Watchmen - One by One - Alphabetically 

The Watchmen have seen some members come and go for a variety of reasons but all remain strong friends to this day. Some are now in Heaven while others have moved or followed changes in career etc. The current lineup of guys are all seasoned members including:

VOCALS - Mark Hawkins, Dave Jantzi, Doug Jones, Roy Lewis

MUSICIANS   Brian Winger

SOUND ENGINEER  Dave Roth & ASSISTANT  Ivan Winger

All are in active service in their local churches and keep busy with their careers and family lives. Catch up with them individually in the section below.

MARK HAWKINS (Tenor - vocal)

Email: markhawkins@watchmenquartet.ca

 

Mark was born and raised in Brantford, Ontario.  He and his wife Gwen just celebrated their 40th Wedding Anniversary in 2022.  He has two adult daughters Michelle and Tracey.  Mark works as a Production Technician at

SC JOHNSON, and is looking forward to retirement in a couple years ?

Mark is no stranger to Gospel Music in Southern Ontario. He has been singing since he was 14 years old, when he joined the Bill Prankard Evangelistic team and travelled with them for 3½ years.  His next 3½ year ministry opportunity was at Teen Challenge with George Glover, travelling as their special music, while teens shared their transforming testimonies. Mark has ministered in various groups including the Watchmen Quartet during most of the '80s. Many will remember him singing with One Accord or, more recently, Heading Home Trio (now disbanded).  Many years he led worship in his home church and was involved in the community Musical Productions at The Sanderson Centre for Performing Arts in Brantford.

Tim Harden was a wonderful encourager and always challenged and encouraged Mark to never give up singing for the Lord.  So it only seemed fitting when Tim became ill, that Mark would step in and rejoin the Watchmen.  Big shoes to fill, Tim was more than confident Mark could do it and so he accepted the offer to carry on and honour Tim.

Mark looks forward to meeting or reconnecting with you.  Keep in mind, it has been 40 years since Mark sang with the Watchmen Quartet. So if you met him then, please come and meet him again because we all know that the memory gets foggy on this journey called life.

MARK REJOINED THE QUARTET in 2022

following the passing of  Tim Harden

DAVE JANTZI (Baritone - vocal)

EMAIL: davejantzi@watchmenquartet.ca

 

Dave was born and raised in the Kitchener area. He has held many different jobs over the years which has helped give him insight into the lives of those in his congregation. He pastored for many years at Vineland Missionary Church but has now been pastor of Glenridge Bible Church for over 30 years and has now retired. He still is part of the congregation. Dave and his wife Kaye have 4 children. Glenridge Church also hosts summer concerts at the Henley Rowing Stadium in Port Dalhousie that are completely packed out regularly. The Watchmen also appreciate Dave's gift of "Bible Stories with Surprise Endings" which always delight the kids - young and old alike.

DOUG JONES (Lead - vocal)

EMAIL: dougjones@watchmenquartet.ca

 

Doug was born at an early age (!) and is very thankful for his Godly parents & grandparents and a wonderful childhood, with the exception of losing his oldest brother, Lawrence, in a tragic auto accident in England in 1970. He still has one older brother, Stu & his lovely wife Gwen. 

     Doug accepted Jesus as his Saviour at the age of 8.

     He joined the Watchmen about one year after the group had begun. Doug had heard the quartet sing at Elim Lodge in the summer of 1969 and expressed his interest in joining the group. It happened in the fall of that same year.

     Doug married the love of his life, Lois Baker, in October of 1976 and together they raised five wonderful children: Karen, Barbara, Marilyn, Greg and Brad. His three daughters and one son are now all married and Doug has 10 phenomenal grandchildren (with an 11th arriving at Easter 2023)!

     Doug has now fully retired from the furniture business where latterly he worked at Homestead Furniture & Appliances right in beautiful Port Perry...about 5 minutes from home!!

     In mid-October of 2011, Lois was diagnosed with advanced Stage 4 cancer. After undergoing chemotherapy and surgery in early 2012 she enjoyed relatively good health until it returned in January 2015. Chemo treatments were completed in mid-May that year but it returned again in Feb 2016. Her third round of chemotherapy finished in Sept/16. Sadly, the cancer returned in January of 2017 and though chemo treatments were started, they had no effect and Lois passed away on May 25th 2017.

      The family is grateful for all the prayers for them during these past several years. Their faith remains rock solid on Christ who, through this trial, has given them a sweet peace that passes all understanding. (Phil 4:7)

     Doug has resided in Port Perry, just north of Oshawa for 10 years but in early 2023 he sold his home and moved into a large condo at Bethany Courts in Markham, ON.

ROY LEWIS (Bass - vocal)

EMAIL: roylewis@watchmenquartet.ca

 

Roy was born February 4, 1947 to Godly parents in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He accepted Christ as his personal Savior at the age of 6. Roy’s dad was a member of the Crystal River Quartet that travelled throughout the British Isles so was exposed to Gospel Music at an early age and eventually fell in love with quartet music. In March 1954 the quartet, along with evangelist Bob Dowie, came to Canada and were known as the Crystal River Evangelistic Team singing and preaching throughout the Maritimes.

     In 1957 the Lewis’ family moved from Moncton, New Brunswick to Guelph, Ontario. He began singing with the Canada’s Galileans from 1965 to 1969.

     Roy married his wife Ruth on May 20, 1967.   The Lord blessed them with two sons, a daughter, two daughter in-laws, one son in-law, three grandsons and three granddaughters. He entered the insurance business in 1969 and incorporated in 1980, forming Roy Lewis Insurance Brokers Ltd.

     Roy heard the Watchmen at the Guelph Bible Chapel the year they began singing. He appreciated not only their singing, but their ministry. It was an exciting time for Roy, when asked in February 2013, to join The Watchmen Quartet as the bass vocalist and counts it a real privilege to be part of this ministry today.

DAVE ROTH (Sound Engineer)

EMAIL: daveroth@watchmenquartet.ca

 

David was born April 13, 1959, the first born son of Nelson & Katie Roth. He grew up on a farm just outside of Wellesley, ON. David has always loved to sing and in his teens, along with three friends, formed ‘The King’s Messengers’, an a cappella male quartet. They sang together for nearly 20 years and made three recordings.               David committed his life to Christ as a teenager and was baptized when he was 18. He met Mary Elizabeth in 1979 and they were married 4 years later in July 1983. They have three adult children (and one grandchild!) – Victoria, married Alex (Bauman) in September, 2012 and have a new baby, Huxley; Dallas, married Kendra in August 2014; and Vanessa, married Jeremiah (Johnson) in May, 2014 & now reside in Minnesota, USA. David has been part of the ministry team at Faith Mennonite Church in Kingwood since 1993. He works for Home Hardware in Wellesley, ON.

BRIAN WINGER (Pianist)

EMAIL: b​rianwinger@watchmenquartet.ca

 

Brian was born in Montreal and adopted as a baby into the wonderful Christian home of Lena and Cleve Winger.

Being a PK (Preacher's kid) and an only child, Brian grew up in various towns and cities as The Lord directed his parents' ministry.

All the while he was surrounded by the beautiful Gospel Message and accepted Jesus Christ as his Saviour with his parents by his side.

     Also part of his upbringing was the strong influence of church hymns and gospel music.  At age 5 he began taking piano lessons and over the next many years learned to play not only the classics but the timeless songs found in our hymnals.

     When his family eventually moved to Kitchener, Brian met Dave Yake, Tim Harden and Dave Jantzi; The Watchmen.  Their piano player and lead singer, Rob Gowing, was leaving the area to further his music ministry so The Watchmen asked both Brian and Doug Jones to join the group; Doug as lead vocalist and Brian on the piano.  This was to be part of Doug's and Brian's lives from then on.

     When it came time to make a choice for post-secondary education, Brian enrolled in University of Waterloo's Optometry program.  After one year it turned out that God had other plans.  Brian was led to leave school and move to the U.S.A. where he played piano for The Envoys, a Gospel Quartet based in Rockaway, New Jersey and travelled with them to every State east of the Mississippi.  This was a great learning experience, but life on the road was not for Brian.

     After leaving The Envoys and returning to Canada, Brian reunited with The Watchmen and played for the group for the next decades.

     During this time period he began a career in the music industry, selling pianos and organs in Burlington, Oakville, Kitchener and Toronto.  He is still involved in the piano business today.

     Brian is married, for 45 years now, to his beautiful bride, Patsy and together they have two wonderful children, Jordan and Kinsey as well as a fantastic Granddaughter, Tayla, who's four.

     Patsy and Brian own a piano servicing company, Piano Tune Canada, and have a fine group of piano technicians tuning and servicing pianos throughout Southern Ontario.

     Today, Brian is back playing with his old friends, The Watchmen, and also plays with a Worship Team at his home church in Kitchener.

Another project is his YouTube Channel, "Your Daily Hymn", which features 200 videos of Hymns Of The Church.  With the assistance of his daughter, Kinsey, each video not only has Brian playing the piano, but the words to each hymn, information regarding the hymn's author and origin, as well as other video segments are included in every hymn presentation.

     Brian has recorded three Hymn CDs and one new CD featuring 30 of the best-loved Christmas Carols and Hymns.

     Brian is happy and honored to be back with The Watchmen and is looking forward to more years of praising our Lord in music and song!

BRIAN rejoined the quartet in 2023

IVAN  WINGER (Audio Assistant)

EMAIL: ivanwinger@watchmenquartet.ca

 

 Ivan was born March 5, 1945 in Gormley Ontario, the son of Clifford and Ada Winger. Ivan grew up on a dairy farm. The farm was 2 farms North of the Heise Hill Brethren In Christ (now Be In Christ) church.

     Ivan's grandfather Bishop Alvin Winger was Bishop of the Markham District for the B.I.C. Heise Hill Church is where I gave my heart to the Lord at the age of 13.

     Later in my teen years I was always interested in gospel music and tried to form a male quartet, but due to the lack of true harmony it never happened. I always sang bass to the great hymns that we sang in church every Sunday.                  Ivan married Brenda Harvey (one of the Harvey Triplets) from Gormley. Brenda attended the Gormley Missionary Church where Clarence Hunking married us in Dec. 4, 1971.

     Ivan and Brenda have one daughter Krista who lives in Brantford Ontario with her husband Marvin .

     Ivan worked as an electronic technician for 33 years at Northern Telecom, in Bramalea, Ontario. After retiring from Norte' in Jan. 1999, I drove school buses and tour buses until March 13, 2020 when covid stopped all buses except for public transit. In July 2014 Ivan and Brenda moved from Richmond Hill, Ontario to Wren's Arbour New Hamburg a small 13 bungalow/townhouse community.

     After moving to New Hamburg Ivan and Brenda decided to look for a church. We decided on Rosebank B.1.C. church where Tim Harden was the pastor. Unknown to me Tim Harden heard me singing bass in church. There were times when Tim would have gospel singing groups come to Rosebank for concerts on Sunday nights. It was at one of those concerts that Tim was leading the people with a hymn. At these concerts three of us guys Don McNiven, Phil Osborn and Ivan Winger would sit together. During singing of a hymn Tim stopped after the first verse and said there is another quartet here tonight would you like to hear them. We couldn't believe he was referring to us, because the three of us had never sang together ever. We stayed seated. Then Tim said we will sing one more verse and then they will come up. We decided to go up because we felt if we didn't Tim would then call us by name. After this we told Tim do not ever to that again. If you want to form a quartet then we will. We formed the Brothers In Christ Quartet consisting of Tim Harden (tenor), Phil Osborn (baritone) Ivan Winger (bass) and Don McNiven (lead) and piano player.

     Tim Harden had no idea that all my life I wanted to sing in a male quartet. Thanks to Tim I got to fulfill my wish and thanks to Don McNiven's musical talent to get us to sing in the right keys. At the time Don McNiven was playing the piano for the Watchmen Quartet. One night after one of their concerts Don asked me if I had time to stay back and help take down the equipment. After doing this a few times I was asked to travel with the quartet and be part of the Watchmen Quartet.

     It didn't take long for me to notice all the members of the Watchmen Quartet having a genuine Christian spirit and the desire that the Holy Spirit would move in people's hearts from their singing. This genuine Christian witness from all of the Watchmen was one of the main reasons I decided to travel with them as long as the Lord gives me the strength. There were times when Tim Harden would call me up to sing along with the Watchmen. This was an honor and something I valued to sing with the Watchmen. Tim was a good mentor for me musically and a valued pastor until he retired from Rosebank.

****  RECENT FORMER WATCHMEN MEMBERS ****

TIM HARDEN (Tenor)

 

We announce with sorrow the recent passing of our dear brother Tim on June 7th, 2022 after a short battle with liver cancer. He will be greatly missed.

 

Born in Kitchener, November 8th, 1951 to Alf and Marg Harden, the youngest of four children, Tim grew up in a wonderful Christian home. Tim developed a love for music at a very early age and remembers standing on a chair to sing for the church at age four.  His father sang tenor for many years with “The Master’s Men Quartet.”  Tim attended high school with David Jantzi and Keith Elliot and they all attended Bethany Missionary Church, as did their older friend David Yake who was at the University of Waterloo.  They began to sing in 1968 as the result of a talent contest organized by Emmanuel Bible College in Kitchener.  Tim was the first quartet member to get married and he and his wife, Jackie have two sons, four grandsons and one grand daughter. Tim’s oldest son, Jeff has picked up the family tradition and loves to sing for God’s glory.   Regarding the Watchmen, Tim says, “The quartet has been a very important part of my life and I am so grateful for the faithfulness of the Lord to this group through the years and thousands of miles travelled.  Now more than 54 years later, God continues to amaze us with His grace at work in us and through us to bless others with the wonderful gift of music.

NICK SUCCI (Bass Guitar)

 

 

Nick joined the Watchmen after playing for a few other well-known Canadian quartets including The Torchmen and Middle Cross. As Tim often used to comment "We're not sure if he is working his way UP or his way DOWN by now playing for us". In all seriousness though, Nick has been a welcomed member to our group. His ability on the bass guitar is amazing. Audiences especially enjoyed it when Nick & Don played some duets together while the crowd is finding their seats before the concert begins. And their offeratories were always delightful. But more than anything else, the quartet loves to have Nick share his amazing testimony of God's leading in his life. If he doesn't get an opportunity to share it from the platform, be sure to ask him to tell you about it after the concert. You'll be glad you did. He is also an avid Bible student, biker, golfer and scuba diver!

DON McNIVEN (Piano)

 

 

Having appreciated the musical ministry of the Watchmen for many years, Don was excited to become a part of the group in 2013 and share the love of Christ through music. Besides playing the piano, he enjoys arranging songs for the quartet and occasionally a vocal part.  

 

Growing up in a pastors home, Don experienced the joy of ministry from a young age, singing with his family in both the US and Canada. Pursuing a career in education, he has been a teacher and a school administrator. At the same time his background in music led him to serve in various churches, including The Peoples Church, Toronto, as pastor of music and worship arts. After serving in denominational leadership, both domestically and internationally, Don is currently the Regional Director, Central Canada for the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.

 

Don and his wife, Suzanne, live in Baden (near Kitchener). The families of their two adult children (five grandchildren) bring a special delight to their lives.

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Contact

The best way to contact us is by calling

Dave Jantzi at his

HOME #

(St. Catharines)

Home  - 905-937-7839

Mobile - 289-228-2445

 

You can also contact us by:
Email -

davejantzi@

watchmenquartet.ca

 

Mail any correspondence to...

The Watchmen
c/o Dave Jantzi
13 Carousel Circle

St. Catharines, ON L2N 6C9

 

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

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