected and his academic successes were many, attributable to a strong work ethic instilled by his parents.
A graduate of the University of Waterloo, John spent the past 45 years making a name for himself in the field of Engineering specializing in mining and in the design of structures specific to the concrete industry. Certain projects demanded that he remain on site to supervise their construction in locations that included Sudbury, Chibougamau, Alabama, Texas, Zambia, Namibia to name a few. The family moved with him from Thunder Bay to Denver and eventually settled in Milton, Ontario. Until fairly recently, he would ease many day to day stresses by playing a rousing game of basketball with colleagues. Once health concerns limited his ability to participate, he offered his support to the Raptors and the Denver Broncos from the comfort of his armchair.
All thoughts of illness were set aside to make time for his two beautiful granddaughters. He would read stories to them changing his voice to suit the characters, help make mud pies in the backyard kitchen, spend time drawing and colouring and share his curiosity for all things both scientific and silly.
When his courageous battle finally ended, it left an emptiness in our family circle. The warmth of his smile, his generosity of spirit, his talent for silly jokes and his ability to connect in a positive way with everyone he met will be truly missed.
A funeral service for John was held on October 9th at McKersie-Kocher Funeral Home in Milton. Donations in John’s memory may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy for the Cseff family may be left online at: