APRIL 18, 1941 – FEBRUARY 22, 2024
Renowned “Selfie King,” G-Dawg, and man of many hats — literally — at least seven, including a Tilley, a Stetson, and numerous bike helmets, Ian has cycled off to parts unknown after a short and heart-breaking battle with cancer at the age of 82.
Born in Hawkesbury, Ontario, Ian graduated from Waterdown High School, received a BA at McMaster University — where he once heard Robert Oppenheimer speak in person! —a Masters’ in Education at UofT, and spent his career as a teacher-librarian at Galt Collegiate Institute in Cambridge. Following retirement, he enjoyed many happy years travelling around Mexico and Florida with Nancy in their trailer, and spending invaluable time with his granddaughters in the pool, on the trampoline, sledding, making ice cream and picking apples.
He is predeceased by his father, Allison, mother Jereldene (Barton), and brothers Morris, Keith, and Paul, and is survived by his wife Nancy (Keeler), daughters Allison and Jennifer, and granddaughters Lily, Ruby and Stella, who he adored.
He was funny, smart, kind, and prone to such witticisms as “Sun’s out!” when the sun was out, and “Is somebody complaining?” when somebody was complaining. He loved reading, writing, speaking French with his granddaughters, art, movies — Fellini and Bergman, particularly — crosswords, debating, riding his bike throughout the backroads of Cambridge, and hiking the City’s many trails, all while sending amazing selfies to his family. He was the very best husband, Dad, and Grandad, concerned about looking after everyone else in his life — even at the end — and will be terribly missed for a very long time.
To celebrate Ian’s life, please go ride a bike, fly a kite, grow a garden, paddle a canoe, head into the woods to forage or feed the chickadees, read or write a poem, and then eat some cheese puffs — the fluffy kind — followed by butter tarts and black licorice.
“I hope for nothing, I fear nothing, I am free.”
Arrangements entrusted to Coutts Funeral Home & Cremation Centre
