If Richard "Peewee" Marlow is still alive, he would be 87 years old and the only surviving member of his immediate family.
If he, too, has passed, there is a plot waiting for him beside his parents in Glendale Cemetery on Albion Road in Etobicoke. It remained unmarked until the summer of 2015. Worried that the unmarked, empty plot would be sold, Peewee's only sister, Aileen, purchased an engraved headstone for her youngest brother.
Predeceased by their parents and three brothers, Aileen's greatest fear was that when she and Bob passed on, there would be no one left to keep up the search for Peewee. Their mother, Gertrude, died at only 56 years of age, 10 years after Peewee went missing. Aileen believes his disappearance sent their mother to an early grave. Their father, John, died at the age of 80 in 1973. Brothers William, Gerald and John Joseph died in 1990, 2008 and 2012. Aileen died June 2, 2016, just weeks after her 90th birthday. Bob, died in August of 2019.
The search for Richard "Peewee" Marlow continues. Nieces he has never met are still looking for him. When Aileen's daughter, Gayle Dykeman, retired in 2011 she began spending her days calling coroners, law enforcement and anyone else who would listen to her and help her find her missing uncle. Jessica Huzyk, a caseworker for MissingKids.ca says, "Regardless of how long a child has been missing, whether it be two weeks or many decades, we never stop searching for them. Family members who have become emotionally exhausted or who know they may not live to find the answers they seek, often find comfort in knowing that the search will continue and that this child, who meant so much to them, will never be forgotten."
"Our only wish is that people don't forget about Peewee" - Marlow family
In 1944 World War II raged on, over a year away from ending. Radios were still the most common form of entertainment in family homes. Fun Dip and candy cigarettes were popular candies (smoking was not considered unhealthy in the least). By mid July, Bing Crosby topped the charts with his single, I'll Be Seeing You. On 18 July 1944, the day Richard went missing, the 2nd Canadian Corps began Operation Atlantic alongside the British in Operation Goodwood as part of the larger battle for Caen in Normandy, France. Two of Richard's four older brothers, William, 23, and John Joseph, 20, were serving overseas for the allies in Belgium. His father, who also served in the military, was stationed out of town. This left his mother, Aileen, 18, and brothers, Gerald, 15 and Robert, 12 at home on the day the youngest Marlow disappeared.
There is some discrepancy in the reporting of who last saw Peewee and what he was doing on 18 July 1944.
The Edmonton Journal, Friday, November 29, 1946 reports, "Last seen by his mother on his way home from the corner store with a friend. He never reached home."
The Owen Sound Daily Sun-Times, Wednesday December 24, 1947 reports, "Was last seen by his mother on way home from a store that summer's night in 1944. He never reached home."
The Edmonton Bulletin, Monday, July 19, 1948 reports that he "wandered from home."
His information on Missingkids.ca (updated on 2 August 2019) states, "Richard Marlow was last seen playing in his front yard on July 18,1944 in Etobicoke, ON. He has not been seen since."
The Missing Kids Database description for Peewee below simply states that he was last seen outside of his home.
More recent articles, The Toronto Star, March 1, 2014, Morbidology, September 3, 2018, Unsolved Canada, July 20, 2020 and several from Toronto.com state that Peewee was last seen riding Aileen's bicycle outside the family home on Beta Street. The bicycle was found laying in the yard but Peewee was gone.
The Royal Mounted Canada Police (RCMP) page featuring Richard's disappearance states, "On July 18, 1944, Richard David was seen for the last time riding his bicycle in front of the family home while his brother was inside the house in Etobicoke, Ontario. Richard's bike was found at the house when his mother returned home that evening but Richard had vanished. He was a good child at home and in school, with no reason to run away."
The most recent reporting of Richard's disappearance on all mediums put forth that Gertrude, Aileen, and Bob went to see a picture together that night. Gerald and Richard had seen that picture the night before and opted to stay home. Gerald kept a watchful eye on his brother who was riding his sister's bike up and down Beta Street outside the family home. Some reports say that Gerald was watching his brother from inside the house and another said that Gerald was outside the house with Richard and went inside for just a minute to grab something and when he came back outside, the bike was laying abandoned and Richard was no where to be seen. It was 1944 and the Marlow home was located in a rural area, there were not many cars and Gerald had no way to contact his mother at the theatre to tell her Richard was missing so he had no choice but to wait for her to return home. When she did she immediately asked neighbours and friends if they had seen Richard and when it was clear he was not with anyone they knew, she reported him missing to police.
All reports do agree that the last time little Richard "Peewee" Marlow was seen was the evening of 18 July 1944. He had just turned 9 years old in February. He was small for his age weighing only 51 pounds (23 kg) and standing only 3'8" (113 cm) tall - earning him the nickname, Peewee. He is Caucasian with blond hair and blue eyes. He has a scar on his right temple by the hairline, and was last seen wearing a dark blue windbreaker, long blue pants, a striped jersey, and gray cotton stockings with a yellow band around the top. He was wearing an aluminium ring with the initials K.L. on his hand. He would be 87 years old as of this writing (August 2022). I have been unable to find an age enhanced photo of Richard Marlow and this is one of the few pictures I can find of him and the one used on the missing poster:
Family members, friends and neighbours combed the neighbourhood searching for the little boy. The Etobicoke police and the army militia were both called in to search. The Etobicoke creek was dredged but there was no sign at all of Peewee. Gertrude described her son as painfully shy, scared of the dark and happiest at home with his family. He never went anywhere without telling anyone and he had no reason to run away.
For years after Richard went missing reports of sightings came in from everywhere between Toronto and Disney World in Florida. One of those leads was during the week of August 6th, 1945 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The title of The Leader-Post in Regina, Saskatchewan on August 13, 1945 was "Missing Boy May Be Found". Police reported that a ticket seller at a downtown rail station thought he saw Richard twice in the same day - once at the train station and then later at a circus in Winnipeg. There was a similar report from the Edmonton Journal published the same day titled, "Missing Boy, 10, Thought Located".
In October of 1948, there was hope for the Marlow family that Richard may have been found when a small, thin and scrawny boy was found half-naked and half-starved outside of a Toronto home. He knocked on the door and asked for food. The family fed him and then called the police. Initial reports stated that he was 14 years old, which is the age Richard would have been at that time. Ultimately he was identified as 19 year old Paul Gordon Kelly who had been held captive by a married couple for a year before he escaped. Although this was not Richard, this gave renewed hope to the Marlow family that he would be found alive.
Peewee's mother made an annual appeal in newspapers for her son's safe return and to make sure no one forgot about him. For Christmas 1947, the fourth Christmas the family celebrated without the youngest Marlow, his mom reported to The Owen Sound Daily Sun-Times, Wednesday December 24, 1947, that the family still had Christmas presents waiting for him and although three candles had completely burned down, they were lighting a fourth, hoping he would return home before its flame went out too.
Richard "Peewee" Marlow's case remains the oldest in the Missing Kids database of more than 100 missing children. His caseworker, Jessica Huzyk, reports that they continue to search for Peewee and are very strategic when sharing his info publicly. They focus on old folks' homes in communities where he went missing, publishing his photo and information on billing envelopes and recipe banners. In the fall of 2016, millions of billing envelopes were sent out across the country and Jessica says, "The response from the public was enormous. People couldn't believe that this little boy still hadn't been found. Tips came in and were forwarded to police for follow up."
On May 25, 2020, the Toronto Police Department made this video in a way to assist those who are elderly or experiencing memory loss. Beneath the video they ask, "Can you help find Richard "Peewee" Marlow? If you know ANYONE who lived or frequented the area of Beta Street in Etobicoke (Evans Avenue | Horner Avenue | Brown's Line | Kipling Avenue), in July of 1944, please show them this video and ask them if they recognize any of the photos WITHOUT cueing. No detail is too small. Report any detail to 416.808.7411, or Crime Stoppers at 416.222.TIPS. Thank you."
Before Richard's brother, Bob, passed away in 2019, Toronto police collected a DNA sample to submit to the National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains.
Police are still actively searching for Peewee and they can use your help. Please share this article featuring his disappearance. The Toronto Police Service is asking anyone who has any information to contact investigators at 416-808-7411, or Crime Stoppers at 416-222-TIPS (8477) or online at www.222tips.com.
Whatever Happened to Richard Marlow? | by Sydney Ingram | Unsolved Canadian | Medium
Richard Marlow vanished 70 years ago. His heartbroken family is still searching. | The Star
The Bloody Battles Around Caen: Army, Part 96 - Legion Magazine
2nd Canadian Corps-Operation Goodwood: 18 July 1944 (lermuseum.org)
"Our only wish is that people don’t forget about Peewee" | News | toronto.com
Missing Boy, 10, Thought Located; Edmonton Journal, 13 August 1945, pg. 3
Missing Boy May Be Found; The Leader-Post (Regina. Saskatchewan) 13 August 1945, pg. 4
Still Entertains Hope of Finding Missing Son; The Sun Times (Owen Sound, Ontario) 23 October 1948, pg. 6
Parents Still Hope Find Missing Boy; Edmonton Journal 29 November 1946, pg. 8
Video: Help Toronto police solve historic missing boy investigation
Family still holds hope for answers, 70 years after Etobicoke boy went missing
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