Dr. Robert Ewing: 1931-2017

SooToday received the following notice from Arthur Funeral Home – Barton and Kiteley Chapel regarding Dr. Robert Ewing, local educator and philanthropist.
***************************
1931-2017
It is with the deepest sorrow that the family of Dr. Robert Ewing announce his passing on Dec. 10, 2017, at the Sault Area Hospital. He is predeceased by his parents Thomas and Mary Ewing, his brother Arthur (Leonie) and beloved wife Doris. Left to cherish memories of a life well-lived are his children Thomas (Keena) of London, Ont., Shelagh (Denis Findlay) of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. and Sandy (Jennifer) of Calgary, Alta., his three adoring granddaughters Sydney, Julia and Emily as well as numerous cousins, nieces and nephews in Canada, Scotland and England. Also left to mourn is our cherished family friend Barbara Johnson (Deric), their children Elizabeth, Richard, Pauline and their families. Dad was born on March 29, 1931 in Secunderabad, India to Thomas and Mary Ewing. After having spent his preschool years in India, he returned to Scotland to visit his grandparents, only to be separated from his parents as a result of the Second World War as they had returned to India. Painful as this separation from his parents proved to be, the experience laid the contradictory foundation for him to become a loving, nurturing husband, father and grandfather.

Dad emigrated from Scotland to Canada in 1954 where he initially followed the dominant family career path in banking, settling briefly in London, Ont. The opportunity arose to move to Sault Ste. Marie to take up teaching, and with the bank unable to match the lofty salary of a teacher, Dad embarked on a lifelong mission in education. Over the ensuing 40 years, first at Sault Collegiate, (coupled with a part-time gig as a weatherman on CJIC) followed by time both in the classroom and administration at Algoma University College, Dad touched the lives of thousands of students, inspiring many to follow in his footsteps, several of whom taught us and held us to the same high standards that Dad had as their teacher. If the life of a teacher and administrator, with three children wasn’t busy enough, Dad took on many roles in organizations and charitable causes in Sault Ste. Marie, too numerous to name. This he did without any motivation for public recognition, in fact, such accolades made him uncomfortable. He was simply just committed to making the community he had chosen to call his home for over sixty years, a more enriched place.

Through those interactions, he benefited from many enduring friendships. Family was of paramount importance to Dad and he provided enduring support and encouragement to us. We are eternally thankful for his sage advice, which he hardly ever provided unsolicited, as we navigated through our own lives. In concert with our mother, Dad instilled strong values that remain with us to this day. When Mom passed away unexpectedly in September of 2015, Dad was devastated, having lost his best friend and soulmate. It was heartbreaking to witness such anguish, but we are so thankful that we were able to enjoy another few years with him and share further family celebrations.

There are no words that can express our gratitude for the medical care Dad received over the years, especially from Drs. Fratesi and Opryszczko as well as Lillian and Mary from ParaMed that allowed us to enjoy Dad’s company for so long. We also want to thank Dr. Luke Fera as well as the entire nursing team on 3C for their compassionate care during his last stay in hospital. This not only assisted Dad, but also our family and close friends as we were somehow able to make a difficult situation a little more bearable.

A visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018 at Arthur Funeral Home – Barton and Kiteley Chapel (492 Wellington St. E., 705-759-2522) and a private family ceremony has been scheduled. In lieu of flowers, donations in honour of Dad can be made to Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre, Algoma Residential Community Hospice or the Sault Area Hospital Foundation would be appreciated.

***************************