Suddenly and tragically, Darren Peter Suszczynski of Fergus and formerly of Lalor (Melbourne) Australia, was taken from us on Wednesday, March 28, 2018 in his 43rd year. Darren leaves behind his loving wife Erin, and their two and a half year old son, Leo. In Australia, Darren will be forever missed by his Mum Lorraine Suszczynski, father Peter Suszczynski (Michelle), sister Tracy (Vic) Cali, and nephew and niece Joshua and Maddison, along with countless aunts, uncles, cousins and lifelong friends. In Canada, Darren’s loss will be felt forever by his mother- and father-law Kathy and Vance Blackmore of Newbury, his sister-in-law Amberly (Jeffery) Wernham, and nephew Wylie, of Oakdale.
Darren had many passions that he excelled at. He loved music, and played guitar and bass guitar with rock and blues bands back home in Australia and here in Ontario. Under the guidance of his father, he learned the trade of blacksmithing and eventually went on to complete his farrier apprenticeship under his father as well, becoming one of the first graduates of the Farrier program at Melbourne Polytechnic (NMIT) in 1999.
In 2002, Darren left Australia to work in Michigan on Mackinac Island, driving carriage horses for Grand Hotel every season until 2008. This is where he met his wife Erin, and also where they later married in 2013.
Darren was an avid motorcycle enthusiast and rider, and covered hundreds of thousands of kilometers across Australia and later Michigan and Ontario on the backs of his many motorbikes. He loved military history and in 2014, he and Erin adopted the hobby of commemorating the efforts of the Australian Light Horse and Canadian cavalry in the Great War through the Canadian Great War Society and the 1stHussars Cavalry Troop.
Darren had an obvious and enviable gift with animals of all shapes and sizes, and everyone who was fortunate to have known him knew how truly gifted he was at everything he ever put his hand to.
Less than a year ago, Darren began a new trade as a carpenter for local construction company HFH Inc. This new opportunity excited him and he was so proud to get up every morning and go to work for a company that truly valued his contributions and work ethic. He was most proud of the work he had completed on the company’s new office building and workshop in Ennottville and was looking forward to building his skills as a carpenter with the HFH timber frame crew.
Family and friends may visit at the Graham A. Giddy Funeral Home, 280 St. David St. South, Fergus on Friday, April 6, 2018 from 6:00 to 9:00pm. A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, April 7, 2018 at 2:00pm at HFH Inc., 6006 Highway 6, Ennotville, ON. In lieu of flowers, a trust fund has been set up for Erin and Leo and contributions can be made at any CIBC branch (account contact is Amberly Wernham Transit #06282 Account #7492987). Arrangements entrusted with the Graham A. Giddy Funeral Home. www.grahamgiddyfh.com
Growing up in Australia, I came to know horses, and their feet, early on. My father, Peter Suszczynski, is a well known master farrier in Victoria, and he would often take my sister and I with him on his rounds. Watching my father shoe the massive Clydsdale horses used by the dairies and breweries in Melbourne, or the Thoroughbred racehorses, eventers and show ponies throughout the rural regions, I knew from a young age that I wanted to follow in his footsteps and become a farrier.
At 15, I went to work full-time for my dad, pulling shoes, clinching up and learning everything I could about horses, the jobs they do, the problems they face, and how proper and routine hoofcare can add years to their working lives. When I turned 18, I enrolled in the Certificate III in Farriery at the North Melbourne Institute of TAFE (now called Melbourne Polytechnic). This four-year, full-time program combines the best of in-class learning with multiple apprenticeship opportunities, and continues to produce some of the best farriers to come out of Australia.
For the next several years, I continued to work at my trade within Australia, working and competing alongside my father and several other top farriers across Australia in shoeing competitions in Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania. In 2002, I moved to the USA, where I was employed as assistant manager and farrier in the stables at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan. Mackinac Island is a tourist destination that relies on horse-drawn transportation, as automobiles were banned more than a century ago. Aside from driving Grand Hotel's carriages, I was also responsible for providng farrier care to Grand Hotel's six Hackney horses.
In 2011, I immigrated to Canada to live with my wife, Erin, who is a passionate horse owner and rider. In the Fall of 2013, I began taking on clients in the Guelph, Cambridge and London areas and have steadily built my clientele in the past year and a half. In 2014, Erin and I joined the 1st Hussar Cavalry Troop as well as the Canadian Great War Society, and spent the year learning all we could about the traditions of the Commonwealth cavalry. I'm proud to serve as the official farrier for both organizations. In July 2014, I was honored to be the first person in over 150 years to shoe a horse at Amhurstberg's Fort Malden. Using an antique, mobile forge, I shod Erin's mare Jetta hot in front of an audience of about 30 spectators who had never seen the process before.
Darren had many passions that he excelled at. He loved music, and played guitar and bass guitar with rock and blues bands back home in Australia and here in Ontario. Under the guidance of his father, he learned the trade of blacksmithing and eventually went on to complete his farrier apprenticeship under his father as well, becoming one of the first graduates of the Farrier program at Melbourne Polytechnic (NMIT) in 1999.
In 2002, Darren left Australia to work in Michigan on Mackinac Island, driving carriage horses for Grand Hotel every season until 2008. This is where he met his wife Erin, and also where they later married in 2013.
Darren was an avid motorcycle enthusiast and rider, and covered hundreds of thousands of kilometers across Australia and later Michigan and Ontario on the backs of his many motorbikes. He loved military history and in 2014, he and Erin adopted the hobby of commemorating the efforts of the Australian Light Horse and Canadian cavalry in the Great War through the Canadian Great War Society and the 1stHussars Cavalry Troop.
Darren had an obvious and enviable gift with animals of all shapes and sizes, and everyone who was fortunate to have known him knew how truly gifted he was at everything he ever put his hand to.
Less than a year ago, Darren began a new trade as a carpenter for local construction company HFH Inc. This new opportunity excited him and he was so proud to get up every morning and go to work for a company that truly valued his contributions and work ethic. He was most proud of the work he had completed on the company’s new office building and workshop in Ennottville and was looking forward to building his skills as a carpenter with the HFH timber frame crew.
Family and friends may visit at the Graham A. Giddy Funeral Home, 280 St. David St. South, Fergus on Friday, April 6, 2018 from 6:00 to 9:00pm. A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, April 7, 2018 at 2:00pm at HFH Inc., 6006 Highway 6, Ennotville, ON. In lieu of flowers, a trust fund has been set up for Erin and Leo and contributions can be made at any CIBC branch (account contact is Amberly Wernham Transit #06282 Account #7492987). Arrangements entrusted with the Graham A. Giddy Funeral Home. www.grahamgiddyfh.com
Growing up in Australia, I came to know horses, and their feet, early on. My father, Peter Suszczynski, is a well known master farrier in Victoria, and he would often take my sister and I with him on his rounds. Watching my father shoe the massive Clydsdale horses used by the dairies and breweries in Melbourne, or the Thoroughbred racehorses, eventers and show ponies throughout the rural regions, I knew from a young age that I wanted to follow in his footsteps and become a farrier.
At 15, I went to work full-time for my dad, pulling shoes, clinching up and learning everything I could about horses, the jobs they do, the problems they face, and how proper and routine hoofcare can add years to their working lives. When I turned 18, I enrolled in the Certificate III in Farriery at the North Melbourne Institute of TAFE (now called Melbourne Polytechnic). This four-year, full-time program combines the best of in-class learning with multiple apprenticeship opportunities, and continues to produce some of the best farriers to come out of Australia.
For the next several years, I continued to work at my trade within Australia, working and competing alongside my father and several other top farriers across Australia in shoeing competitions in Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania. In 2002, I moved to the USA, where I was employed as assistant manager and farrier in the stables at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan. Mackinac Island is a tourist destination that relies on horse-drawn transportation, as automobiles were banned more than a century ago. Aside from driving Grand Hotel's carriages, I was also responsible for providng farrier care to Grand Hotel's six Hackney horses.
In 2011, I immigrated to Canada to live with my wife, Erin, who is a passionate horse owner and rider. In the Fall of 2013, I began taking on clients in the Guelph, Cambridge and London areas and have steadily built my clientele in the past year and a half. In 2014, Erin and I joined the 1st Hussar Cavalry Troop as well as the Canadian Great War Society, and spent the year learning all we could about the traditions of the Commonwealth cavalry. I'm proud to serve as the official farrier for both organizations. In July 2014, I was honored to be the first person in over 150 years to shoe a horse at Amhurstberg's Fort Malden. Using an antique, mobile forge, I shod Erin's mare Jetta hot in front of an audience of about 30 spectators who had never seen the process before.