ScotDance Ontario - Obituary Announcements

ScotDance Ontario is the
Professional Body representing
all matters dealing with
Highland Dancing in the
Province of Ontario and
operates under the umbrella of
ScotDance Canada

Announcements / In Loving Memory

Sadly, this year, we said farewell to many within families of the dancing community:

Laura Bablitz, 17, a vibrant Grade 12 student from Orleans (Ottawa), daughter of dentist, Dr. Bablitz
and Cliff Bablitz. A dancer with the McCulloch School of Dance in Navan with teacher, Heather
Forbes, Laura was involved in a head-on crash on Boxing Day while on a skiing holiday in Calgary.
She remained in a coma until her death on January 9th, 2006. Her passing has hit close friends
and fellow dancers at the Navan dance school hard and will be dearly missed.

Jordie Hays, son of Nancy Hays (instructor and adjudicator of Highland dancing) and husband,
Neil Dickie of BC, Saturday December 3rd, 2005 at the young age of 25 from apparent liver failure.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Nancy, Neil and their daughter, Catherine, at this very difficult
time.

Vera Patterson of Charlotte, NC, passed away in Charlotte on May 31st, 2005. Vera passed away
peacefully in her sleep. She was cremated in Charlotte, and Pat, her daughter, is taking her ashes
back to Florida where she resides. This is a great loss to the dance community as Vera had a
great love of Highland dancing and such a purist. She was a great friend and mentor. She will be
sorely missed.

May McKenzie, Teacher and Adjudicator of Highland dancing, passed away on Dec.8th, 2005 in
Oshawa General Hospital after a short illness. May was also the mother of former champion
dancer, Kathleen McKenzie.

Carole Biggs, mother of former champion Highland dancer, Cathleen Biggs Antoine and dear
friend of teacher and adjudicator, Margo Coutts, passed away on Sunday, November 6th, 2005 after
a battle with cancer.

Patrick Hayes, Superintendent, Ottawa Police Service, Pipe Major, Ottawa Police Pipe Band,
passed away in hospital September 18th, 2005 after a brief illness. Pat will be fondly remembered
by the dedicated men and women he worked with, both on the job and to the many he touched
through his association with the Pipe Band and his involvement in the community.

Ian Blackman, son of Dianne and Brian Blackman, brother to Lindsay. Unfortunately, Ian lost a
short struggle with cancer. He was only 18 years old with an enthusiasm for sports and life in
general, when he was diagnosed less than a month before his passing. Ian passed away on
Tuesday. September 6th, 2005. Our heartfelt sympathy is extended to the Blackman family.

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