In Loving Memory of
George David
McGregor
age 98
George was predeceased by his wife Mary Anne.
He is lovingly remembered by his children
Helena (Burke), Glenn (Lorna) Michael (Linda),
Jim, Kevin (Florence), as well as their families.
Died
March 31, 2020
Tabor Home
Morden, Manitoba
A private graveside service will be held at the Manitou Cemetery.
A memorial service will be
announced and held at a later date.
Donations in memory of George
may be made to Tabor Home;
450 Loren Dr, Morden, MB R6M 0E3.
George David McGregor
Oct.29, 1921 – March 31, 2020
Our beloved father George David McGregor passed away on March 31, 2020 at Tabor Nursing Home in Morden, Manitoba. Born October 29, 1921 he was the youngest child of Scottish immigrants George Gall McGregor and Elizabeth Watson Scott. He was predeceased by his four sisters and two brothers Annie Gorrell, Mary Bannister, Jean McTavish, Helen Bell, Walter and Bob McGregor. Dad is survived by his daughter Helena (Burke) Wilson and sons Glenn (Lorna) McGregor, Michael (Linda) McGregor, Jim McGregor and Kevin ( Florence) McGregor; grandchildren David Wilson (Amanda), Julie Wilson, Bruce Cooke (Lisa) , Marie McGregor (Kevin), Lauri e McGregor (Sam), Steven McGregor (Sarah), Colin ( Jacinth) McGregor, Nolan McGregor, Katherine McGregor, Amy McGregor, Kim McGregor, Kim (Brock) Jansen and ten great grandchildren.
Dad was raised on a farm approximately seven miles north of Manitou. Dad gained his lifelong passion for hockey playing for the rural Middleton district hockey team but attended school in Manitou.
With WWII being declared Dad left the farm to enlist with the RCAF to serve his country. After completing his training he was assigned to RAF Special Duty Squadron 957 based in Karachi, India as a Bomb Aimer/Navigator in a B-26 four engine bomber. His missions mainly were long range, low altitude, night time missions in mountainous terrain to drop agents and supplies deep into Japanese held territory at pinpoint drop points without the benefit of GPS or radar. He and his crew were very proud of their mission success rate and maintained contact and held reunions until Dad was the last surviving RAF. Up to that point the furthest Dad had travelled was to Winnipeg but by the end of the war he would have seen a great part of the world.
After the War, Dad accepted an assignment in England with the RAF. It was in Portsmouth, England that Dad had the good fortune to meet his future wife, an attractive Southern Irish young woman, Mary Murphy. When Dad returned to Canada in 1946 he arranged for a loan, bought 160 acres of farmland with a house, barn and yard. In 1947 Mom came to join Dad. They were married May 10 of that year and the love affair lasted 72 years until Mary died in 2019.
Their first farmhouse was humble with no electricity, no telephone or indoor plumbing but times were quickly changing. Before the war they farmed mostly with horses but when Dad got back it was all tractors. As Southern Manitoba emerged from being a rural backwater the Green revolution in agriculture took hold with soil tests, fertilizers, herbicides, new plant varieties and continuous cropping. Dad embraced the changes was always willing to innovate and take some calculated risks. By the time they retired in 1987 and sold their impressive line of modern machinery they truly had witnessed a multitude of changes.
The family grew in quick succession to include five children, one girl and four boys. Both Mom and Dad were active in their community and supported their children in 4-H, minor sports and school activities. As dedicated parents they worked hard to keep their children active and busy. As a hockey coach Dad won a Provincial title with a team that included one of his sons. Finally selling the livestock in the 1970’s Dad took up golfing and curling with a passion. He won an impressive array of medals in Provincial and National Senior Games (golf) and in curling his team won the Manitoba Masters Curling Championship. Dad was initially reluctant to move away from Manitou but he developed a liking for the Minnewasta Golf Club and continued to play there until his mid 90’s. Always a diehard sports fan, Dad continued to follow curling, golf, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Winnipeg Jets until COVID-19.
Dad and Mom loved to travel. In retirement they returned to Ireland many times and travelled throughout Europe and North America. Whenever they returned they always declared that Manitou was the best place to live. However in 1996, Mom suffered a health scare and a long, delayed ambulance ride. That year they sold the farm and moved to the Elk’s Place in Morden where they enjoyed many years of wonderful friendships and activities. In 2017 they moved to Homestead South for assisted living. 8 months after the death of Mom in 2019 Dad moved to Tabor home.