Ronald Malcolm McFarlane

With heavy hearts, our family announces the death of our father, grandfather and great grandfather, Ronald Malcolm McFarlane on Thursday, May 14, 2020 at Health Sciences Centre Hospital in Winnipeg.

Ron was predeceased by Betty, his wife and life partner of 63 years, in November 2019. He missed her everyday and found life lonely and sad without her. He was also predeceased by his parents, Archie and Agnes (Nan) McFarlane, and his brothers Archie and Gordon. He is survived by his children Rhonda (Brian), Bruce (Vicki) and Gordon (Jennifer) as well as his grandchildren Sarah, Kelsey (Pat), Blair, Kevin (Samantha), Michelle, Athena, Chloe and Andrew (Leanne), and his great grandchildren Tyson, Ben, Kaiya, Adam, Madden, Northwind and Jake. He is also missed and mourned by many friends and colleagues.

Born on June 13, 1935, Ron always claimed he was the cutest baby ever born at St Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg. As we have no way to refute that, we have to take his word for it! The McFarlanes moved to Saskatoon when he was a youngster and he attended Caswell Elementary School (a short hop over the back fence) and then Bedford High School Collegiate where he met his sweetheart Betty. They were married in 1956 and started their married life back in Winnipeg where Ron did his training as an air traffic controller.

His career in air traffic control was the reason for a number of family moves: from Winnipeg after training to Saskatoon, back to Winnipeg, to Regina and finally settling for good in Winnipeg in 1971. Ron was an exemplary controller who was well respected and liked by his peers, many of whom he continued to see or connect with until just before his death. He retired from ATC in 1989, finishing his career as Project Manager for the new Winnipeg Area Control Centre.

Retirement from work at age 55 didn’t mean retirement from life by any means. Ron was a social being and he kept more than busy. He was an active Mason and Royal Order of Scotland member who managed the memory work required with a razor sharp mind. His rendering of the ‘Address to the Haggis’ at Robbie Burns events around the province was legendary and his skill as a Toastmaster stood him in good stead as emcee or keynote speaker at all manner of events. He was a member and the President at the Assiniboia Golf Club for many years, and golfed 3 times a week over the summer, always hopeful that a hole in one was on the horizon!

After retirement, Ron honed his skill as a bagpiper in earnest. Being a member of various pipes and drums bands became the core of his social life and his pride and joy. Ron was a fine piper who believed in the power of being well turned out in full kilted regalia. As Pipe Major of the Massed Pipes and Drums of Manitoba, he led the band in countless parades and community events and piped at weddings, funerals, retirements and curling bonspiels. Highlights of his piping career included travel to Europe to pipe at a number of international curling events and for the 60th celebration of the liberation of Holland, playing a solo of the opening strains of Amazing Grace on the Great Wall in China supported by the Massed Pipes and Drums of Canada, and piping for Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, also with the Canadian band. A stroke in 2016 rendered him unable to march with the band or manage the fingering on his pipes, but it didn’t stop him from attending band events and carrying on as the band treasurer.

Ron and Betty traveled extensively across Canada and the United States, as well as Europe, China, Australia and on a number of cruises. Although Ron loved to travel, he also appreciated mornings at home with coffee and the Free Press crossword puzzle. Right to the last days of his life he continued to do his puzzle everyday, staunchly maintaining he wasn’t using Google to help with the tough clues. He read the newspaper cover to cover daily and stayed in touch with family members and friends with frequent phone calls and coffee or breakfast dates. He also loved to shop and Costco was his favorite store. Betty often grumbled about the number of bottles of mouthwash or the size of the cracker boxes that he brought home!

The last few years of Ron’s life were difficult as he struggled with the residual effects of the stroke and with myelodysplastic syndrome. He endured many hospital visits, doctor appointments, tests and transfusions but continued to soldier on with a smile and a kind word for everyone. As his children called friends and colleagues with the news of his passing after a devastating brain bleed, they were cheered with stories about their father’s generosity and good nature.

A gathering to honour Ron and his legacy will be planned once Covid-19 restrictions are eased.

The family looks forward to a time of remembrance and celebration with our friends at that time.

Thank you to everyone for your many expressions of love and support to the family since Ron’s death.

If you would like to honour his memory, his family would be grateful for memorial donations to the Masons Cancer Care Transportation Program through the Masonic Foundation of Manitoba (masonicfoundationofmanitoba.org), Ronald McDonald House Charities Manitoba (rmhcmanitoba.org) or a charity of your choice.