John Franklin Belfon

John Franklin Belfon was born in Toronto on May 16th, 1943, with family roots in Grenada. His father ran a barbershop downtown, and he spent a lot of time There listening, watching, and learning about people. That sense of observation and curiosity stayed with him his whole life. In his early 20s, he met his late wife, Leah Belfon. At that time, he made the serious and heartfelt decision to convert to Judaism. His faith wasn’t incidental. It became something he lived and thought about deeply. He was a talented artist. Painting was his true passion. It was where his creativity poured out. At home, creativity showed up in down-to-earth ways, like cooking. He’d make these late-night meals that felt like small gifts. Sometimes, he’d pick up his trumpet and play late into the night. Often, jazz. He was a philosopher at heart. He thought deeply about identity, about morality, about what it means to live a principled life. And he cared about doing right by people. He also persevered by facing the realities of race and religion in a time and in ways that demanded strength. He showed up, worked hard, and kept moving forward in life, creating a family. He loved his wife, Leah, his children, his grandchildren, and he always loved a good joke. That was part of his charm; he could pivot from serious reflection to a sly one-liner that made you laugh. So today, we remember a man who was both thoughtful and playful, principled and inventive, an artist, a cook, a late-night trumpet player, a husband, a father, a grandfather, and a great-grandfather- one of a kind. We will miss him, and will carry him with us always. Shiva will be observed privately in North York ( Sheppard / Bathurst) . To obtain the address, please contact 416-817-0712. The dates/hours of the Shiva are as follows: Monday following the burial until 7:00 p.m. Tuesday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Memorial donations may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society (https://cancer.ca/en/).