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Colin McEachern passed away Sept. 17, 2022. He was 98. He is survived by his wife, Melba (nee Baird); children, Malcolm (Janice), Bonnie, Cameron (Sheila), and Isla (David); grandchildren, Brock (Natasha), Eleri, Niall, Carly, Kyle, and Skye; and great-grandchildren, Hayden, Carson, and Korbin. 

Colin grew up in Kingston with brother George and sister Elsie, children of Donald and Marie (nee Paterson) from Glasgow, Scotland. He graduated from Queen’s, as well as the University of Toronto, and made his career in social work. He counselled the blind, veterans, struggling couples; led the Family Services Bureau of London, Ontario, for 20 years; facilitated amalgamation with the Children’s Aid Society; and led human resources at London’s Family and Children’s Services for 15 years. Colin was instrumental in establishing a model outreach program at the East London Crouch Public Library, a project he found especially meaningful. 

Colin was a devoted husband to his love, Melba, with whom he recently celebrated 71 years of marriage, and he was a devoted father to his four children. He was dedicated to the community, giving attention especially to Elmwood Avenue Presbyterian Church, to the London United Way, and to very many friends. Together with Melba, Colin maintained many enduring friendships from childhood; classmates from a year at the Brantford School for the Blind; university comrades; professional colleagues, including those from a sabbatical in Britain; still more at church; the many relatives on both sides of the family; and among neighbours, wherever he lived. These friendships and family, including six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, were all paramount to him through retirement years. 

Colin revelled in his Scottish heritage; played blues, boogie-woogie, folk, and sacred music on the piano; loved boats and home and garden maintenance; and listened closely to radio for news, music, and baseball. In his 99th year, he knew his time was up and let go peacefully. The world quietly lost a gentleman. 

Mary Crichton Vibert Douglas passed away on March 15, 2022, surrounded by family and her devoted longtime caregiver, Cynthia Bagcal. Mary was predeceased by parents Olga and George; siblings Elizabeth and John; sisters-in-law Audrey and Marie-Claire; niece Anne; and nephews Paul and Alexander. She is survived by her brother, Patrick Douglas (Audrey); nieces, Sarah (Tom), Marianne (Chad), Krystyne (Deji), and Isabel (Matthew); nephews, John (Lilith), Stephen (Valerie), and Daniel (Caroline); and 15 great-nephews and great-nieces: Ainé and Brendan (Martin); Orion (Cleasby); Vivien, Hannah, and Gareth (Endicott-Douglas); Naomi, Nadia, James, Sophia, and Sami (Douglas-Najem); Isaac (Akinniyi); Aaron, Reuben, and Benjamin (Abogado). She is loved and fondly remembered by many close family and friends in England, Ireland, North America, and throughout the world. 

Born in Dublin, Ireland, Nov. 2, 1926, Mary was the second daughter of four children to Olga Crichton and George Vibert Douglas. The family lived briefly in England, for three years in Spain, and for two years in Zambia, and then moved to Halifax in 1932, where her father was professor of geology at Dalhousie University. She attended Mount Allison School for Girls, then enrolled at Queen’s. She went on to do a master’s in geography at the University of Toronto, including a year at the Sorbonne. After some years working in Ottawa for the Arctic Institute – encouraged by her aunt, Dr. Allie Vibert Douglas – she enrolled at Queen’s in medicine, and in 1960 fulfilled her lifelong dream of earning her medical degree. She specialized in family medicine, partnering with Dr. George Burrows at his practice at Jackson’s Point, Lake Simcoe, for more than 25 years. She worked for four years in Saudi Arabia and later did locums in Newfoundland, northern Ontario, and British Columbia, often working for the United Church. She retired to Hamilton and continued to volunteer in community hospices. 

Mary was known for her sense of adventure, her warm and generous spirit, and her deep love for her family, friends, and community. Out of her lifelong quest for spiritual understanding through meditation and peaceful, loving connections, she forged deep and meaningful friendships with people from all over the world. Mary was the consummate host, and frequent gatherings at her “places” were convivial and delightful occasions for her family and friends. Reading, poetry, sailing, hiking, and journalling were among some of her many interests. She was a great traveller of the world and skied avidly in the Alps, the Rockies, the Appalachians, and of course Quebec and Ontario. With her Aunt Allie, she traversed the Khyber Pass (Pakistan) twice in one day. She also loved Cape Breton and bought a house near Cheticamp, close to many friends and family.

John Stanley Trotter passed away suddenly at Peterborough Regional Health Centre on Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022, in his 93rd year. John was the beloved husband of the late Mildred Trotter (d. 2021); loving and devoted father of Bradley (Com’90) and his wife Beth, and Dwight (Sc’92) and his wife Michelle (Artsci’92). Cherished grandfather of Jackson, Madeline, Eva, Alyse, Sean, and Liam; son of the late Stanley Trotter and Mary Liscombe; dear friend to countless many.  

John was a longtime engineer and manager with Canadian General Electric, avid tennis player, curler, and sports enthusiast. John enjoyed time at the lake with family and his friends and made their world a better place through his care, actions, and thoughtfulness. John’s family would like to thank the staff of Princess Gardens for their years of kindness and support.

Robert Judson Fulton passed away peacefully at Mississauga Hospital on Dec. 6. He was 87. He was the beloved husband of 63 years to wife Anne Fulton (nee Morrall). He was predeceased by his parents, Fraser F. Fulton and Iris A. Fulton; sister, Josephine Anne Fraser (husband Malcolm) of Gibsons, B.C.; and daughter, Katherine Fulton Crofts. He was the cherished father to Susan Churchill, Fraser Fulton (May), and Heather Sundin (Eric); dear uncle to Fred, Doug, and Carol Fraser; much-loved grandfather to Trevor (Cassandra), Natalie (Chris), Cassandra (Ryan), Patricia Sundin, and Neil Churchill; and great-grandfather to Elijah Churchill, Audrey, and Coast Sundin.

Gerald (Gerry) Robert Browning passed away on May 3, 2022, at the Ottawa Hospital, Civic Campus, 10 days after experiencing a severe stroke. He will live on in the hearts of his loving wife, Ruth; his brother, Peter (Donna); his four children, Tanis (Andy), Marla (DJ), Mark (Cynthia, and former wife Karen), and Jodi (CG); and his 11 grandchildren. He will be fondly remembered by cousins Marian and Bill Patterson (Patti) and several nieces and nephews. 

Gerry was a bit of a wunderkind. He began his life in Lavant Station along the K&P Railway, and in Lanark, Ont., where he was raised by his mother, Florence, who worked as a nurse, and his grandparents, William and Clara. He entered the civil engineering program at Queen’s as a young teen. He graduated with the science class of ’56 (age 20) and began a 34-year career with MTO, progressing from chainman to southwestern regional director. Gerry’s work building Ontario’s highways and bridges moved his growing family all over the province.  

For more than 63 years, Gerry and Ruth made a terrific team. They were partners in life and at the bridge table. They joined, managed, and owned duplicate bridge clubs in several towns over the years, making amazing friends along the way. Gerry was a sapphire – nearly diamond – life master, who taught and directed the game, but his favourite partner was always Ruth. He was her biggest champion. 

Gerry was a gifted young athlete who sprinted, played baseball, and curled. Later in life, he sailed his Laser and golfed. He curated a massive stamp collection, followed every sport, puzzled prolifically (especially cryptic crosswords), and read voraciously. He designed and conducted renovations on their many homes and at their cottage (later their summer residence) on Robertson Lake. With a little help from his kids and their partners, he took the tiny Browning cabin and turned it into a full-sized home with multiple outbuildings. There, he and Ruth hosted countless family gatherings before eventually moving into a condo in Ottawa. They travelled with family and friends throughout Canada, the U.S., the U.K., and the Caribbean, and enjoyed a community of bridge friends and neighbours in Vero Beach, Florida, where they wintered for nearly 20 years. But there was nothing they loved more than puttering around Robertson Lake on an early summer’s eve in their pontoon boat.  

Over the past 22 years, Gerry and Ruth (Papa and Nana) have been active participants in supporting the activities, milestones, and educations of their grandchildren North and Sydney Shelp; Britney, Jaryd, Foster, and Raegan Lund; Gabriela and Nadia Browning; and Hudson, McKenzie, and Grace Stephens. They travelled frequently to attend everything from ballet, piano, and theatre performances to hockey, soccer, and baseball games; swimming, archery, and equestrian events; graduations; and more. Gerry’s grandkids were a source of enormous pride for him. 

The knowing twinkle in his eyes, his wise advice on almost every topic, and his presence at family gatherings will be missed.