Tom & Dorothy Say Goodbye

Wilma Kenny | Jul 21, 2021

It began with an 8-foot tall pink Easter rabbit that seemed almost as high as the tidy brick house behind it. Then came Hallowe’en, with a splendid and spooky display of ghosts and skeletons. Christmas, one could never be sure what Santa might be up to, but he always appeared, along with well-lighted snowmen, elves and candy canes. All were inflatable, and hummed gently when you got close to them.

Dorothy and Tom Fish have lived for over 50 years on George Street in Sydenham, and love to observe holidays and seasons. Their front yard is not large, but it has been an ongoing source of joyful celebration. Hundreds of children will remember being drawn there every Hallowe’en, and many probably still shiver at memories of the truly awful rat (one of Tom’s favourites) that lay in wait near the door, activated into squealing and threshing by any vibration.

Time and health issues have finally persuaded Tom and Dorothy to make the difficult decision to sell their house and move into something smaller. Saturday, in a farewell to the village, their family helped them fill the front yard with some of their favourites: Santa was there, along with a valentine bear, some ghosts, Easter bunnies (the original one was retired years ago), a Canada Day dog, a Thanksgiving turkey, and many others: a joyous blast of colour and bittersweet memories. George Street will never be quite the same without the Fishes.