In Memoriam

Alexander (Alec) Rutka passed Aug. 25, 2022. Alec is predeceased by his parents, Nick and Kate Rutka, and his siblings, Victor, Jean, Steven, George, and Sophie. He is greatly missed by his children and their spouses, John (Marilena), Jim (Mari), and Margaret; his six grandchildren and their spouses, Jacob (Alison), Daniel (Lupe), Fiona (John), Hana, Lauren, and Marissa; his two great-grandchildren, Henry and Teddy; and his siblings, Vera, Nick (Janet), and Shirley (Bob). 

Always proud of his humble beginnings, Alec was born Dec. 21, 1924, in a barn on his parents’ farm in Tapleytown, Ont. His mother, Kate Nychka, hailed from Ashville, Man., and his father, Nicholas Rutka, from Chernivtsi, Ukraine. Alec was the second oldest of nine brothers and sisters. He received his early education in a one-room schoolhouse in Tapleytown before attending and graduating from Saltfleet High School in Stoney Creek in 1943. At high school, he excelled at football and track and field. During the summers and throughout the years in high school, he helped out on his parents’ farm with raising livestock and with the annual Concord grape harvest.  

Alec became the first in his family to attend university, where he studied civil engineering at Queen’s. While there, Alec worked as an engineering assistant with the Department of Highways Ontario (DHO) in the soils laboratory during the summer. He then applied to and was accepted for a full-time position as a soils engineer in the soils branch of the DHO in 1947. In 1950, Alec married the love of his life, Janet Rutka (nee Bartkiw, of Welland, Ont.). Together, they made their early homes in Toronto, living on Fulton Avenue and Edinburgh Drive. Alec became the principal soils engineer, then materials and research engineer, and ultimately the head of the materials and testing unit of the newly named Ministry of Transportation and Communication (MTC). In 1959, he received the President’s Medal from the Canadian Good Roads Association at their annual convention for the best research paper presented, entitled “Evaluation of Road Performance Over Muskeg in Ontario.” Alec continued to work at the MTC until 1983, at which time he retired at age 59.  

He continued to do consulting work and stayed actively involved in organizations such as the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the Roads and Transportation Association of Canada (RTAC), from which he received the Distinguished Service Award in 1984.  

In 1987, Alec was diagnosed with a benign brain tumour (meningioma), which was removed successfully, allowing him to return to his normal state of health and to lead a productive and long life, living into his 98th year.  

He will always be remembered for his kind and caring nature, his friendliness and warm laugh. In retirement, he was always available to help with driving grandchildren to school and activities, performing maintenance repairs at his home or the homes of his children, finding the best bargains at garage sales, being the official family photographer, chopping wood well into his nineties, and assisting the neighbours on Montressor Drive, the street where he and Janet lived for 54 years. To many on the street, he was affectionately known as the “Mayor of Montressor” for the many good deeds he did to assist the neighbours. A self-taught handyman, Alec single-handedly built an extra bedroom in their home and demonstrated considerable “do-it-yourself” abilities with plumbing, electrical work, carpentry, and masonry skills.  

Alec and Janet lived a charmed life and travelled the world together in retirement, visiting China, Norway, England, Japan, South Africa, and numerous states throughout the U.S. with their timeshare. A favourite highlight was going to the milestone reunions of his Queen’s class, now in its 75th year! But his greatest love and passion was in supporting Janet and his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren with their many interests and causes. The happy memories of numerous holiday and family gatherings with Alec, where he often made poignant and heartfelt speeches at the homes of his children, will always be remembered. His family is very grateful for the care provided by the doctors and nurses at Glynnwood Revera Assisted Living, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Advent Valleyview Residence, and Humber River Hospital, where he spent his final year recovering from a fractured hip.

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.