8276 Marc Garneau CMR RMC 1970
Marc passed away peacefully, in Montreal, surrounded by his wife and children.
Marc lived his life with strength, grace and humility.
Naval Captain, astronaut and politician.
He believed in the power of science and of big dreams. He loved his country, and it was his honour and privilege to serve and defend it.
Most of all, he believed in the strength of love, family, and friendship.
Our hearts are broken.
Funeral services will be private.
A public celebration of his life will be announced at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations to St. Matthias’ Anglican Church of Westmount or the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada would be appreciated.
Message from the RMC Alumni Association on the passing of Marc Garneau:
CBC News Article: Marc Garneau died after ‘short but very difficult battle’ with cancer, former staffer says
12179 Bob Hills RMC 1979
Robert (Bob) Lorne Hills passed away early in the morning on Monday June 23, 2025, with his wife Christine Facette at his side. He was 69 years old. Bob was a loving big brother to his three siblings, the late Wendy Hills, Deanne McLaughlin (Terry) and Kevin Hills (Juli Ann Wall). Predeceased by his parents Arthur and Pauline (Barfoot) Hills. Survived by children Alexander McCann (Lena), Andrea McCann (Kentish Watson), and Matthew McCann (Maddie), many cousins, grandchildren, nieces, great nieces, nephews, great nephews, one great grandson and one great great nephew.
Bob was born and died in Ottawa, but lived all over the world both as a child and as an adult. He attended RMC in Kingston Ontario, graduating with a Chemical Engineering degree and a large number of lifelong friendships that continue to endure, 50 years later. He served with the Air Force for almost 30 years, retiring as a LCol at the age of 48, after which he met his wife to be through mutual friends. Together they travelled, enjoyed many music concerts, football games, and the simple pleasures of staying home, reading books on the deck, swimming, fires in the fireplace and entertaining friends and family. Bob had a wonderful dry wit and the ability to see the humour in every situation. He was an avid fan of board gaming, from which he developed several deep friendships.
Hosting parties was a passion, particularly his neighbourhood Christmas parties. This created a sense of community that extended to a monthly breakfast club of the street’s seniors.
He will be missed by all of his friends and family, including his in laws, who loved him as one of their own.
Bob’s last few months were spent at the Ottawa Heart Institute. A heartfelt thanks to the staff who cared for him there, particularly the nurses and doctors on H5. His final days were at St. Vincent’s Palliative Care Unit.
Donations to either of these organizations, in lieu of flowers, would be greatly appreciated.
Family and friends are invited to visit at the Beechwood National Memorial Centre, 280 Beechwood Avenue, Ottawa, on Friday, July 11 from 12 p.m. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. in Beechwood’s Sacred Space, followed by the interment in the National Military Cemetery.
In Memoriam
Article shared by LinkedIn (Pal Mann, RRMC RMC Class of 1987)
37 years ago, in the morning of 20 June 1988, six military engineer trainees, my course mates, were killed in a training accident and many others were injured, many still bearing physical and spiritual scars.
All were learning cratering techniques using high explosives.
I was not on the training range, the bilingual troop was scheduled to do the exact same training that afternoon.
There was an inquiry. Mistakes were identified… some were corrected.
21 years later, I had the privilege of leading the Military Engineering School that suffered the sad chapter.
In the hopes that we all learned from this tragic episode in the Schools history, we erected a memorial to the six, but also a reminder of the obligation that the learned and experienced have to practice their profession diligently and to safeguard those who are not learned, or experienced.
The inscription reads:
“This commemoration serves
as a lasting reminder to
CFSME instructors of their
moral and legal obligation
to protect future generations of Military Engineer officers and NCMs by teaching best engineering practices without prejudice or bias and in accordance with official standards and doctrine. The accident that occurred on June 20, 1988, at the SLESSE demolition range in Chilliwack , British Columbia, which claimed the lives of six trainees is a tragic reminder of the seriousness of our work and the trust placed in us, the personnel of CFSME.”
Lest we forget.
Captain J.W. Best,
Lieutenant M.D. Aucoin,
Second Lieutenant K.J. Wilkinson,
Officer Cadet K.R. Gawne,
Officer Cadet W.C. Sutton, and
Officer Cadet W.J. Whitley.
3778 Jean-Eugène Carrière CMR 1957
11071 Gary Ford RRMC RMC 1976
Gary Stephen FORD, 70, of Kingston, Ontario passed away peacefully on May 25, 2025 in Kingston General Hospital. Beloved husband of Louise (née Bathurst) for 48 years. Gary will be dearly missed and lovingly remembered by his children: Julia (Hamdi) Roumani, Toronto; Christopher (Madisson), Kingston; and Natalie (Matthew) Morse, Kingston. He was a proud and devoted granddad to: Adelyn, Ellis, Magnolia and Mariella. Gary is survived by his siblings: Harry (Glenna), Charlottetown, PEI; Doug (Lynn), Victoria, BC; Norman (Phyllis), Campbell River, BC; and Sheryll (Mike), Edmonton, AB. He is also fondly remembered by many nieces, nephews, cousins, in-laws and friends across the country.
Born October 6, 1954, in New Westminster, BC, and raised in Chilliwack, Gary entered Royal Roads Military College in 1972, and graduated with an Honours degree in Chemical Engineering from the Royal Military College in Kingston in 1976. Over his 28-year career in the Canadian Armed Forces, Gary began with pilot training, before becoming a Biomedical Associate Officer, serving in research, and later as Chief Instructor and Commandant of Canadian Forces School of Aerospace Medicine. A lifelong learner, Gary pursued his degree in Dentistry at Dalhousie University through the military, followed by a Residency in General Dentistry at Fort Knox, Kentucky. While serving at CFB Petawawa, Gary became an integral part of the dental forensics team in the aftermath of the 1998 Swissair Flight 111 crash off Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia. After his military service, Gary established his successful dental practice, Lifestyle Dentistry, in Barrie, Ontario.
In retirement, Gary and his family moved to Newmarket, where he faced the challenges of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) with courage and grace. In 2017, he received the life-saving gift of a double-lung transplant, which gave him the chance to enjoy many more cherished moments with family and friends – attending his children’s weddings, welcoming grandchildren, and traveling to take in the beauty of God’s creation. In the fall of 2020, he and Louise settled with family in Kingston.
Gary was a passionate learner and teacher, with a deep commitment to living out his Christian faith in every aspect of life. Christmas was his favorite holiday, especially decorating the house with festive lights. He found joy spending time at home reading devotions and being outside in the garden with schnauzers, Beckham and Charlie. He loved sports, including: tennis, squash, racquetball, volleyball, running, biking and skiing.
Gary touched countless lives with his kindness, wisdom and quiet strength. He was a founding member and strong advocate of a support group for individuals navigating the journey of lung disease and transplantation. Gary will be dearly missed by all who knew him, especially his family, who were the centre of his life and greatest joy.
The family is forever grateful for the outstanding care provided over the past five years by his dedicated family physician, Dr. Birenbaum, as well as the exceptional staff and medical teams at Kingston Health Sciences Centre and the Lung Transplant Team at Toronto General Hospital. They also deeply appreciate the compassionate in-home care Gary received from personal support workers at both St. Elizabeth and Paramed Home Health Care.
12482 Bob (Ace) Alce RMC 1980
Editor Note: We were notified by the Class of 1980 leadership that Bob (Ace) Alce passed away early this week. We will publish his obituary when made available.