GERALD “JERRY” FRANCIS MCILROY

Jerry McIlroy, aged 92, passed on December 29 after a brief stay in hospital. He will be remembered with love and affection by his five children and their partners: Daniel (Alina), Jeryl, Kathleen (Bill), Sean (Marlene), and Noah. He is also survived by seven grandchildren, Liam, Anna, Will, Cailyn, Tanner, Kyle, Dylan; and three great-grandchildren, June, Harrison and Faye.

He was born in Winnipeg in 1932, the youngest of three boys. He lost his own father at the age of four, and the three boys were raised by a single mother in the heart of the Depression. He made his way to Toronto and married Dorothy Mae Prophet of Brechin in 1953. They had four children in their twenty years together in Toronto, Winnipeg, and Vancouver. Winnipeg would be where he settled for most of his adult life, to the extent that he really settled at all. He was a traveller who saw much of the world, and especially liked to recall the days he spent in Paris, Thailand, Greece, and Mexico. 

He was an unconventional man who lived an adventurous life; he had many enthusiasms and tried his hand at many things. He was a writer who published stories and a novel; he was an actor who performed on stage and screen; He was a raconteur who could talk for hours about a wide range of subjects, from the plays of William Shakespeare to the films of Alfred Hitchcock to the Super Bowl prospects of the Kansas City Chiefs. He loved fine clothes, the music of Miles Davis, the poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay, and was passionate about the arts until his last day.

The family would like to thank the staff, and particularly Dr. George, at the Grace General Hospital for the kind care he received there in his last days.  The family would also like to thank the Thorvaldson Care Centre staff who cared for him while he resided there for the last several months.  

A family gathering is planned.

Jerry’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

530 St. Mary Avenue - Winnipeg

204-421-5501 - www.ethicaldeathcare.com

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