Henrietta Hughes

1923 - 2011  (88 years)

• Name	Henrietta Hughes
  Born	1923	London, England
  Gender	Female
  Business	Rockway Restaurant, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-164527
  Died	8 Oct 2011
  Person ID	I164527	Generations
  Last Modified	6 Apr 2024

  
  

• Notes

  "Forever Young" HUGHES, Henrietta Hettie was born in London, England and grew up there during the war years. She was the oldest of four children. Valerie, Hettie's oldest daughter, says "Mom would tell us (and then my three children) these wonderful stories of her years growing up in England. The mischief she got into, being sent to bed with no supper because she was late getting home. Stories about days spent at John Pound's Mission and her work during the war with the ARP. How at 18 years of age, when their home in London was destroyed by a bomb during The Blitz, she had to find the family a place to live as her father was a trucker and was away for long periods of time. Stories we would listen to over and over. I often told her, that she should write them down so we would have them to keep. Sadly, it never happened." When Hettie came to Canada from England in 1947, sponsored by an aunt in Owen Sound, a woman asked her if she was a war bride. When she replied that she wasn't, the woman advised her to go back to England. But Hettie was determined to make a new life in this new country for her daughter, Valerie (Bock) and her son Raymond. Raymond was very ill and the doctors advised her to leave the wet climate of England. Her youngest daughter Christine was born here. She also has three grandchildren, Traci, Donna and Steven Bock. She scrubbed floors and worked in a laundry, learning the business and living above the shop. In 1959, she moved to Kitchener and got a job bookkeeping for George Beck at his Waterloo warehouse. When Beck sold his business, he referred Hettie to his friend, Sid Stone, who needed a bookkeeper for his Kitchener restaurants, Stone's Old Castle Inn and Rockway Restaurant, both located at King and Jackson Streets across from each other. Hettie quickly picked up on the restaurant trade. "Sidney Stone was my mentor and I have a good pair of eyes", she said. When Stone's health failed in 1979, he offered to sell her one of the restaurants. She opted for Rockway, not wanting the hassle of dealing with liquor, and tired of the late hours needed to run the Old Castle Inn. It became a family run operation. Her daughter Christine was the manager/cook and her daughter Valerie was the bookkeeper. Her three grandchildren all worked part time at Rockway while in high school. Donna continued to work at the restaurant after graduating from Eastwood Collegiate. Donna's husband, Paul Jonah was also employed at Rockway as a cook and both worked there until the restaurant closed. Doug Bock, Val's husband worked there for a number of years after the company he was with was sold. Although Raymond was not involved in the operation of the restaurant, Hettie supported his passion for car racing by sponsoring him. The #24 yellow and black hobby car, with the fish on the hood and "Thanks Mom" on the side, was seen regularly at Flamboro Speedway. Ray, not a lover of fish and chips and asked frequently if he ate at Rockway, would say, "if God had wanted me to eat fish, he would have made me a seagull." A regular sponsor of the "Powder Puff Race", The Canadian Vintage Modified Club presented Hettie with an award for her "Outstanding Contribution" to the club in 1998. Hettie enjoyed a long association with the Zonta Club and the Sales and Ad Club. She received the City of Kitchener's 2003 Award of Distinction for Business in June of 2003. She enjoyed figure skating shows, music, musical theatre and Coronation Street. Tennis was her passion and American tennis player Andre Agassi was her favourite player. On impulse, one summer she and her two daughters jumped in the car and drove to Cincinnati, Ohio, watched Agassi practice and play one game, and then drove home…..but not before she had an autograph! Just this past August, she and her daughters watched Agassi play in the Tour of Champions in Toronto at the Rogers Cup. Despite her arthritis and two knee replacements, Hettie kept active. She shared a home with daughter Val and was in control of the kitchen, doing most of the cooking, which was fine with Val. "I don't mind cleaning, doing dishes or laundry but I have no interest in food" says Val. Hettie did not like shopping unless it was a grocery store and would spend hours with Chris going from one store to another getting "the good deals." She also walked Donna's two dogs using snow shoes and ski poles when it was icy. "You can get around if you want to" she would say. In 2005, at the age of 83, she went back to England (with her daughters) to visit her sister, Doris Pegram. They rented a car and took Doris on day trips around England including Stonehenge, Windsor and a visit to their cousin Joan Firth in Kent. Hettie also enjoyed a visit with her lifelong friend, Lily Hofmeister (a spritely woman who even Val had a hard time keeping up with). Their friendship spans 77 years! Then it was off to Paris and a day of sightseeing. A vacation to remember! In June of 2008, nearing her 85th birthday, Hettie decided it was "time to say good-bye" to the restaurant. When the news of the closure made it to the media the response was overwhelming. The final month of business saw endless lines of customers, new and old, eager to enjoy Rockway's famous fish and chips one last time. At a farewell party held at the restaurant, former employees, friends, sales representatives, and customers spent an evening recalling the "good old days." Last year, Hettie bored, and needing something more to do with her days, decided to volunteer at the Rockway Senior Centre. She was once again in her element, working in the lunch and tuck shop, being with people. Many of the patrons at the centre were familiar with her and Rockway Restaurant. She even participated in an exercise class! She enjoyed the time she spent there. At her Celebration of Life gathering, friends and relatives travelled from as far as England, Florida, Kentucky, Indiana and all across Ontario to reflect on how Hettie has touched their lives. She was a caring and generous person, always ready with a smile and a hello……even though she was never good with names! She will be missed by all who knew her. Remembrance Remembrance is a golden chain Death tries to break, but all in vain. To have, to love, and then to part Is the greatest sorrow of one's heart. The years may wipe out many things But some they wipe out never. Like memories of those happy times When we were all together. Waterloo Region Record 9 Oct 2011

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 1923 - London, England Business - - Rockway Restaurant, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth