In June 2026, John Lavery (back row, beside the plaque) was surrounded by his children Jeremy, Jordan and Christina, grandchildren, business partner Ken Blow, family and friends as they gathered to celebrate a generous gift from KADEX Aero Supply Ltd. to the PRHC Foundation, made in memory of John’s beloved wife, Glenda.
For more than 40 years, John and Glenda Lavery built a life centred on family, community and giving back.
Their commitment to healthcare in the Peterborough region has been part of that legacy for many years. Through their support of the Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) Foundation, they have helped advance priorities at PRHC, including cardiac care and cancer care.
Recently, their family and friends gathered at the Health Centre to celebrate a lasting tribute to Glenda, whose name now graces an operating room at the hospital. The dedication honours her memory and reflects a generous gift in support of surgical care at PRHC from KADEX Aero Supply Ltd., the company John co-founded with business partner Ken Blow. For John, the donation is a personal way to honour Glenda while helping ensure patients and families can access exceptional care close to home.
John and Glenda met as teenagers in Ottawa and married in 1978. Together, they built their life in Peterborough, raising their family and becoming deeply connected to their chosen community.
John and Ken founded KADEX in 1994, and Glenda eventually joined the aircraft parts supplier company, bringing her experience in hospital purchasing and administration. She became an integral part of the business, coordinating finance and human resources administration, and contributing to its growth.
Today, their sons, Jeremy and Jordan, are part of KADEX, continuing the family business and the legacy their parents built. That family legacy was on display at the room dedication at PRHC, where John was surrounded by Jeremy, Jordan and daughter Christina, his grandchildren, business partner Ken, family, and friends.
The plaque outside the operating room reads: “The dedication of this operating room is made in loving memory of Glenda (Grass) Lavery” and acknowledges the generosity of KADEX Aero and the Blow and Lavery families. For John, seeing Glenda’s name on the operating room is a meaningful reminder of her life, the family they built and their shared belief in caring for others.
Giving back to the PRHC Foundation was important to both John and Glenda. During his years as a pilot, John saw firsthand how essential access to specialized healthcare can be.
At the time, certain treatments were not available in the Peterborough region, so he frequently flew patients from the area to Toronto and Kingston for the care they needed.
Today, John is proud to see how cardiac care, cancer care and other specialized programs have grown at PRHC. “What gets us to that? Well, obviously the generosity of the community,” he says.
When Glenda became sick, the importance of having world-class care in Peterborough became even more personal. “The hospital was five minutes from our house,” John says. “You start to value these things. There are so many people that are in need of critical services and we’re so thankful they’re available at our hospital.”
Glenda passed away in 2019 at the age of 62 from cancer. Her illness reinforced for John how important it is for patients to have access to care in their own community, near the people who matter most.
KADEX’s gift to the PRHC Foundation is a way for John, his family and friends to continue something that was important throughout his and Glenda’s lives: supporting the community they love and helping make a difference for others. Their donation will accomplish this by helping PRHC invest in state-of-the-art surgical equipment and technology not funded by the government.
John hopes that by sharing his story, he can encourage others to consider how they, too, can help reimagine healthcare in the region. “I hope we can inspire or motivate someone else to support our hospital,” he says. “I want people to understand what’s possible and feel encouraged to do something similar for regional healthcare.”
Having his family and friends at the dedication made the moment especially meaningful for John. “It was great to see the plaque, then go inside the operating room and learn more about the donor-funded equipment,” he says. “It felt good that the family, the grandkids, our friends, could see where the funds were directed. Glenda would be thrilled.”
Thank you to the Lavery and Blow families and KADEX Aero Supply Ltd. for honouring Glenda’s memory with a beautiful tribute that will help make a difference for patients and families from across our region.
