Obituary of Robert Roland Reid

Oct 14, 1932- Dec 24, 2023

Robert Roland Reid, of Ballantrae ON, passed away peacefully at Markham-Stouffville Hospital on Christmas Eve at the age of 91.

Robert was born in Selkirk, MB to John “Rollie” Reid and Agnes “Acey” Reid, and grew up with his Brother Jack, and Sister Grace.

He obtained his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy at the University of Manitoba in 1955, followed by a Master of Business Administration at Ohio state University two years later.

He then moved to Montreal and went on to hold executive positions at Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, Cornwall Chemicals, CIL, and ICI.

Montreal is where he met and married his beloved Yvonne, to whom he was married for nearly 60 years. Yvonne passed in Feb 2022.

Bob was curious, energetic and adventurous. 

He introduced his family to his love of skiing, where they enjoyed many winters together in the Laurentians of Quebec, and then in Ontario following his employment transfer in 1979.  Summers were filled with wonderful memories of camping, including back-country canoe camping which had them exploring many of Ontario’s parks, lakes, and rivers.  He remained very active well into his late 80’s, most often walking the golf course and taking regular Pilates classes at the Community Centre. 

Avid golfers, Bob and Yvonne joined Sleepy Hollow Golf and Country Club in Stouffville in the early 80’s and built many lasting friendships because of this 40+ year membership which extended to include many fun gatherings in Florida and overseas trips.

They travelled extensively to countless places throughout Canada, US, and all corners of the world, returning with wonderful stories and capturing their adventures with many photos, thanks to Bob’s keen interest in photography. He planned every trip they took, making sure every moment was as enjoyable as possible, including taking a night-class to learn Italian prior to their trip to Italy.

Well known for his love of food and wine, he was a member of an Italian Wine Society, which met regularly for wine tastings, further fuelling his appreciation for wine.  He had a well-developed palate but was far from what one would consider a “wine snob”.  Although he thoroughly loved dinners out trying new and interesting restaurants, he often said that to be truly happy, one did not need a lot of money.

“All you need is the ability to make a simple, delicious meal at home and pair it with a nice inexpensive wine and good friends”.  This of course, was made possible by Yvonne’s excellent cooking skills, Bob’s relentless discoveries of new and wonderful recipes for her to try, and an abundance of good friends.

For decades, his nightly ritual of a “pre-dinner cocktail” was rarely missed.  Often, it was an ice-cold gin Martini or a “perfect” Manhattan, but his favourite had to be a well-made Negroni, further supporting the notion that he was Italian in another lifetime.

He will be dearly missed by his two children, James (aka Jake) Reid and Tracey (Shawn) Robinson, and the rest of his extended Family.

A Celebration of Life will be planned for the Spring.