[From the Ontario District's newsletter, The Trillium, issue 60-01, January - March, 2006 , Waldo Redekop, editor.]

A Farewell Party

By Don Coghlin

Saturday, November 12, 2005 was certainly a fun evening as over 100 of Dave Littwiller’s friends and colleagues and their wives gathered at the Mount Forest Community Centre to celebrate his retirement as the director of the Mount Forest Chapter.

Neil Aitchison, the master of ceremonies, kept things lively with his stories and witticism.

We had a great meal and then Celebrations entertained us. This quartet is from Owen Sound and consisted of tenor Dave Daniels, lead Jim McConachie, bass Peter Plas and baritone
Fred Chambers.

Gordon Willard, past president of the Kitchener-Waterloo Chapter, told a story about a pair of shoes when he sang with Dave Littwiller in a quartet  Dave was their director then.

Royal Assent which won the district championship and then went to International, one of Dave’s first quartets, sang for us. Dave sang tenor and Ed Arnold sang lead, filling in for Lyle Pettigrew who lives in the USA, Bob Socket boomed his bass and Ken McPherson sang baritone.  

Ken told us several stories of experiences that the quartet had. He told us that Dave had a suspender routine that delighted the audience. The quartet sang several songs and received a standing ovation. The boys obliged with an encore.

The Mount Forest Harmonaires Chorus sang three numbers under the direction of our new director, Grant Lawson. The chorus closed with a parody of Toot, Toot, Tootsie titled “Dave, Dave, Davie Goodbye.”

Dave introduced his family and gave a humorous speech. Then Bruce Whale, our new president, made a presentation on behalf of the chapter and those present.

Many tributes went out to those responsible for the evening and Dave was reminded that he was expected to be out on Monday to sing in the tenor section. 

Submitted photo

Dave and Betty Littwiller at recent
farewell dinner held on November 12, 2005
in Dave’s honour. k