Ives, William Raymond Alexander

Ives, William Raymond Alexander (1954-2000)
‘Sandy’ to family and friends, ‘Raymond’ to the CRA and those he didn’t like, and also known lovingly and variously as Beacon, Doc, the Professor, Crackers, Flash, and (Ballroom) Blitz greeted this Earth on August 1, 1954 and lived upon it for a further 24,181 days with great joy, unending cheer, and sharp wit. His final moments in the ICU were shared with his wife Maureen Mark, daughter Emily Ives, and son Roger Ives at his bedside, while his father Bill Ives and other family members spoke loving farewells and held vigil via WiFi links. His mother Joan Ives-Coleman, who pre-deceased him by almost two decades, was present via a link that had nothing to do with WiFi but everything to do with love. Sandy crafted a life full of beauty and goodness, expressed through the colours of his floral creations, the curves of his “cultured firewood” woodturning art, and the slyly unrelenting generosity that he bestowed wherever he saw the chance. Donations in memoriam can be made to the Dr. R. E. Ives Bursary through cheque (Dr. Raymond Ives Award Fund 827339 Mulmur/Nottawasaga Townline, Creemore) or etransfer (busib4u@gmail.com) or the Juravinski Research Institute Fund (McMaster University). A virtual Celebration of Life will be held November 1, 2020 at 1 p.m. RSVP: sandy.ives.memorial@gmail.com.