Gordon passed away in Guelph, Ontario on June 10th, 2021, in his 90th
year with his wife Eleanor ‘Bunnie’ by his side. Gordon and Bunnie lived
a love story together for over 65 years.
Gordon was pre-deceased by his parents, George and Marian (Campbell)
MacFarlane, and his sisters, Muriel Bragg and Margaret Gibson. He was
the proud father of Megan (Steven), Keri Ellen, and Clark (Charlotte),
and derived great joy from his four grandchildren, Gavin and Morgan
Williams, and Hannah and Meredith MacFarlane.
Gordon was born in 1931 in Kennedy, Saskatchewan, and grew up in the
small prairie town of Wapella, where he enjoyed wandering the fields
reciting poetry, skating on rinks and sloughs, and curling. He attended
the University of Saskatchewan, for a Bachelor of Arts degree. He then
attended the University of Manitoba, earning a Bachelor of Social Work
degree and later a Master of Social Work degree. There is a saying that,
“you can take the boy out of the Prairies, but you can never take the
Prairies out of the boy.” In spite of moving east to Toronto at thirty
years of age, Gordon’s informal, friendly demeanour was testament to
that adage.
Gordon applied his training as a Social Worker to create positive change
for individuals, institutions, and society. Gordon began his career as a
Treatment Supervisor at Regina Jail. He later taught Social Work
principles at Kivukoni College in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania for the
Canadian International Development Agency. After returning to Canada, he
became the Executive Director of the John Howard Society of Toronto, and
later the Executive Director of the John Howard Society of Ontario.
Gordon received the Queen’s Jubilee Medal for his contribution to the
abolition of the death penalty in Canada.
Gordon was a voracious reader and especially loved history, literature
and mythology. He found an amalgam of these subjects in Jungian
Psychology, about which he read deeply and pursued studies at the
Jungian Institute in Zurich. He applied this knowledge at the end of his
career when he brought his compassion, skill, and loving spirit to help
people as a counselor in a psychiatric treatment setting.
Bunnie and Gordon moved to Guelph in 1997 and enthusiastically initiated
and participated in a range of activities in the Village by the
Arboretum. Gordon was a member of the Royal City Daylight Lodge, Past
President of the Guelph-Wellington Men’s Club, and an active member of
St. George’s Anglican Church.
Special thanks to the staff of the Elliott Community. For the past three
years their always cheerful voices and lightheartedness brightened
Gordon’s days and their efforts were rewarded with a smile, a quip or
sometimes a song.
Due to the COVID restrictions, the service will be for immediate family
only. All are welcome to join the live stream on the internet via ZOOM
on Saturday, June 26th at 2:00pm. Link is on his memorial page at
www.gilbertmacintyreandson.com . A slideshow with memories of Gordon
will be part of the ZOOM beginning at 1:30pm. If so desired, memorial
donations to the Alzheimer’s Society, the Elliott Community, or St.
George’s Anglican Church would be appreciated by the family. Donations
can be made online following the charity link or in person at the
funeral home.