IAN ROBERT MARKS

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With profound sadness we share the passing of Ian Robert Marks on August 25th, 2025. Ian was born in London, England on June 28th, 1948. Ian is predeceased by his wife of 50 years, Sharon (née Thorburn); and parents, Robert and Phyllis (née Fothergill). Ian leaves sister Jacqueline; and daughters, Dale (Tony, Aidan, Sydney and Chloe), Heather (Jason, Avery and Hannah) and Denise (Trevor); cousins, David Fothergill, and Kim and Brad Billson to love and remember him. After moving to Canada Sharon’s family, in particular the Watsons and the Billsons, adopted Ian as their new family member.

After meeting Sharon in 1969, Ian relocated to Canada to marry and start a new chapter of his life. After working in several manufacturing jobs in Southern Ontario, Ian was able to land a position he was trained for and seeking to find. As an Engineering Apprentice, Dad took a position in Tool Design in Winnipeg at Bristol Aerospace. This is where Ian worked for the majority of his career.

The aerospace industry was an interest and a passion for Ian. Not only could Ian identify any object in flight that he saw in the sky, but he could also tell you the specs. A highpoint of his career was working on the Apache Helicopter and he held NATO security clearance required for this work.

Alongside his daytime work at Bristol, Ian did some interesting contract projects in design, and could often be found in the evenings on his drafting board with music playing in the background. Some of Ian's contributions included work on the doors of the Toronto subway and the (at the time) new technology on the kneeling transit bus.

A devout Toronto Maples Leafs fan, Ian could often be heard in the basement during Hockey Night in Canada. True to his loyal way of being, Ian never abandoned his team over the years to come no matter what the final score. Ian enjoyed good food and craft beer, and appreciated meals shared with friends and family. Later, Sharon and Ian took up a love of Baseball and held season tickets to the Winnipeg Goldeyes where they would attend games rain or shine. Ian also enjoyed recreational mountain biking at Birds Hill Park, and the brunch afterwards even more! Over their life together, Sharon and Ian enjoyed exploring every corner of the province and small-town festivals. They particularly loved Victoria and Waterton National Park.

As a father Ian reinforced and modelled strong work ethic, reliability and honesty. He valued family dinner as a protected time for everyone to sit and share stories. No matter what anyone had to say, Ian was happy to listen and carefully question rather than give an opinion or judgement.

The family wishes to express gratitude to Dr. Kim and Dr. Leong, and the staff of the N1N Ward at Concordia Hospital. 

Following a private family interment, a Celebration of Life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on September 5th, 2025 at 603 Wellington Crescent. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Canadian Wildlife Federation, a charity supported by Sharon and Ian for many years.

Ian’s family kindly requests that all of his friends and relatives take a few minutes to honour his memory by sharing photos, memories, and stories, using the comment section on this page.

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ETHICAL DEATH CARE

Cremation & Life Celebrations

1833 Portage Avenue - Winnipeg

204-421-5501 - www.ethicaldeathcare.com

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