SHERBROOKE – It rained as volunteers set up the Sherbrooke Saturday Market on Aug. 1, but no one seemed inclined to stay home.
Two days after Stewart “Stewie” Kimball Wilmott died suddenly in hospital at 61, 569 people came through the market he helped create nearly a decade ago with his partner, Gabriela “Gabby” Schupbach – the place he loved, rarely missed and where, by all accounts, he rarely stood still.
Alice Mailman, who attends the market every Saturday, immediately felt his absence.
“Stewie was very missed today,” she said. “It just wasn’t the same without Stewie there and it will never be the same without him. He was always there to help everybody. I am so glad to see such a good turnout. There were over 500 people there and the songs played today were awesome.”
Wilmott was born in Sherbrooke, a son of the late Henry Wilmott and Dorothy MacIntosh, and stepson of Murray Fleet. His obituary on the G.W. Giffen Funeral Home website described him as a “free spirit, well known for his many hats, including a chicken hat. Not a look most people can pull off, but he did it well.”
He also loved landscaping and gardening in his yard. More than anything, people remembered how readily he helped.
Following the market, Beanies Bistro closed for regular business and opened its doors to those who wanted to sit together, have tea or a sandwich and share memories. Strawberry shortcake, one of Wilmott’s favourite desserts, was served.
Beulah Malloy, deputy warden for the Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s, was among those who gathered.
“He was just a sweetheart,” Malloy said. “He was there for everybody and expected nothing in return. And he was always getting people excited – I didn’t see him once that he didn’t grab you and hug you and say something to get you going.”
Sherbrooke resident Linda MacIntosh remembered the same willingness to step in whenever someone needed him.
“He was such a community-oriented person,” she said. “He did anything anybody needed, and if they couldn’t afford to pay for it, he didn’t care. He just did it.”
In a tribute posted to the Sherbrooke Saturday Market’s Facebook page, David Nadler wrote that he would never again see a chicken hat without thinking of his friend.
Wilmott’s jokes, teasing comments, laughter and hugs could lift someone who needed it, Nadler wrote. He might help repair a roof, water leak or furnace without accepting more than a thank you. He carried groceries, shovelled walkways and seemed able to appear wherever help was needed. “Stewart seemed to be everywhere, all the time,” Nadler wrote.
The gathering at Beanies had no speeches, schedule or formal program. People were simply invited to come by, share a story, laugh, cry and spend time with the family and the community “Stewie” had helped bring together.
Wilmott is survived by Schupbach; his daughters, Tysha Schofield and her husband, Jamie, of Centerville, and Leanza Wilmott and her partner, Ryan, of Elderbank; and his grandchildren, Owen, Octavia, Ronan and Bianca.
He is also survived by his brothers, Gary and his wife, Hertha, of Sherbrooke, and Chris and his wife, Karen, of Antigonish; his sisters, Lori-Anne of Dartmouth, and Michelle and Tracey and her husband, Ryan, both of Grande Prairie, Alta.; and many nieces, nephews and their families.
He was predeceased by his brothers, Travis, Dennis and Roy.
A concert celebrating his life and supporting Schupbach and the family is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 6, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Heritage Park in Sherbrooke.
Funny hats are encouraged.
In Sherbrooke, no one will need to ask why.
With files from Joanne Jordan
