William Charles WINEGARD

HONOURABLE DR. WILLIAM CHARLES WINEGARD Guelph, January 31, 2019 Predeceased by his loving wife of 58 years, Elizabeth (Jaques); his daughter, Kathryn; and his granddaughter, Laine. Survived by sons, Bill (Sandra Leppan), Toronto and Charles (Marian), Sarnia; grandchildren Casey (Tom Bartlett), Kelly (Todd Whitlock), Tim (Becky), Luke (Cassandra), Brynn (Adam Mansour) and Liam (Ebru); great-grandchildren, Madison, Mason, Tanner, Dawson, Calder, Finnley, Jaxson, Kessler and Weston. Also survived by his brother, John; brothers-in-law, John and Robert; cousin, Don; and many nephews and nieces who remember him fondly. He will be lovingly remembered by Margaret VanderWoude and her children and grandchildren. Born to William and Hilda (Yaxley) on September 17, 1924, Bill grew up on the Grand River in Caledonia, Ontario. At age 17, Bill joined the RCNVR, serving as a coder on the Stratford and the St. Boniface, then as navigation officer and Canada's youngest sub-lieutenant on the Saskatoon. Three years on the corvette Triangle Run in the North Atlantic gave him a lifelong love of Halifax and St. John's. Following the war, Bill achieved a BSc and a PhD in Metallurgy at the University of Toronto. As a U of T professor, Dr. Winegard was a gifted and enthusiastic teacher and researcher; his 1962 book on the crystallization of metals was translated into many languages. Bill and Elizabeth were married in January 1947 and raised their children in Applewood Acres, Mississauga. The family watched Hockey Night in Canada every Saturday night, and Bill became a Scout leader when his boys joined Scouts. Bill became the second President of the University of Guelph from 1967 to 1975. His was the last family to live on campus, and his daily route to the office is now commemorated as Winegard Walk. Thousands of faculty and students still remember being invited to the President's House. After the U of G, he served on several commissions and international institutions, including IDRC and the Hong Kong Baptist University. He and Elizabeth saw the world together. As a passionate Canadian and lifelong Progressive Conservative (always stressing the 'Progressive'), he agreed to run in the 1984 election and was elected just before his 60th birthday. In the Commons, he chaired the Standing Committee on Defence and Foreign Affairs, and was heartbroken at the defeat of the Meech Lake Accord. After re-election in 1988, he became Canada's first Minister for Science. Following Elizabeth's MS diagnosis, Bill retired in Guelph, combining caregiving with his devotion to the City. He raised millions for the Guelph General Hospital with Bob Ireland, and fundraised for Guelph Hospice, Sunrise Equestrian Centre, and the statue of John McCrae. He consistently supported the local school breakfast program and proudly participated in the Legion and Rotary. Nothing made him prouder than when, through the efforts of the Jociuses and other Guelph friends, he was awarded the Order of Canada in 1998. As an octogenarian, he read Billy Goats Gruff and Jack and the Beanstalk to hundreds of kids in daycare, kindergarten and grade one. The crowning recognition of Bill's dedication to Guelph and to education was the Upper Grand School Board's decision to name the new William C. Winegard Public School. Not only did he regularly read to four classes a week, but he was involved in school events throughout the year. Bill Winegard was a leader with vision and energy, a loyal friend and father, and a passionate Canadian. His life exemplified his motto: 'if a job is worth doing, it's worth doing well.' Donations to honour Dr. William C. Winegard could be made through the Upper Grand Learning Foundation (www.uppergrandlearningfoundation.com) to William C. Winegard Public School to establish a bursary for the graduating recipient of the Winegard Citizenship Award; Children's Foundation of Guelph Wellington school breakfast program, www.childrensfoundation.org/what-we-do/food-friends; Salvation Army homelessness and shelter program, https://salvationarmy.ca/donations; or the charity of your choice.