Paul Stanford Weldon

PAUL WELDON 
"The Piano Man"
March 4, 1936 - January 2, 2025, Toronto
musician, graphic designer, architect, teacher & friend 

Co-founder, keyboardist, and composer with the popular 70's pop-rock group 'Edward Bear' which achieved world-wide acclaim for their many recordings, including 'Last Song' and 'You, Me and Mexico'. Designer of Capitol Records album covers for Rush, Funkadelic, Crowbar, and others.

Paul passed away of pneumonia in his 88th year, the beloved husband for 47 years of Nancy Carlson, and earlier, of Sharon Weldon.

Dearly missed by his children: Zoë Weldon, Jeffery Carlson, Matthew Carlson; Jeff's wife Kelly, & sons Cian and Caleb; admired by his niece Julia Tait and sister Anne Weldon Tait. Paul credits Anne with recognizing his gift for playing by ear. She claims that Paul could carry a tune before he could speak a sentence, so when he couldn't play piano from a musical score, she taught him chord progressions... and a musician was born! 

After North Toronto Collegiate, Paul studied Architecture at the University of Toronto while playing keyboard with Larry Evoy and Danny Marks as they formed the very successful pop-rock group ‘Edward Bear’.

He tried to balance his architectural career with the demands of touring North America until music won out as ‘Edward Bear’ topped the charts in the 1970's.

Paul and Nancy met in 1975 at St. Andrew daycare centre. Paul was a single dad working as a research architect for the Ontario Government, with his 3-year old daughter Zoë; Nancy was a single mom working for Marriott Hotels with her 2-year old son, Jeffery; in 1978 their youngest son Matthew was born.

He formed the jazz group 'The T.O. Trio' with friends Al Sumpter (Bass) and Craig Barrett (Drums) and played such venues as the Intercontinental Hotel, the Sutton Place Hotel and Ben Wicks. He also taught Computer Graphic Design at Centennial College, and Seneca College.

When Paul & Nancy became empty-nesters they opened their home to ESL students from around the world including Brazil, Mexico, Japan, Korea and Spain and enjoyed engaging them in conversational English and showing them the sights of Toronto

Together they devoted many years volunteering at the weekly 'Out of the Cold' program for the homeless at Metropolitan United Church on Queen Street where Paul, with his extensive music repertoire, brought joy playing the piano. 

For much of his life, he and Nancy hosted monthly 'Potluck' Jams for musician friends and fans at their home on Wychwood Avenue.

Paul will be missed by many. He was a talented and gentle man with a wonderful sense of humour. May he rest in peace. A film about his life is in the making.

A Celebration of Life with a showing of the documentary "Paul Weldon - Renaissance Man" by Frank Caruso and Anne Weldon Tait will take place in the near future, details to come.

Condolences can be sent directly to family or posted below in the guestbook.