John Delamare MacLean

Loving and much loved son, husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle passed away peacefully on Thursday, October 22, 2015

John was a proud Air Canada executive and World War II Air Force Veteran.

He kept himself at a high level of physical fitness and would love to be remembered as the active man he was.

John was predeceased by his wife of 47 years Janice in February of 1997. Also predeceased by siblings Ronald, Fair, Jean and Elaine.

John leaves behind three children; son Jeffery (Leeanne), 2 daughters Meredith (Bill), Valerie only grandchild Cameron Reagan, his sister Margaret and numerous nieces and nephews.

So to those of us with MacLean heritage, we are experiencing a crisis in our life right now, we have lost one of our great ones. John Delamare MacLean has left us last week and so this is cause for reflection of what his life has meant to me, his niece.......

When I grew up, one thing I often heard from John’s brother Ron, my Dad, is that John was the man my father revered. According to my Dad, his young brother John was the epitome of success. He had the big house, the big job, the lovely family, the great wife and he stood very tall. In other words, it sounded as though John was a great son, a great husband, a great father, a great leader in business and a force to reckon with generally. To my Dad, John represented all that my father admired. For me, I only got to have a relationship with my uncle John after mid-life due to distance and other factors and when I did it was after my own father had passed, it meant the world to me as it felt as though I was still with my Dad as they did after all bear amazing resemblances in looks and in character. My Uncle John was sensitive, polished and approachable, qualities I so loved.

I would have loved to inspire Valerie a few years ago to retire from the workforce and bring her Dad to this area with her where her old alma mater McGill is, thinking it would be so great to have them around and share life here with them. It never happened, but I had several opportunities to travel to the west. One trip was to introduce my son Stephen to him and his family, another was to introduce my second son Craig and his wife Donna, but the one that I was really intent on getting his approval to was when I took my husband Dave to introduce him and I so wanted to receive Uncle John’s blessing in my father’s stead. I got it and I will be forever grateful as he loved both of us.

Dear Uncle John, thank you for being in my life.......................Loved you very much.

I want to offer my deepest condolences to Valerie, Jeffery, Meredith and Cameron.

Carole