Obituary of Alexander Welsh Strang

STRANG, ALEXANDER WELSH ~ We are very sad to announce the passing of Alexander Welsh Strang. Alex passed away peacefully, at Guelph General Hospital, on December 27, 2015, with his son and daughter by his side. Alex was the devoted husband of the late Marie (Fisher) Strang (2011) for over 53 years. He is predeceased by his sister Ena Winter and survived by his sister, Vivienne Morris, both of England. Loving father to Bruce (Jayne Redwood) and Christine McAuley (James). Adoring and proud Grandad of Nolan and Turner; Allison, Carolyn and Dana. Alex was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on March 4, 1925 to Alexander and Christina Strang. His first seven years were lived in India with his parents, then in boarding schools in Scotland (he only saw his parents three times in those ten years), until he was old enough to enlist in the British Army to fight in WWII. He fought in Burma as an Officer Cadet and then as a Private with the Queen’s Royal Regiment. Three near misses proved that he was like a cat with lives to spare. In one instance, he was the leader of a section until a more senior officer took his place. Two days later, a grenade landed at the feet of his replacement. If the switch had not occurred, the grenade could have landed at Alex’s feet. Not long after that, Alex was ordered to scout a ridge ahead of his company with 10 other men. He was shot in the chest by an enemy sniper and while recovering in hospital, the plane flying the rest of his platoon was shot down with no one surviving. After the war, Alex was not ready to settle down so he ended up in British Guiana, working on a sugar plantation with Bookers Bros. where he also captained a Rugby Team in his spare time. After a few years of living like a true Bachelor, he soon realized it was time to start living a traditional life, so he sailed to Canada in 1954, settling in Toronto where he met and married the love of his life, Marie Fisher, followed quickly by the birth of Bruce and Christine. To support his family, Alex accepted a position as a General Manager of the distribution centre for Clarks Shoes of England, in Toronto. Although he had a conventional job, Alex still was drawn to the idea of living an unconventional life, however. When he completed a kitchen renovation to Marie’s satisfaction, she decided he was therefore capable of building an entire house, which they did jointly in Campbellville, Ontario on ten acres they bought in 1973. They did everything necessary to build a beautiful four bedroom, three bathroom house with their own hands with only the help of foundation makers, plumbers and electricians (they knew their limits). Despite this tremendous accomplishment, Alex would actually claim that he was lazy! After finally finishing the house ten years later (they paid for it as they went along – therefore no mortgage) it was time to enjoy Alex’s other passions – golf, mostly at Victoria Park East Golf Club in Guelph, and Scottish Country Dancing (that was really Marie’s passion, but he enjoyed the social drink afterwards with their Scottish friends so he went along). In 1993, they sold their house and moved to Guelph to be "closer to the action". Alex was liked by everyone he met and always tried to make people laugh with his wit and wry sense of humour. He knew how to endear his grandchildren from an early age, first with a new small toy at each visit, then as they got older, with candy, then money! But he didn’t need to bribe the affections of his grandchildren; his winning personality and unconditional love was all they needed. His entire family will miss the dickens out of him. Friends may call at the GILCHRIST CHAPEL – McIntyre & Wilkie Funeral Home, One Delhi Street, Guelph on Saturday, January 2, 2016 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. to visit and share memories with the family. In lieu of flowers, if so desired, memorial contributions to the Canadian Cancer Society would be appreciated. We invite you to leave your memories and donations online. Service Information Visitation Saturday January 2, 2016 Visitation Time 2:00 p.m. - 4:00p.m. Visitation Location Gilchrist Chapel McIntrye & Wilkie Funeral Home Requested Charity Canadian Cancer Society