Ron's family sent out this email in regard to Rotarian Ron's passing.


On Tuesday September 16th our father, Ronald Douglas Grantham, died at the Misericordia hospital in Edmonton.  He had been in the hospital for the past two months but we all (Dad included) were making plans for him to move to a facility in Edmonton where he could have a bit more care than at Canterbury Court (the seniors residence he founded which led to his decoration with the Order of Canada).  He died peacefully in the night after a wonderfully full day of visitors.

We are both saddened and shocked to have to provide this news to you.  We know, however, that Dad would have wanted to send one large message to everyone he knew to let them know that he cared for each of you and he loved to communicate with you all.  Thank you for sharing messages and community with Dad, he loved to have this access with you and to share information and knowledge.As one friend put it, "He was such a large presence in this life - it is so unlike him not to be here."

We recently had a large family gathering to honour his youngest daughter, Nancy, in her marriage to Shandip Saha.  Dad was incredibly strong to leave his hospital bed to go down the aisle with her and to celebrate with family and friends.We, his children, Susan (Alan Hobkirk - Vancouver), David Grantham (Calgary) and Laura Grantham (Edmonton) and Nancy (Shandip Saha - Edmonton) send this message to you with great affection for your friendship.

Since Susan and Alan have just begun a 30th anniversary trip to France we will wait until their return to Canada and have the memorial service then.  We will send an E-mail message to you with notification of the date and time of the memorial service to celebrate our Father's life.Dad would send greetings to you all and a very warm farewell.Sincere best wishes to you all from,Susan, David, Laura and Nancy


Past President Paddy Johnson a Rotarian and friend of Ron has prepared the following tribute to Ron

Ron joined Rotary in 1958, and served as Club President during 1963-64. 

 

Ron became a Professional Engineer in 1948.  His first position was with the BC Electric Corporation, where an early task saw Ron assigned to inspect some 724 transmission towers over a stretch of 230 mountainous miles.  His decision to do this on foot surprised his employers, who sent a crew to "rescue" him.  When the crew got stuck, Ron arrived, and helped release the stuck vehicle.

 

Ron attended MIT in 1951, where he studied Advanced Structures.  While on a visit to nearby Princeton N.J., he and his wife June were honored to meet Albert Einstein.

 

Ron joined Dominion Construction Company in 1958.  He left his mark on a number of buildings across Canada.  In Edmonton, when he visited a government-owned retirement home, he was distressed to see what he considered to be shocking conditions.  He convinced Dominion to build a non-profit, low-cost facility for the elderly, in concert with the Canterbury Foundation.  Despite opposition from neighbors, the project was approved by City Council, and Canterbury Court opened its doors in 1974.  Many years later (2008), Ron became a resident. 

 

Ron often related two Rotary vignettes:  He met a District Governor from Rabat, Morocco while attending an International Assembly.  Some time later, during hostilities in the Middle East, Ron became aware of some Canadians in the area who had not been heard from.  Ron placed a call to Morocco, and the (now Past-) District Governor was able to locate the "missing" Canadians, and confirm their safety.  Another favorite story involved an important meeting.  Ron traveled to Ottawa to attend the meeting with some people he had not previously met, and he was anxious to make a good impression.  On arrival at his hotel, he noted the "Rotary Meets Here" sign in the lobby.  His meeting was scheduled for the afternoon, so he elected to "make up" at the Rotary Club meeting, and was more than pleasantly surprised to find that both of the people he was to meet that afternoon were seated at his table.

 

Ron undertook to obtain approval from the University of Albert and the Alberta Government for a Graduate Degree Program in Peace Studies.  He helped raise funds to cover planning, and the program was approved and adopted by the Political Science Faculty.

 

Ron served on the Boards of Directors for Atomic Energy Canada and the Science Council of Canada.  He was a founding member of the Consulting Engineers of Alberta. 

 

Ron was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2002.  His appointment says this:  "He has shown a life-long dedication to helping others, both in his community and in his profession. A tireless volunteer with social, business and religious organizations, he served as a director of the Winspear Foundation, the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce and the Canadian Bible Society. He is the founder of the Canterbury Foundation where his leadership resulted in the construction of three senior citizens' residences in Edmonton. His colleagues, who hold him in high esteem, have benefited from his exceptional consensus-building skills and astute leadership."

 

The Rotary Club honored Ron with an additional Paul Harris Fellowship in 2009.

 

Ron died September 16, 2009.