One of Canada's last WWI veterans dies at age 107

February 22, 2007

Victor "Lloyd" Clemett, one of Canada's last surviving veterans from World War I (WWI) died last night at age 107.

Clemett died at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in his home-city of Toronto, Ontario.

Clemett lived at his home until two years ago when he moved to a Sunnybrook residence.

When interviewed by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation last year he is quoted saying: "Just taking it easy, not running too wild and having a good time."

The last remaining WWI vets are Percy Wilson 105 years old and John Babcock 107. About 620,000 Canadians enlisted in the First World War.

Born on December 10, 1899, Clemett served the war from 1916 to the fall of 1918. He ran away from home at age 16 to join the war after his brother left a few months before. Clemett successfully lied about his age but when officials found out they sent him out to help supply lumber.

After, Clemett worked with the Canadian Pacific Railway for 10 years. He, and his friend, co-founded a lawn-equipment company in Toronto. Years later, he became a water-meter reader.

Clemett met his future wife Cassie Duggan while working with the lawn equipment company. Cassie Duggan later died in 1993 at the age of 82. He is now survived by his sons: David Clemett, who resides in the United States, and John Clemett, who resides in the Canadian western province of Alberta.

State funeral approved
The government will have a state funeral for the last WWI veteran.

State funerals in Canada, by tradition, are reserved for prime ministers and governors general.

This changed last year after the NDP, along with the Dominion Institute, introduced a motion to have a state funeral for the last veteran. It was likened by all party leaders and passed on the 21 of November in 2006.

"We honour his service to Canada during the First World War," executive director of the Dominion Institute, Rudyard Griffiths, said. "With only two Great War veterans remaining, we hope that the federal government will follow through on the motion unanimously passed in Parliament last November to offer the family of the last Great War veteran resident in Canada a full state funeral."