JOHN DOUGLAS “JACK” McLEAN, OF CHAMPION, PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY AT VULCAN, ALBERTA OCTOBER 4, 1997 AT THE AGE OF 69 YEARS.
JACK WAS BORN APRIL 3, 1928 AT BETHUNE, SASKATCHEWAN WHERE HE RECEIVED HIS EARLY EDUCATION. IN JANUARY OF I946 AT THE AGE OF SIXTEEN YEARS, HE ENLISTED IN THE ROYAL CANADIAN NAVY, STATIONED AT ESQUIMALT, B.C. AND SERVED ON THE SHIP ” NADEN” UNTIL I947. JACK WORKED IN A DAIRY MAKING ICE CREAM, THEN ON A ROAD CONSTRUCTION CREW WITH RAMSEY AND BIRD CONSTRUCTION. HE BEGAN WORKING AT REGINA UNIVERSITY IN THE MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT AS A STEAM ENGINEER IN I973 HE BEGAN WORKING AT SICKS DISTILLERY IN LETHBRIDGE UNTIL IT CLOSED AND HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO MOLSONS BREWERY IN CALGARY UNTIL RETIRING IN 1992 AND MOVING TO CHAMPION WHERE HE HAS RESIDED SINCE.
JACK ENJOYED PLAYING CRIB, POOL, CAMPING, BOATING WITH FAMILY, NIECES AND NEPHEWS, FISHING, EVEN THOUGH HE WAS TERRIBLE AT IT, SPORTS ON TELEVISION, GOOD FOOD, BAKING AND IN HIS YOUNGER YEARS HE PLAYED HOCKEY. HE LOVED LIFE AND HIS FAMILY. JACK ENJOYED THE SMALL TOWN LIFE. HE WAS ALWAYS BUSY WITH PROJECTS, VERY ORGANIZED, KEPT THINGS IN THEIR PLACE AND DETERMINED TO SEE A PROJECT THROUGH. HE BELIEVED THAT ROME WAS BUILT IN A DAY, SO ANY JOB HE TOOK ON COULD BE DONE IN ONE DAY AS WELL. HE ALSO BELIEVED, THAT A JOB THAT WASN‘T DONE RIGHT WASN’T WORTH DOING. JACK ALWAYS LIKED A GOOD JOKE AND HAD A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOUR. HE WAS VERY GENEROUS, ONE TIME WHILE AT MOLSONS, WHEN THE WORKERS WERE ON STRIKE, HE TURNED HIS STRIKE PAY OVER TO OTHER EMPLOYEES WHO NEEDED IT MORE THE HE DID.
JACK WAS A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION FOR TWENTY TWO YEARS, HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE VULCAN LEGION FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
BELOVED HUSBAND OF ROSALIE McLEAN OF CHAMPION, TWO SONS DARREN (TARI) McLEAN , DOUG McLEAN ALL OF CALGARY, STEPSON SCOTT (JUDY) PATTERSON OF TABER, STEP DAUGHTER DARLA (KEN) CYR OF WARDLOW, HIS MOTHER LYDIA McLEAN OF REGINA, ONE BROTHER DON McLEAN OF MOOSE JAW, TWO SISTERS GAYLE PAYETTE OF REGINA, ETHEL (NORM) FISHER OF BETHUNE, SASKATCHEWAN, ELEVEN GRANDCHILDREN, A GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER, NUMEROUS NIECES AND NEPHEWS. JACK WAS PREDECEASED BY HIS FATHER GERALD McLEAN.
FRIENDS ARE INVITED TO PAY THEIR LAST RESPECTS TO JACK AT THE VULCAN FUNERAL HOME AT 227 CENTRE ST. VULCAN ON TUESDAY OCTOBER 7, 1997 AT 7:30 P.M. CREMATION.
A MEMORIAL SERVICE WILL BE HELD WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 8, 1997 AT 2:00 P.M. AT THE CHAMPION CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH WITH PASTOR KEITH BLACKMORE OFF ICIATING.
IF FRIENDS SO DESIRE, MEMORIAL TRIBUTES IN JACK’S MEMORY COULD BE MADE TO ALBERTA CANCER FOUNDATION 1331 – 29 ST. N.W. CALGARY, T2N 4N2.
FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS IN CARE OF VULCAN FUNERAL HOME.