CHRISTOPHER LITSTER
December 2, 1953 – December 6, 2024
In loving memory of Christopher Litster, who passed away on Friday, December 6, 2024, at the age of 71. Loved by all who knew him, Chris will be greatly missed by many, most especially his wife of 38 years, Michèle (nee Quesnelle) and his brothers John, Gerard, Michael and Paul Litsteras, well as their families. A cherished member of his large extended family, he was fondly known as “Uncle Fred” by nieces and nephews who will remember him as a playful tease who made them laugh. He will live on at the heart of many family memories as the host of annual summer and Christmas gatherings and the grill master who occasionally burnt the sausages. Chris spent most of his life farming, a passion he developed as a teenager when he worked on a neighbour’s dairy farm on weekends and in the summers. After graduating from St. Michael’s Choir School in Toronto, he studied agriculture at the University of Guelph, then embarked on a full career that began in King City, first managing a flock of sheep, followed by employment on a horse and beef cattle farm. In the early 1980s he took over the dairy operation at Marylake in King City until 1998, when he bought his own farm, with Michèle, in Midland. There he raised grass-fed beef until he retired in 2020. Early in his farming career, Chris took active interest in organic alternatives to conventional farming methods. He spent some time as an organic farm inspector and read widely on this topic to become a bit of a self-taught expert in sustainable farming methods, which he applied on his own farm. His love for the planet extended beyond agriculture to wider environmental and economic issues. Chris believed that community is essential to a healthy ecology, and was actively involved in organizations such as the Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario, the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario and the Central Ontario Agricultural Conference committee. He was an active member of his parish communities in King City, Victoria Harbour and Gore Bay. Chris also loved to be involved in community choirs: Serenata in Midland, The Cellar Singers in Orillia, and The Island Singers on Manitoulin. Chris named his farm in Midland the Still Hope Farm. He believed that there is still hope for this planet if we abandon destructive mindsets and habits, and actively work to restore the natural systems of which we are a part. Therefore, in lieu of flowers or donations, he would want everyone to plant trees – lots of them, on your property or elsewhere – and protect natural habitats. Family and friends were welcomed to attend a visitation at the Simpson Funeral Home in Gore Bay on Friday, December 13, 2024 from 7 to 9 pm. A funeral mass was celebrated by close family and friends at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Gore Bay on Saturday, December 14, 2024 at 11 am. Recognizing that travel to Manitoulin at this time of year is difficult for many who would like to pay their respects, the family is planning a Celebration of Life to be held in the spring at a location further south. Details regarding this celebration will be posted to the Simpson Funeral website when they become available.
