INNELL, Reg - Passed away peacefully at the Toronto General Hospital on February 1, 2018, surrounded by his loving and devoted life partner Margaret and daughter, Adrienne.
Born in Essex, England, Reg immigrated to Canada in the early 60s where he followed his passion for photography by joining the Toronto Star as a photo-journalist.
His career spanned over 30 years, during which time he met and photographed royalty, global leaders and notable celebrities from the performing arts and the literary world. Some of Reg's career highlights included his 1973 trip to China with Pierre Trudeau, where Premier Chou En Lai declared Reg a Marx look-a-like and later to Cuba to photograph Fidel Castro at his early rallies.
Some of his favorite moments included spending an afternoon photographing sculptor Henry Moore in his studio, meeting Neil Armstrong, first man on the moon and capturing performances of ballet legends, Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev.
In recognition of his continuous support of the National Ballet of Canada and the Art Gallery of Ontario, at his retirement he was honoured with a lifetime membership to the AGO and a lifelong invitation to ballet performances.
Besides his work at the Toronto Star, Reg travelled early in his career to Morocco, Mexico and the Amazon, photographing powerful and moving images of ordinary people at various stages of their life. Reg's sense of curiosity was paramount; he read voraciously, exploring the works of great writers, artists, philosophers, explorers and those involved in social movements of the 19th and 20th century.
He wrote numerous anthologies on many of his favourite authors and poets, including Shelley, Hazlitt, Yeats and D. H. Lawrence.
A lover of the fine arts, Reg continued his artistic endeavours throughout his retirement. We are forever grateful to the Toronto General Hemodialysis team of nurses and administrative staff for their endless support and expert care.
Most of all, to his nephrologist, Dr. James Scholey, whose compassion and outstanding guidance, allowed Reg to enjoy a quality of life that was unsurpassed.
A private memorial service by Reg's immediate family was held on February 2nd.
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