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While I’d seen Robin on several previous occasions, a funeral envi- ronment, I must admit, is not an appropriate place to discuss one's credentials. Mine or hers. But this was different. A one-on-one would provide an opportunity for us to size each other up. An appointment was made and an interview arranged. “Why not," I said to myself, “after all, since I could soon be taking up three-day residency there, it might be appropriate to discover the inner workings of the place while still alive.” â€" any change. And thile workifig at a funeral home was the last thing I anticipated, I decided to give it atry. checking through classifieds in the Sun-Tribune, I spotted an advertisement that read: “Wanted â€" part-time help at the O’Neill Funeral Home, Stoufiville. Apply in person to Robin Walsh, funeral director.” I t was six years ago, while Having just completed a six- month trek to Toronto by tIain, bus and cart I was rmady f0; a change lETTERS POLICY Tho Sun-Tribune welcomes your letters. All submissions must be less than 400 words and must include a daytime lelephono number. name and address. The Sunâ€""hibune reserves the right to publish or not publish and to edit for (‘laritv and spare. Lottots to the Editor. The Sun-Tribune 8290 mm St StoufMIIo. GM LM K37 York Region must step in and put a stop to this nonsense. A few years ago, Vlva added TV screens to every bus on the system, only to have them all shut oflt now for no apparent reaâ€" son. What a waste of money. What exactly are they introducing to the service that justifies this hike? I have not seen anything notable. The only new feature on the buses seems to be the not yet activated “next stop announcement" system. I don’t understand how they think they can expand and gain new ridership if they keep raising fares to unreasonable levels. Charging $3.25 to go anywhere oneâ€"way by bus is just simply a rip-off when com- pared to other transit services across North America. Currently, the Toronto Transit Commis- sion has a huge service area that can take you literally hours to get from one end to the other all for one fare: $2.75. Yet, some- how York Region Transit has managed to convince people that it is justified to raise? fares to $3.25 for a service that is nowhere near the same level as what the TTC offers. Why can’t York Region take it upon them- selves to do what David Miller has now done down in Toronto, and freeze transit fares from being hiked any further. l E T T E R S T 0 YR‘T’s $3.25 fare too high jmason.yrmg.com itgdfl‘ville Sunfgibyqql. 21$ 2008'; RAFFI DERHAROUTIOUNIAN immcnva MEDIA Marketing 81 Advertising Manager I )awna Andrews dandmusfi’yrmg. mm imasonébyrmgmom Enn‘omm Editor lim Mason However, all good things must come to an end. On Dec. 19, Robin Walsh retired. And while she’ll continue to reside in Stoufl‘ville and, on occa- sion, assist at the funeral home, she’ll now live a much quieter life away from 6324 Main St. I assured her it was. We’ve had an excellent relationship ever since. “You're absolutely sure this is where you want to work?" she asked. ‘ But the miss-match didn’t deter her warm welcome. Without saying so, a 10-minute tour indicated I'd been hired. But not without warn- mg. For she was immaculate in black â€" black jacket, black skirt, black shoes, black everything. In contrast, I fesenlbled a bibli- cal Joseph in a collection of many colours. I doubt she was impressed for, after all, a green blazer, brown pants and matching tie is not the type of apparel worn by most parlour employees. Not her employees any- way. Her successor is Patrick Leb These policies should be reviewed. Encouraging employees and students to stay home and rest not only helps the per- son recover more quickly, but also helps prevent the spread of colds and flu which ultimately spreads around the office, cost- ing much more to the institution and the healthcare system. The result is that not only the ill workers show up, but far too often, the virus spreads throughout the office and everyone is sick over the course of weeks. Many employers do not pay employees when they are sick and some even discour- age §ick worAkersrfrom staying home. For example, I once took a course where participation marks were deducted as long as students were absent, despite having a doctor’s note. T H E E D | T 0 R Have the flu? Stay home Why don’t people stay home and rest? Many schools and employers’ policies dis- courage this. People who are sick do not stay home and rest. Not only does this prolong the ill- ness for themselves, it potentially spreads the virus to others around them; at school, at work or on the bus. It’s that time of year again: cold and flu season. Although the province has spent millions on flu shots, thousands are still sick each day. The problem? Classified Manager Bonnie Rondmu hrnndmmhfyrmg. mm dmahoney®yrmg.m}n ADVERTISING Retail Manager Dianne Mahonm SiW'l'ribune PUBLISHER Ian Proudfoot 6290 Main St. Stoufiville, 0N. MA 167 www.yomegion.com EDWARD CHOI Special Events Manager Pam Burgess Robin apprenticed at Reid's Funeral Home. Leamington, before joining the staff of McDougall Later she enrolled at Toronto's Humber College where. in 1975, she received her funeral director's license. Ro/bin, 52, is a native of Kapus- kasing, Ont. While still attending high school, she worked part-time at the Guennette Funeral Home there. “That's where I earned my stripes,” she said. lane of Whitby. Chris Davidson will remain his assistant. plm rgr’ssmfvnfig. m m Pnonucnmv Team Leader Sherry Dav rdawlh'rmg. (‘6 m Roaming Around with [im Thomas 0mm FDSIQ'} ircrnnl;i Arc rldnl Emma IN CHIEF Debora Kelly “The death of a former colleague really bothered me." she admits. “This prompted my decision." He was only 52. While demanding of herself, Robin always found time to share a tear with nextâ€"of-kin, a virtue that in-.-“ e‘,...r......‘ :- tary. This was the Robin Walsh I knew This was the Robin Walsh I'll miss We all will. lim Thomas is (I Stoujfnillv n’si- dent who has written fi)!‘ arm m’urs~ papers/hr more than 50 years. She informed head office of her wish to retire last August after think- ing about it almost a year. “I’ve been very happy here," she says, “but it’s a very challenging position. I needed a rest." These courtesies made her fee at home. She remembers being welcomed by the late Dinty Hodgins and shar- ing dinner with Reg and Lorna But- ton. and Brown, St. Clair Avenue and Bathurst Street, Toronto. She remained there 12 years, six as manager. Mth the purchase of the O’Neill Funeral Home by Arbour in 1996, Robin came to Stouffville as a funeral director here, succeeding Polly and Fay Minton. “I was a stranger in town,” Robin recalls. “Cathy Sutherland, (a part- time employee), took me under her wing." DISTRIBUTION 905-64026] 2 ADVERTISIN( 905â€"640â€"26 I 2 icd: 1â€"300â€"743 x- 905â€"640â€"87 EDITORIAI 905â€"640-261 \. 905â€"6408" BUSINESS MANAGER Dumcmn, Anvmmsmc Robert Lazurlco a DISTRIBUTION Nicole Fletcher 33 A York Region Media Group community newspaper The Sun-Tribune. published every Thursday and Saturday. is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd, a whollyownei subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. Metroland is comprised of 100 community publications across Ontario. The Yoni Region Newspaper Group includes The Liberal, sewing Richmond Hill ar Thomhill. Vaughan Citizen, The Era-Banner (Newmarket/Aurora) Markham Economist Sun, Georgina Advocate, York Region Business Times, North of the City, yorkregioncom and York Region Printing. SEW-Tribune For her, a funeral was not an end but a beginning. She knew the importance of follow-ups through phone calls, visits, letters and cards. People appreciated this. No, I never solved the intricacies of an archaic light-switch panel and my coffee-making skills sometimes left much to be desired. But Robin never complained. Quite the oppo- site. She wl tarv. found much favour with families. Framed photos of the late Marion Hodgson and the late Gladys Clark- son are prominent in the lobby at O'Neill's. “They were my friends," she says. She was their friend, also. Always a businesswoman with a desire for perfection, Robin also had a sympathetic side that only those with whom she associated would know. "as at all times complimon Yonx REGION PRINTING GENERAL MANAGER Bob Dean and