01/05/2026
ROBERT "BOB" WALTER HAROLD NEWLAND
May 1953 - December 2025
As Dave Carter's 'When I Go' played in the background, Bob Newland died peacefully at Rotary Hospice Stratford Perth on December 28th in the presence of his daughter, Evelyn; his son, Graham; their mother and Bob's friend of 57 years, Crys; and his faithful English Cocker Spaniel, Lilith (Lily).
Born in Leamington, Ontario, Bob was the eldest child in a close-knit family. He was a patient and fun big brother, always ready to play any game for hours and, in later years, occasionally even win a round of euchre. As a teenager, he worked as a Point Pelee lifeguard and at the family business, where he learned from his father the skills required to run a successful retail store. Customers became friends and staff became family at Newland's Flowers. Bob's mother, a teacher and talented cook, fostered his love of reading and fine food. Developing a keen interest in drama, he acted in highschool plays and in the Sun Parlour Players, the local community theatre group. School trips to Stratford ignited a love of Shakespeare, and he first discovered Fanfare Books before a student performance in 1968.
Upon graduating with an Honours B.A. in English Literature from Trent University in 1976, Bob began a bookselling career which took him from Peterborough to Toronto, to Ottawa, and eventually to London, Ontario, where he managed the flagship independent bookstore, Roberts Holmes, for almost a decade. While there, he hosted signings by many literary luminaries including Timothy Findlay, Alice Munro, Pierre Berton, and John Irving. His love of books became a passion, not just for their contents but for the physical objects themselves. An avid collector of antiquarian books, especially books about books, he explored numerous book fairs and bookstores, savouring the quest for that one special book. Yearly trips to Boston and New York offered the chance to expand his collection and experience beautiful historical libraries, with a Broadway play or two as a bonus. In 2018, his trip to the Welsh town of Hay-on-Wye, famous for its many bookshops, was a dream come true.
In November of 1989, Bob purchased Fanfare Books. Over the course of close to 36 years, he built the bookstore into a mecca for bibliophiles from all over the continent. Specializing in theatre books and Canadian fiction, but stocked with a carefully curated selection of titles from all genres, the store has survived and thrived through a time when many bricks-and-mortar independents have sadly closed their doors. The torch was passed to a capable new owner in June of this year, but Bob's influence will live on within the exposed brick walls and creaky wood floors of his so-called "third child" for years to come.
A private, unassuming man at heart, Bob was content to simply read on his porch, a cup of coffee or glass of Innis & Gunn at hand, while Lily patrolled for squirrels in the yard. Always a doting father, he relished time with his kids, whether debating the merits of a new movie, discussing philosophy, or despairing the state of modern politics. He set out to raise two independent thinkers and he succeeded, believing Evelyn and Graham to be his greatest legacy.
Bob is the beloved brother of Jamie (Jo-Anne) and Claire (Greg), and a dear uncle to Jeff, Sheilagh, Liam, KJ (Jayce) and Tess. His uncle, cousins, colleagues, and friends are also saddened by his passing. He was predeceased by his father, Don; his mother, Jean; and his first wife, Barb Sandrin.
In accordance with his wishes, Bob's body has been donated to the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. A celebration of life will be held in late May.
To honour Bob's memory, please consider a donation to Rotary Hospice Stratford Perth (www.rotaryhospice.ca) or the Canadian Cancer Society (www.cancer.ca), either directly or through Rutherford Cremation & Funeral Services (www.jarfh.com) 519-271-5062.
And remember to read -- to a child, to an elder, to yourself. As Anne Tyler has said, "For one who reads, there is no limit to the number of lives that may be lived."
