Canada looses another WWI Vet

[BLR]

One of Canada's last WWI veterans dies
Last Updated: Thursday, February 22, 2007 | 11:19 AM ET
CBC News
One of Canada's last three surviving veterans from the First World War, Victor (Lloyd) Clemett, has died. He was 107.

Lloyd Clemett enlisted at the young age of 16.
(CBC)
Clemett died late Wednesday night at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto.

Born Dec. 10, 1899, in Toronto, Clemett lived a rich, long life spanning more than a century.



When asked about the secret to his longevity in an interview with CBC News late last year, Clemett responded, "Just taking it easy, not running too wild and having a good time."

In 1916, Clemett enlisted in the army at the age of 16, following in the footsteps of his three older brothers. All four returned home at the end of the war.

He was sent to England after several weeks of training, but when the colonel learned of his young age, Clemett was transferred to the forestry brigade.
When the brigade was deployed to France, Clemett repeatedly volunteered to go to the front lines, and was headed there when armistice was declared on Nov. 11, 1918.

Orphaned at young age
Clemett, his three brothers and two sisters were orphaned at a young age, forcing them to move to the small Ontario community of Omemee, about 120 kilometres northeast of Toronto.

Lloyd Clemett, shown above in a 2005 interview, was one of the last three surviving First World War veterans, but insisted he didn’t want a state funeral.
(CBC)
At the age of eight, he began working, first at a creamery wrapping butter and later at a leather tannery.

When he returned from the war, he ended up back in the Toronto area for most of his remaining life, working for a time at Canadian Pacific, then starting a lawn mower sales and service business in Toronto in the 1920s, which managed to survive the Great Depression.

Through the decades, he worked in a variety of service and repair jobs.

His wife, Catherine, passed away in 1993, but Clemett continued to live at their family home in North Toronto until just over two years ago when he moved into a veterans' residence at Sunnybrook.

Clemett was recently in the news because of debates over whether the federal government should hold a state funeral for the last First World War veteran.

Clemett's family said he would rather have a simple memorial service because he doesn't think national attention should be directed at a single person, but instead at all vets.

He's getting his wish — a private funeral service will be held for family and close friends.

Clemett is survived by his two sons.