RAYMOND BERNARD MOORHOUSE

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RAYMOND BERNARD MOORHOUSE

With heavy hearts we announce the passing of Raymond Moorhouse at the St. Joseph's Home in Saskatoon on May 7, 2020.
Left to mourn and cherish memories of him are his wife of 60 years, Charlotte (aka) Sally (nee Dunning), sons, Allan (Karen) and Glenn, daughters, Bonnie (Dale Siebert) and Shellie Bryant (Rob), his grandkids, Craig (Charlene), Colin (Victoria), Miranda Froese (Stephen), Charmaine (Kyle Wolf), Tyler and Jordyn, his great-grandkids, Brynn, Aiden, Avery, Ashton and Ajay, his brothers, Harry, Ken (Jean) and Lionel (Vivian), sister Wendy Brauen (Philip), his late brother George's wife Iris, in-laws, Fern Pestalukey (Larry), Jean Cummings, Karen Matthews (Neill), Bonnie Gertner (Mike) and Sherry Makar (Dominique), brother-in-law John Dunning (Lena), and other extended family.
He was predeceased by his parents, George 'Barney' and Anastasia 'Annie', brother George, sister Lillian Power and brothers-in-law, Philip Power, Richard Cummings, Richard Dunning and Herbie (June) Dunning, parents-in-law, Samuel and Beatrice Dunning, nieces, Niki Brauen and Brenda Dubois (and her husband Marcel), and nephew Michael Gertner.
Ray was born June 8, 1936, in the Coldwell Municipality of Manitoba and lived on the family farm until they moved to Winnipeg shortly after his dad's return from active service in the Second World War. He himself served with the Canadian Army stationed in British Columbia from 1954 to 1957 when he was honourably released. After his return to Winnipeg he met and married Charlotte (Sally) in October of 1959. Dad worked in the piling foundation industry from 1959 to 1990 with Western Caissons (Winnipeg), as part owner/operator of Central Caissons (Saskatoon) and his own company Ability Piling (Saskatoon) until he retired in 1990. Those who knew Ray remember him as a hard worker, kind and a quick wit and story teller.
He spent summers, since his youth of victory gardening, in his own garden that he would plan through the winter, looking forward to the seed catalogues and pre-planting under garden lights or in his green house. A visit in the summer and you could catch him in the garden swatting moths with a badminton racquet or hanging nets around his fruit trees with fake rubber snakes hoping to ward off the birds eating the fruit. He was our go-to guy for gardening advice. He made wine, jams, jellies, relishes, if he grew it he was cooking or canning it. He enjoyed watching sports, especially Winnipeg Blue Bomber football. He was a big Blue Bomber fan and loved seeing them kick the Saskatchewan Roughriders butt and would smile with us about the Grey Cup win by the Bombers last November. He loved fishing, camping, reading and treasured spending time with his family. Eventually he wasn't able to do the things he loved anymore being diagnosed with Dementia.
RBM was a generous, hardworking man and will be terribly missed by his wife and family. His wishes were to donate his body to the University of Saskatchewan and requested no funeral service. The family will celebrate his life at a time when we can all be together.
As your expression of sympathy, a donation may be made to the Alzheimer Society in your area and/or simply plant a flower, tree or vegetable in his honour. He'd like that.
Thank you to the staff at Saskatoon City Hospital transitional care ward and the Sisters, nurses and staff at St. Joseph's Special Care Home.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on May 23, 2020