Deaths

Col (Ret’d) The RT Rev George Bruce, CMR RMC Class of 1964

20 June 1942 – 23 March 2024

COL (RTD) THE RT REV GEORGE BRUCE (81) passed away peacefully in the early hours of March 23, 2024, after a short illness at Kingston General Hospital.

Survived by his loving wife of more than 58 years, Theodora, and his children Christopher, Andrew (Kelly), Robert and Krista (Brian), and grandchildren Cameron, Graeme, Chiara, Bella, William, Natalie and Caleb. George is predeceased by his mother Helen, his father Harold and daughter Christina.

Emigrating from England to Montreal in 1958, George finished high school in Montreal. He attended the College Militaire Royal de St Jean and the Royal Military College in Kingston. Graduating with a degree in History, George was commissioned into the Canadian Intelligence Corps as a Lieutenant. He served in Gagetown, NB, Borden, Ontario, and the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College prior to a posting to Mobile Command Headquarters in St Hubert Quebec. George served two tours as Canadian Liaison Officer to the Defence Intelligence Staff in London, UK. After returning to Canada, he was appointed Commanding Officer of the SIU. George finished his military career as Director of Defence Intelligence at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa.

During the final years of his military career, he studied for ordination. In May 1987 George graduated from Montreal Diocesan Theological College, which would later grant him in 2003 an Honorary Doctorate. In 1987 George was ordained deacon and priest in the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa and served in parishes in Ottawa, Winchester, Chesterville and South Mountain, and Perth. In 2000 he was appointed Dean of Ontario, Rector of Kingston, and Incumbent of St Georges Cathedral in Kingston. In 2002 George was elected 11th Bishop of the Diocese of Ontario, serving in that capacity until he retired in 2011.

George was a lifelong soccer fan and coach and for many years was involved in the scouting movement.

Many thanks to the staff at Kingston General Hospital and the many friends who assisted the family during George’s illness.

A visitation will be held on Friday April 5th from 2:00 to 4:00 pm and from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at James Reid Funeral Home, 1900 John Counter Blvd, Kingston, Ontario. A Funeral and Requiem Mass will be held on Saturday April 6th, at 11:00 am at St Georges Cathedral, 270 King Street East, Kingston, Ontario.

Obituary Supplied by the Class of 1964: 

COL (RTD) THE RT REV GEORGE BRUCE  passed away peacefully in the early hours of March 23, 2024, after a short illness at Kingston General Hospital.

George has a firm place in the memories of his classmates who send their condolences to his loving wife Theo and his children and grandchildren.

Emigrating from England to Montreal in 1958, George finished high school in Montreal.

He attended the College Militaire Royal de St Jean from 1959 to 1962 before moving on to the Royal Military College in Kingston to complete his studies.  George was rather remarkable to his fellow cadets.  He had an unapologetic English accent and manner, was tall and lean, wore what we would now call Harry Potter glasses, and bubbled with enthusiasm.  Members of Cartier Squadron will remember the recruit year snow sculpture competition when George persuaded them that a grand gesture was required and drafted a design for a sea serpent with a fierce massive head, two coils of the body, and a tail all emerging from the snow.  Hours in the cold, gallons of green dye, and George’s relentless “encouragement” produced a clear winner.

George also undertook to teach the fine points of cricket to a skeptical group of cadets, an exercise which involved recruiting the wife of the Protestant chaplain to serve tea on the field to neophytes with hands stinging from trying to catch a solid ball without a glove, and trying to understand a game which had a position (George insisted) called “silly mid-off”.

Perhaps George’s greatest contribution was to his anglophone classmates, for whom access to young women with whom they could easily converse was limited in St. Jean.  Although he only attended high school for a year or so in Montreal, it was in one of the northern suburbs which was a haven for English speakers.  George was able in his first year to persuade a group of his female former schoolmates to drive down to St. Jean for dances and parties, accompanied by a parent or two as chaperones, during his first year, thus providing dates for a number of lonely cadets.  As their French proficiency improved, cadets felt more able to survive in St. Jean, but some friendships continued.

His time at RMC was similarly an integral part of our college life.  George was a stalwart member of the Drama Club.     And who can forget the cutting remarks found in The Marker under the by-line “GLRB”? To quote the entry in our yearbook, “His prodigious output of GL”U”RB articles soon branded him with the mark of Cain and earned for him the distinction of being RMC’s foremost proponent of “ashcan philosophy”. (Well-said Walt)

Graduating with a degree in History, George was commissioned into the Canadian Intelligence Corps as a Lieutenant. He was in the first Intelligence Corps cohort that had its full training in the Corps. He served in Gagetown, NB, Borden, Ontario, and the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College prior to a posting to Mobile Command Headquarters in St Hubert Quebec. George served two tours as Canadian Liaison Officer to the Defence Intelligence Staff in London, UK. After returning to Canada, he was appointed Commanding Officer of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU). George finished his military career as Director of Defence Intelligence at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa.

George’s life was changed dramatically in the 1980’s when his son was hit by a truck, causing critical injuries.  George’s faith came to the fore and when his son’s life was spared, he vowed to dedicate his life to God; during the final years of his military career, he studied for ordination. In May 1987 George graduated from Montreal Diocesan Theological College, which would later grant him in 2003 an Honourary Doctorate. In 1987 George was ordained deacon and priest in the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa and served in parishes in Ottawa, Winchester, Chesterville and South Mountain, and Perth. In 2000 he was appointed Dean of Ontario, Rector of Kingston, and Incumbent of St Georges Cathedral in Kingston. In 2002 George was elected 11th Bishop of the Diocese of Ontario, serving in that capacity until he retired in 2011.

George maintained his connection with RMC and his classmates.

He was until his death Chaplain of the Old Brigade, and also Vice-Chair of the College’s Heritage and Museum Committee. As an integral member of the Class of 1964, he was a faithful attender of all reunions, and convened a small memorial service in the Yeo Hall chapel for fallen classmates at each reunion.

Successful in multiple careers: husband and father, Canadian Forces officer and clergyman, George will be remembered as a faithful comrade and good friend.

RIP

(From members of the Class of 1964)

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Robert Weisman CMR RMC Class of 1976

A life of Service, Learning, and Adventure

Robert Morris Louis Weisman, known as Bob (Rob) to his family and friends, passed away on March 26, 2024. He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Brenda, his three children, Marina (Kyle) VanKoughnett, Sean (Megan) Weisman, and Sheena (Martin) Myers, six grandchildren, and his sister, Vivian (Bob) Testa alongside many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, Fred Weisman and Sophia Hoy-Frank.

Bob was born on October 15, 1954, in Montreal, Canada, where he grew up as an active curious child, who enjoyed scouting, cadets, and soccer. He was a lifelong student with a passion for military history, the arts, culture, and languages; he spoke three fluently (English, French and Dutch) alongside studies in German and Latin. He aspired to be a history student and teacher, but life’s circumstances conspired otherwise leading him to pursue Civil engineering first at CMR (Collège Militaire Royale) and finishing his studies at RMC (Royal Military College) in Kingston Ontario. It was during his studies at RMC that Bob met his future wife and life-long love, Brenda, who was studying at Queen’s University.

Brenda and Bob married in 1978 and moved throughout Eastern Canada in support of his many roles in the armed forces where he served as a construction engineer, squadron commander, decision support researcher, and a command & control portfolio manager. Bob was a very involved and loving father – during this time his most cherished role was as a dad to their three children.

Through his travels with the Military, Bob was first introduced to and fell in love with the Canadian North, building some of the first airfields in Spence Bay (Taloyoak, Nunavut) and collecting Inuit art. During his time in the Military, Bob completed a master’s degree in computer science in 1992 and taught at RMC where he found a passion for teaching. After completing his Masters Bob was posted to Ottawa where he thoroughly enjoyed all that the National Capital region had to offer, relishing his
time at the various museums, festivals, and National Monuments. In 1999, after 27 years of service, in the Canadian Military, Bob retired with the rank of Major.

After his retirement from the Military, Bob continued work as a consultant, enterprise architecture lead, and chief information architect as well as launching his own company, Build The Vision. He was a leader and innovator in the fields of planning, enterprise architecture, and knowledge management with major contributions to the TOGAF standard, an open methodology for enterprise architecture. While in Ottawa, Bob continued his love of education, obtaining his PhD in digital transformation
and innovation from the University of Ottawa in 2019, where he subsequently taught as a part-time professor and an engineer in residence until his passing.

Bob was a lifelong learner, mentor, and a caring person. He loved to travel, visit museums, read books, and had a special fondness for Star Wars and Star Trek which he passed on to his children. He cherished his family and his pets (even though he pretended to dislike animals) and was a continuous source of spontaneity and mischievousness, especially when it came to his grandchildren. Ever the devoted husband, father, and Opa he enjoyed taking his children and grandchildren on
outings to the zoo, aquarium, Wye Marsh, and the Rideau Canal, just to name a few. The kids in the family were frequently surprised with kinder eggs, and his wife with flowers, just because! Bob sought to teach his children and grandchildren valuable lessons, skills, share his stories, and support them in their dreams and goals.

Everyone who knew Bob felt his strong sense of moral duty and a desire to make a positive difference in the world. He lived a life of service, learning, and adventure but his family was always the most important part of his life. He made them laugh with his jokes and pranks. He hugged them, kissed them, and told them he loved them regularly. He will be dearly missed, but we carry him forward in our hearts and remember him fondly.

The family is making a memory book, if you would like to share, please send some of your memorable times with Bob in an email to baweisman@rogers.com . A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday May 19th, 2024, at 3pm at the First United Congregation in Ottawa. Please RSVP by May 5th, 2024 with this LINK

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Gordon Douglas McCulloch March 9 1937 -June 25 2023 RMC Class of 1959

Gord died at Lake Skootamatta on June 25, 2023 after a long, purposeful and happy life.

Born in Drumheller Alberta, he lived in Taber AB, and Campbellford, ON while his father served overseas. He later lived in Ajax, Killaloe, and Campbellford before entering RMC.

He became immersed in the Baby Blue Squadron where in his last year, he was the Squadron Sports Officer. Although advised that it would be unwise to play both first string hockey and football, he did both, and was able to excel academically.

After graduation from Queens University with a B.Sc in Mechanical Engineering, he served with the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Gaza. He returned again to Queens, where he graduated, this time with a MSc. He served with the 8th Canadian Hussars in Petawawa before being posted to the 4th Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group in Europe. While there, he was attached (through The Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) to the Black Watch of Canada, the Royal 22 Regiment and to the 4^th Field Workshop, where he was promoted to Major.

After graduation from The Canadian Army Staff College in 1969, he transferred to civilian life, where he was involved in the many aspects of Die Cast Engineering. He was an involved volunteer, and made good things happen wherever he lived. He played recreational hockey well into his sixties. He was a loving father to his three children, Elspeth, Kate, and Malcolm and a devoted husband to Carolyn.

Nothing made Gord’s eyes light up more than attending his class reunions at RMC, where he shared unforgettable memories with his classmates.

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Mario Lévesque CMR RMC 1988

Mario Lévesque, 58, of Tampa, Florida passed away on March 29, 2024.

He was born in Mont-Joli, Québec, Canada and moved to Tampa from Columbus, Ohio. He served in the Canadian Air Force and worked as a Software Developer at the American Board of Pathology. He was also a member of Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church in Land O’ Lakes, Florida, as well as the Catholic Student Center at USF in Tampa, Florida.

Mario is preceded in death by his parents, Charles Lévesque and Thérèse Savard.

He is survived by his sons, Joseph Levesque and Andrew Levesque. His brother, Alain Lévesque, and his sister Diane Lévesque, as well as his nephews, Olivier, Jérémy, Benjamin, Nicholas and his niece, Kassandra.

All are welcome to the Visitation, Funeral Mass, and Burial. Please check back for more information on parking arrangements at the Catholic Student Center for the Funeral, as there will be construction going on in the parking lot.

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Ned Mundell RMC 1953

David Edward Mundell 12/27/1931 – 03/23/2024
David Edward (Ned) Mundell passed away at home in Sonoma, CA after a long battle with kidney disease. He was 92.
Ned was born in Montreal, Quebec. He was the only child of Dr. Charles D. T. and Elise (Dunton) Mundell.
His early years were spent in Montreal, Regina, and Kingston, Canada, in Edinburgh, UK, and in Philadelphia, PA. Ned received a degree in Chemical Engineering from the Royal Military College of Canada and McGill University. After working briefly for DuPont Canada, he earned an MBA from Harvard and went to work for US Leasing in Toronto.

In 1967 Ned transferred to USL’s head office in San Francisco. He was President and Chairman when it was sold to the Ford Motor Company in 1987.
Ned was a longtime advisor to ORIX Corporation of Japan and spent years on the board of ORIX USA. He also joined the boards of Varian Associates, First Nationwide Savings Financial Corp., and Beazer Homes. A generous philanthropist, he served on the boards of SF Boy Scouts Council, Hamlin and Santa Catalina Schools, Guide Dogs for the Blind, and Hanna Center of Sonoma. Ned was an active member of the University and Pacific-Union Clubs, and the San Francisco, Sonoma and Toronto Golf Clubs.
In 1969 Ned married into a fly fishing family. His newfound passion took him on many adventures to rivers, lakes, and oceans around the world.

Ned was extraordinarily loyal and generous to family and friends and gentle and kind to animals. He was ‘one of a kind’ and we look back fondly on his curmudgeonly façade, intelligence, and wit.

Ned is survived by his wife Willa of 54 years and daughter Elise Mundell of Sonoma. He was predeceased by his son David.

A celebration of life is planned for a later date.

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David Larrigan RMC 1959

LARRIGAN, David John Reynolds November 5, 1936 to April 7, 2024

David Larrigan passed away suddenly at home on April 7, 2024 at age 87.

David was born November 5, 1936 in Regina, Saskatchewan. He married Marian Bobbie April 5, 1960 (passed November 1992) and Ruth Abrams September 12, 1992. He leaves to mourn his loving family, wife Ruth, son Scott (Martha), son John (Molly), brother Lyle (Karen) and sister Patricia, and granddaughters, Sarah, Laura, Caitlin and Brianna.

In 1955 he left for Kingston, Ontario to start his military career at the Royal Military College from which he graduated in 1959. In the RCAF from 1955 – 1980 he trained as a pilot and rose in rank from Cadet to Colonel. His second career was as a civil servant with the Government of Canada. He joined Transport Canada in Winnipeg in 1970 and moved to the Pacific Region in 1980 before retiring in 1992 as a Director General after 37 years of combined military and Public Service. He then spent the next 24 years as a consultant in the field of airport safety. Along the way he managed to enjoy visiting every corner of Canada, U.S.A., the Caribbean and some of Europe. He was a pilot for 37 years with Airline Transport Rating for single and multi-engined land and sea aircraft. He taught ab-initio student pilots and lectured students in the safety requirements of airports. Dave served his country proudly and devoted a large portion of his life to the safety of aviation and airport operations.

Dave has flown aircraft, sailed the B.C. coast, collected Old British cars and revived a career playing a Baritone horn. For many years he enjoyed golfing with the guys at Country Meadows Golf Course, Over the years, Dave and Ruth could be seen attending his granddaughters’ various sports events in Ottawa, Calgary and closer to home. Two family vacations that stand out as highlights to Dave were from Tofino to Calgary and the visit to the cottage in Quebec with Scott and John and families together.

A memorial service will be held Friday, May 10, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, 7100 Granville Avenue, Richmond, B.C. Interment will be at a later date in Calgary at Eden Brook Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers a donation to a charity of your choice would be appreciated.

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Lt(N) Joseph Alexander Stewart, CD Class of 2010

 

Alex Stewart, 38, of Halifax, Nova Scotia passed away 28 April 2024, in Kanata, Ontario after an aggressive 2.5-year battle with esophageal cancer. Born on 23 May 1985, Alex is survived by his loving spouse, Ashley, his cherished daughters, Aubrey and Anna, his parents Kenneth and Margaret “Peggy” Stewart, and his brother Kyle (Yuna), as well as his niece Noa.

Alex fiercely loved his family and took great joy in watching his daughters grow and understood how precious the time he spent with them was. Alongside Ashley, they proudly graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada in 2010 and they have both served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 18 years. Alex is a third generation RMC graduate, with his father, paternal uncles, and paternal grandfather all being CAF veterans. In 2021, Alex was accepted into the Military Legal Training Plan and dedicated the last 2 years to pursuing his law degree at the University of Ottawa to fulfill his dream of becoming a legal officer. His leadership and camaraderie will be remembered by all who had the privilege of serving alongside him.

Apart from his military service and career, Alex had a passion for being a hockey goalie, and playing WarHammer. He also had a love-hate relationship with the Toronto Maple Leafs. His dedication to his hobbies reflected his commitment to excellence both on and off the “field.”

Alex will be deeply missed by all who knew him, and his memory will live on in the hearts of his family and friends.

Family will receive friends in the Hall of Colours of the Beechwood National Memorial Centre, 280 Beechwood Ave, Ottawa, on Thursday 9 May from 2 – 4 and 6 – 8 pm. Funeral service will be held in the Sacred Space of the Beechwood National Memorial Centre on Friday 10 May at 1:00 pm with guests requested to arrive no earlier than 12:30 pm. Reception will follow at Stittsville Legion, 1481 Main St, no earlier than 4:30 pm. The funeral will be live streamed for those who cannot attend in person. Please register here for the live stream. Military members are invited to wear DEU-1D (ribbons) to the visitation and DEU-1A (medals) to the funeral. As per Alex’s request, all other guests are encouraged to wear something of colour and avoid black. Cremation and private burial to follow.

In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer memorial donations to Canadian Cancer Society. For online condolences please visit www.beechwoodottawa.ca

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