He died peacefully on January 9, 2026. Dearly loved and deeply mourned by his wife of 48 years Chris MacLeod (nee Wright) of Cambridge; his daughters, Gwynedd Ramezan (Reza) of Waterloo, Julia MacLeod (Jordan Brown) of Trenton; his sister Kathryn Rosenstein (Hagop Artinian) of Montreal; six affectionate grandchildren, Jack, Henry, Diana and Ivar Brown and Juliet and Isobel Ramezan; as well as numerous nieces, nephews and kin including David Rosenstein and Lara and Mathew Artinian of Montreal.
Born and raised in Cambridge, upon graduating from Galt Collegiate Institute, Mr. MacLeod began a path of higher education which led him to many happy, fruitful years of study through a number of different disciplines including History, Law, and English Literature. After practicing law for several years, John decided to pursue a career in Education, passing on his passion for learning to countless young people both as a teacher at Galt Collegiate and Glenview Park Secondary School as head of the English Department.
Mr. MacLeod was a man of profound faith and moral conviction. He had an extensive interest in poetry and prose, particularly that of which was religious or Shakespearean in nature. His passion for classical music, most especially early music, remained with him until the end. The combination of these passions, and his deep-seated desire to be of help, comfort, and support to those around him, led him to his ordination as a priest with the Independent Anglican Church of Canada through which he officiated many weddings and baptisms. He loved a ceremony, celebration, and pageantry, and sought out opportunities to realize this throughout his life. He sang in the tenor section of a number of choirs around the region over the years. He volunteered for a number of organizations and events as Santa Claus, a role that perfectly embodied all the characteristics for which his life stood.
The family would like to thank all its relations on both the MacLeod and Wright sides, old friends, neighbours, and the medical team that supported John and Chris through these last few years.
John will be remembered for his intelligence, his humour and preeminent storytelling ability, his quirky and eccentric personality, and most importantly, his unwavering kindness.
A funeral service and memorial reception for Mr. MacLeod will be held at Trinty Anglican Church in Cambridge at 1:30pm on Saturday January 17th. Instead of flowers, the family requests donations to The Stratford Festival of Canada, The Canadian Children’s Literacy Foundation, or Oxfam Canada.
Arrangements entrusted to Corbett Funeral Home, 95 Dundas Street N., Cambridge, Ontario, N1R 5N6, 519-740-0669.
Service Details
Funeral Service
Saturday, January 17th, 2026 1:30pm
