Ушел из жизни 99-летний основатель ювелирного дома Pommier, прослуживший общине Кёрнволл более 80 лет

Georges Pommier’s sparkling legacy stands the test of time Georges Pommier left a legacy in Cornwall that stretched well beyond the jewellery counter, built through decades of business, family, friendship and community involvement. Pommier, longtime owner of Pommier Jewellers, passed away June 2. He was 99 years old. Born in Rockland in 1927, he moved to Cornwall with his family in 1937, the same year his father, Armand Pommier, opened Pommier Jewellers on Montreal Road. Jewellery was already part of the family’s history. Georges’ grandfather, Eugene Pommier, entered the trade in Ottawa in 1877. Georges followed his father into the profession, completing a five-year apprenticeship before opening House of Gifts in the Cornwallis Hotel in 1952. In 1965, the business merged with Harold Warren’s jewellery firm to become Warren-Pommier Jewellers Ltd. at 13 Second St. E. Georges worked there alongside his wife, Jacqueline “Jackie” Pommier, and family members, selling jewellery, watches and fine china. Following Jackie’s death in 1986, Georges, daughter Maryse and son André opened a new Pommier Jewellers across the street at 6 Second St. E., where the business remains today. Georges later offered André the opportunity to purchase his remaining shares in 1997. For André Pommier, his father’s influence was about much more than succession in a family business. “He was my best friend. He was my amazing mentor and he really left a mark,” André said in a video shared after his father’s death. That mentorship reflected a family emphasis on education and craftsmanship. Georges was also a watchmaker and remained connected to the work long after many people would have retired. Even at age 90, he continued coming into the store, repairing watches at his bench. André said customers still remember buying engagement rings from his father as far back as the 1950s. “He was always himself. He was always calm. He was always helpful,” André said. “He was a great jeweller. He was a great watchmaker. He was a great businessman.” André said his father treated customers with patience, courtesy and respect, regardless of who walked through the door. “He served all his customers with no favouritism,” he said. “He just served you as a person. He never showed any judgment.” Georges’ life outside the store was equally important to his family. He was an avid skier, golfer, fisherman and hunter. A lifetime member of the Cornwall Golf and Country Club for more than 50 years, he spent time there with friends. Heart Lake also held a special place in his life. The family cottage became a gathering place where generations spent time together, creating memories around the water and outdoors. “My dad made sure to create memories with the whole family up at our cottage,” André said. “He made memories with all his friends, whether it was fishing or golfing at the golf club, at the Cornwall Golf and Country Club, or here at the store. He always had time to talk, tell a story.” Georges and his late wife, Jackie, raised three children, Rosanne, Maryse and André. For André, some of the most meaningful reminders of his father are objects that carry stories. He recalled receiving his first watch from Georges and a St. Christopher pendant his father had worn for years before giving it to him when André travelled to Toronto to study goldsmithing. Those keepsakes reflect the generational connection that has defined the Pommier family and its business. André joined the family operation after graduating from George Brown College, following his father into the trade. “My dad mentored me,” André said, reflecting on four decades in the industry and the generations of Pommiers who came before him. The response from customers after Georges’ death reinforced how widely that influence was felt. André said people came into the store with sympathy cards, hugs and memories of the man who had served generations of Cornwall families. For the Pommier family, those stories are now part of Georges’ enduring legacy: a jeweller and watchmaker, businessman, outdoorsman, father, grandfather, friend and mentor whose life became closely woven into the community he called home. “I’ve got so many amazing memories,” André said. “That’s what keeps us going.”