Leith Stetson remembered for kindness and service

The passing of Leith Stetson on March 6 has left an empty spot in the community fabric of Port Dover.
Since coming to Port Dover in 1969, Leith Stetson quickly made his presence known throughout the community as the genial new owner of the downtown jewellery store.
From the beginning of his family’s residency here Leith became a stalwart supporter of Grace United Church, serving as a trustee for many years. He also became involved in the minor hockey association and in March 1969 joined Port Dover Lions Club and became its president in 1983.
Stetson Jewellers was a member of Port Dover Board of Trade and Leith was active in that group also.
Whatever endeavour Leith Stetson associated himself with, he gave it his all, spearheading projects and remaining involved for the long term.
Stetson Jewellers became an important segment of the Main Street downtown. Its genial proprietor donated generously to innumerable community undertakings and charitable causes.
For decades of service to the community, Leith and his wife Joan were named Port Dover Citizens of the Year in 2004.
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Walt Long recalled at the Port Dover Lions Club memorial service for Leith Stetson on Saturday that the two men met soon after the Stetsons came to Port Dover in 1969. They had worked together on community projects. Mr. Long noted, “Leith was a modest man, and a Christian man. He never swore, he never drank (alcohol) or caroused around, and yet he was included in gatherings of every kind as he was one of us,” then Mr. Long added, “Leith Stetson was a man’s man”.
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Mandy Myerscough has operated The Tan-Mar Shoppe, almost neighbouring Stetson Jewellers, for 28 years. She saw Leith almost every working day and commented how the back of his store was a meeting place. Leith called the downtown women shopkeepers his “golden girls” … and they in turn refereed to him as “Dad of Main Street”.
Mandy Myerscough recalled that in all those years she never heard Leith say something bad about anybody, then added, “nor have I heard anybody say anything bad about Leith”. Mrs. Myerscough repeated what former minister at Grace United Church, Rev. Bob Lepage, said at Sunday’s funeral service … “Leith Stetson was a jeweller, but actually he was the gem”.
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Norfolk Councillor John Wells observed that the outpouring of sympathy from citizens who had attended the visitation and funeral services of Leith Stetson probably set a record in the numbers of people, noting “people wanted to say thanks Leith for your devoted service to the community and us”.
John Wells recalled that when he had been in Port Dover for only several years, he realized greatness in the man. “Leith was an important person, and what made him important was he was kinder, nicer and always was helpful to others. He would lend a hand to all needing help.” Mr. Wells said Leith Stetson would always listen to what people had to say, “and when something needed to be said, he did that too”.