originally posted on 12/6/2019
Photo: Michael Horwood Collection. View full-sized image.
A close friend in ACE, Celia Horwood, passed away on November 11, 2019, from a severe stroke and leukemia. This was a great loss to ACE in general, as Celia was one of the nicest and sweetest people in ACE history.
I first met and became close friends with Celia (as well as her husband, Mike, and children, Joshua and Jacob) in the early 1980s. I met the whole family through ACE events and, shortly thereafter, Western New York Coaster Club events. At the time, the Horwoods lived in Toronto (one of my favorite cities), which gave me an excuse to visit them every season for at least a Western New York Coaster Club event. Needless to say, we also went frequently to Canada's Wonderland. On one of the excursions, we hit a horrific rainstorm. When we finally departed, every inch of my clothes was soaking wet. When we finally got to the Horwood residence, Celia put all my clothes in the dryer and gave me some of Mike's clothing. We all sat down to watch old comedy shows starring the Three Stooges and to engage in other comparable intellectual pursuits.
Over the years, I visited and stayed with Celia and her family on numerous occasions. At most of the recent ACE conventions, I traveled with the Horwoods and enjoyed hearing about all the countries Celia and Mike traveled to in pursuit of their avocation. It was wonderful to hear about their adventures, especially since I am not able to handle lengthy airplane flights anymore.
Celia and Mike had a wonderful life together as they traveled all over the world and had plenty of time to visit their children on the way to some far-off park. Celia also loved living in Arizona the last few years and visiting her beloved national parks. She had a great life and will be missed by everyone that she knew.
— Marty Moltz
Photo: Michael Horwood Collection. View full-sized image.
From the funeral home:
Celia Mary Horwood (née Roberts), 67 years old, was born on July 19, 1952 in Brampton, Ontario, Canada and passed away on November 11, 2019 in Tucson, Arizona, after battling a stroke and leukemia.
Celia was best known for her generosity, glowing smile, openness, affectionateness, inquisitiveness, engaging people in conversation, and offbeat sense of humor. She obtained an Associate’s Degree in Dance from Ryerson University (Toronto, Canada) in 1974. Upon graduation, she taught dance at local schools. From 1977 to 1997, Celia worked at the Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning (Toronto, Ontario) assisting in the college’s fundraising activities and servicing students with special needs. On April 2, 1994, Celia was confirmed and shared in the Holy Eucharist at St. Anthony of Padua RC Church (Brampton, Ontario). In 2000, Celia authored the biography of her father, Canadian landscape painter, Tom Roberts. Celia had a wide range of activities and interests including love of art, amusement parks and roller coasters (and was a member of the American Coaster Enthusiasts and European Coaster Club), travel (having visited all 50 US States and 10 Canadian provinces), fine dining and wine, fitness and health, hiking, bicycling, cooking, family, and tea time. Celia was an avid concert-goer and enjoyed music including classical, opera, ballet, jazz and bluegrass.
@#$%&!
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