Our Volunteers and Board of Directors

Charles Kidd - Director, President

 Charles is a licensed Professional Engineer (retired) in the province of Ontario, practicing since 1974 in industry, private practice, and public service. Along the way, he has served on the boards of the Peterborough Utilities Group, Professional Engineers Ontario, and the Rideau-St Lawrence Regional Science Fair. He and his wife Carolyn are happy parents to two adult children and five grandchildren, who enjoy summers at their fifth-generation cottage on the St. Lawrence River west of Gananoque. Charles is happy to be contributing to the heritage of the 1000 Islands and Gananoque through his work with the Willowbank board. 

Dr. Stephen Heaton – Director, Vice President of Board of Directors

 Stephen was trained at the University of London and Bristol in England and graduated with the equivalent of a Masters in Social Work followed by an advanced degree at Queens University in 1980. Stephen has worked as a psychiatric and pediatric social worker for many years at Kingston General and Hotel Dieu hospitals.  Stephen has served on several Boards including a Municipal Housing Authority and Habitat.  He is on the Board of two local historical societies and co-chair of the Municipal Heritage Committee for the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands.   Stephen has been President of the Willowbank Cemetery Board for the past seven years and is staying on to support our new President.

Gary Bullock – Director

Gary Bullock - Married to Melanie (Branton) and has three daughters.  Gary is a lifetime resident of the area along Middle Road.  A graduate of the Ontario Fire College, Gary's 54 year career in the fire service has spanned from Fire Chief of Pittsburgh Township, Deputy Fire Chief of the City of Kingston and Fire Chief of the Town of Gananoque.   Gary has family at Willowbank Cemetery where he has volunteered in various capacities for the past several years.

Glenn Cowan - Director, Treasurer

Glenn  Cowan is sole practitioner and has been in public practice as a  Chartered Professional Accountant for over 35  years.  Along with many years supporting his local community and  non-profit organizations, Glenn has been Treasurer of Willowbank  Cemetery since 2014 and provides valuable expertise in the governance of  the company.  Resident of  Ottawa, Glenn’s interest in  Willowbank is linked to the ancestral Cowan family plots dating back to  1856 at the origin of the Willow Bank Cemetery Company.

Robert Burtch - Director, Secretary

 Although Robert’s family goes back 6 generations in this  area, his parents are the first ones to be buried in Willowbank  Cemetery. He spent many happy hours with his family on the St.Lawrence River nearby on a houseboat which docked at Clark’s Marina and at a family cottage on Campbell Maxwell Front. 

Robert also keeps busy on the boards of The Thousand Islands Watershed Land Trust, the Leeds and Thousand Islands Historical Society and as Chairman of the Friends of Springfield House Complex. He enjoys kayaking, canoeing and hiking in the woods. He is honoured to be able to serve on the board of Willowbank Cemetery as it holds a special place in his heart. 

Shirley Clark - Director 

Shirley Clark is a long term local resident of Gananoque.  Their  father, Ed Clark was a mainstay in the  town of Gananoque.  He had a deep passion for local and family  history.  Of his many interests he started the local marina, operated a  motel and cabins, ran a local bus line and toured visitors over the 1000  Islands and the Seaway from an airstrip he built  on his farm.  Shirley is continuing on Ed’s 30 year legacy in many volunteer roles including as past President of Willowbank  Cemetery where their family are buried.  

J. Greg Owen – Director, Cemetery Chief Operations Officer

Greg is a retired partner in the firm of Ernst & Young LLP, who led their Advisory IT Infrastructure and Operations practice for Canada. He is a longtime resident of Kingston and Gananoque and residing close to the cemetery has taken an interest in supporting efforts to maintain this unique historical site. Greg also maintains our Willowbank Cemetery website.

Jim Douglas , Director, Sales Officer

Retired from Bell Canada after 23 years of service in various management positions, Jim and his spouse have lived in Gananoque since September 2014. Jim was Vice-President of the Gananoque & District Humane Society from June 2016 through June 2019, and Senior Executive and Treasurer from June 2019 to March 2021. He has served on their Board from June 2016 to March 2021. Jim is also Director on the Leeds Condominium Corporation 6 Board. My involvement with Willowbank Cemetery is as a result of choosing this as our final resting place and ensuring that I can provide a contribution which benefits everyone and maintains the Cemetery as a viable option for those who choose it for themselves and/or their family members.

Victoria (Tori) Maitland - Director, Vice President

 Victoria is currently semi-retired, enjoying travelling, a new  grandson and the freedom of retirement. She grew up in Toronto and Gananoque, now residing in Smiths Falls.. Her summers were spent in Gananoque at her grandparents' resort, "The Beach", where many memories were made.  She took business and legal studies in school then had a 28 year career with Scotiabank. 

Her father, Peter Maitland (past president and formerly of Howe Island), involved her in the cemetery with clean up days and fondly spoke about the goings on in the newsletter he helped write.

Tom Shillington - Director, Sales Officer

Tom has joined the Willowbank Board of Directors in 2023, bringing extensive experience from other volunteer organizations he has supported as a Board member.  He and his wife have lived in the Willowbank neighborhood for the past 7 years. They enjoy walks through the cemetery and their grand- daughters search out the ages of people buried there. When they see a child buried, they hope the child was happy and looks down from Heaven now. They also have a few friends interred at Willowbank as well. Tom will be supporting Jim and our sales operations efforts.