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Joseph Elliot MacLaren

Joseph Elliot MacLaren

12 July 1922 – 30 November 2012
Joe MacLaren lived a full life. The son of a lobster fisherman from PEI, he signed up in Truro, NS and went to Italy during WWII. Once home, he made his way west, settling in Calgary, AB where he met his wife and had their children. One more move brought the family to the Okanagan Valley in BC, their home for 30 years. After Louise died in 2006, he moved to the Comox Valley, close to his daughter, his final resting place. Coast to coast.
He was predeceased by his wife, Catherine Louise (Wilson) MacLaren, brother, Vernon H. MacLaren, and parents, Jasper E. and Ida E. (Betchley) MacLaren.
He is survived by two sisters, Joyce E. MacLeod (Welland, ON) and Clarice M. MacDonald (New Glasgow, NS), son, Scott W. MacLaren (Santa Fe, NM), daughter, Heather L. MacLaren (Cumberland, BC), and many relatives and friends.
He was a character who loved his family above all.

The Lost Master
“And when I come to die,” he said,
“Ye shall not lay me out in state,
Nor leave your laurels at my head,
Nor cause your men of speech orate;
No monument your gift shall be,
No column in the Hall of Fame;
But just this line ye grave for me:
‘He played the game.’”
So when his glorious task was done,
It was not of his fame we thought;
It was not of his battles won,
But of the pride with which he fought;
But of his zest, his ringing laugh,
His trenchant scorn of praise or blame:
And so we graved his epitaph,
“He played the game.”
And so we, too, in humbler ways
Went forth to fight the fight anew,
And heeding neither blame nor praise,
We held the course he set us true.
And we, too, find the fighting’s sweet;
And we, too, fight for fighting’s sake;
And though we go down in defeat,
And though our stormy hearts may break,
We will not do our Master shame:
We’ll play the game, please God,
We’ll play the game.
(Robert Service)

In lieu of flowers or a formal service, the family suggests that donations be made to The Poppy Fund in your region, and a glass be held high in his honour.

 

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