with much cherished family at his side. In robust health until his final days at the age of 99, Alex led a full life of many chapters in far-flung corners of the globe. Born and educated in South London, as a young man he was a soldier stationed in Greece in WWII, he travelled and worked in Africa, at diamond mine in the Ivory Coast and in the Middle East, at an oil refinery in Kuwait, finally arriving in Canada where he fell in love with the beautiful Shirley MacPhail and settled down to fathering five children and a successful career in sales and general management in Toronto and Los Angeles.

An avid rugby player as a young man, he learned to skate and coach hockey in his 30’s, took up golf in his 40’s and stayed fit until his very last days with swimming and daily walks. Playing bridge competitively kept his mind sharp and earned him the accolade of grand master when he was in his 90’s.

Predeceased by his wife Shirley, his siblings Harry, Betty, Edie, Irene, Edna and Barbara, and many life-long friends, Alex will be remembered for his wry sense of humour and his strong sense of duty: first caring for his wife who passed away in her mid-seventies after a long illness and then caring for Beth his long-term partner in bridge and life when she was in need in her late 90’s. He will also be remembered for the passion with which he pursued his hobbies: whether cooking, knitting, rose gardening, woodworking making stain-glass creations, listening to opera, or reading historical novels, the bounty of his hobbies remains with us as tangible reminders of his wide-ranging interests.

Alex will be missed dearly by his children living near and far: Janet (Jean-Pierre Biver) in Brussels; Susan (Jean-Pierre DeBaere) in Paris; Bruce (Sharon Gingell) in Naples, Florida; Joanne (Andy Cooper) in Whitby and David (Pascale Duguay) in Quebec; and by his grandchildren: Ben, Nick (Sabrina), Sarah Cooper, Christian Carpenter and Vanessa (Per Welander) Carpenter and his many nieces and nephews in Canada, the UK and Australia.

A visitation will be held at the Oshawa Funeral Home located at 847 King Street West, Oshawa, Ontario – L1J 2L4 on Tuesday May 13th 2025 from 12:30-1:30pm followed by a service in the Chapel at 1:30pm.

OSHAWA FUNERAL HOME