Obituary of Walter Sloan

Walter Wesley Sloan. Born November 6, 1923 at Radisson, Saskatchewan. Died October 29, 2008 at 84 years at Doctor Cooke Extended Care facility after almost 11 years residence. He is survived by his wife, Jean and three children Coral, (Abduallah Habib), Warren (Pete) and his wife Mona, and Kevin. Two sisters, Edna Clutterbuck and Sylvia Fisher. Umpteen nieces and nephews, grandchildren, great grandchildren, great nieces and great nephews. The funeral was at the Knox Presbyterian Church. Now let me tell you about his wonderful funeral. Granddaughter Jo-Lynn Sloan made a marvellous DVD of his life, and Rod Pruden supplied the background music. These played as the people arrived. The whole service was planned and performed by the extended family. Pastor Ken Fisher, Walt's great nephew and Pastor Pat Fisher, his niece did a wonderful tribute celebrating his life. Extended family members, Randy Smith first read the 23 Psalm, then Randy, Shandra Pruden, Pam Minnish, Jo-Lynn and Mona sang "Amazing Grace", accompanied by Shauna Sturge. It was most moving and Walter would have loved it. Mona (Pete's wife) surpassed herself with a eulogy that put everything into prespective. It was a wonderful tribute. Walt's pallbearers were: his sons Warren and Kevin, his grandson Jonathon, his granddaughter Jo-Lynn, his step grandson Chris and our very dear friend Rick Goulet. Could any man wish for better? My 13 comrades of the Royal Canadian Legion, provided the Honour Guard, thank you. Glenn, Dale and Dave McCaw's professional work was even better than usual. Truly they are a family whose career was well chosen. A neighbour who grew up across the alley, David Wallace did the layout in the cemetery. The Knox Presbyterian Church was filled with friends and well wishers, and the ladies of the Church, Ann, Jaqueline, Elaine and Ursula provided such a wonderful lunch. Walt's resting place is in the old part of the cemetery, not far from his father. The weather was perfect, with bright sun and no wind, an autumn day to remember. Truly it was the most beautiful service I have ever witnessed, and I thank our old friends for their tributes, gifts and well wishes. It was a joyful service celebrating his life, and I sincerely hope everyone felt as uplifted as I was. To Dr. Tom Cavanagh, and the staff - care givers, kitchen, housekeeping, activities, and administration of the Dr. Cooke Extended Care for their very special care of Walter for all those years, and for all our family during the last days. Their caring and devotion well above the call of duty will ever be appreciated. Sincerely, Jean H. Sloan Coral, Abduallah, Pete, Mona, and Kevin Eulogy Walter Sloan On behalf of the Sloan family, I would like to thank you for joining us for the celebration of Walter's life. I am Walter's daughter-in-law, Mona. It is quite an honour for me to give this eulogy for such an exceptional man. Walter Wesley Sloan was born November 6, 1923 in Radisson, Saskatchewan to William and Mathilda Sloan. Walter grew up with four sister, Doris, Stella, Edna and Sylvia. Walter's mother passed away when Walter was only six. This left such a void in his life. Walter's sister Doris and Edna raised him. When Walter first met Jean, Jean already had a boyfriend that was stationed elsewhere. Jean's sister Coral said that Jean might as well come out on a double date with her and her beau and a guy named Walt. Walter at that time was delivering mail. I would have to say that he was a little smitten with her because the letters that her boyfriend wrote never made it to her house again. Hence, Jean and Walter were married January 27, 1945 when Walter was still in the army. It's hard to believe that they shared 63 years of marriage. Coral was born in 1945 in Barrie, Ontario. Warren was born in Lloydminster in 1949 and six years later, Kevin was born. Anyone that knows the Sloan family knows that there was a forth child. Floyd Klashorst came to work for Walter when he was just 13 years old. Walter and Jean loved him like he had always been there. He is a very dear friend and ally for the Sloan family. Walter loved being a grampa to Jo-Lynn, Mark and Jonathan. We would take them to visit Grampa and he would fill them up with pop and donuts and then Warren and I would have to take them home wound up from the sugar. He would play board and card games with them, or just talk to them. Most importantly, Grampa listened to them. Each of them has special memories. He also has 4 great grandchildren, Jo-Lynn's daughter Sianna and son Ash and Mark's daughters Danni and Bridget. Due to the circumstances, these four were unable to enjoy what our children enjoyed with Grampa. We will make sure that the great grandchildren know who their grampa was. Walter was an extremely intelligent man who was 25 years ahead of his time. He could envision what most people could only hope or dream of. The world was not ready for a man like Walter. Walter went to Chicago in 1962 and came back to Canada with 4 Speedcats. Today you know them as Bobcats. He had one for himself and intended to sell the other 3. Walter sent Floyd out on the road to promote these. The speedcat cost $4, 000.00 and a person shoveling in those days earned about $1.80 per hour. People didn't share the vision of how this in the long run would save time and money by covering more ground in a shorter time. In 1983, Walter became involved with the promotion of an airship called Aircruiser. The innovation behind this was that it could be used for freight or passengers. It would set down anywhere, no landing strip was needed. The first one that he would have produced was to be called Walter's Dream. People thought that there was no way that this would ever come to life and the majority of people that he talked to about it thought that he had lost it, and yet again, they are now using these in Europe for the exact thing that he said. In 1969, Walter designed and built a Snow Wing that could be used on a loader. When there was no work to be found, Walter would go and make work so that he never had to lay any of his crews off. To supplement income, in 1947 Walter thought that selling newspapers was a good idea. Saskatoon Star Phoenix told him that he would have to get 200 subscriptions and then he could be the distributor. He doubled that and that was the start. They started out with 3 kids and ended up with 56. In the 36 years that Jean and Walter did the papers, they had 10, 000 kids. In 1948, Jean and Walter started Acme Enterprises and if you have called their house, you would hear Jean still answering Acme. Walter would work from before sunrise to sunset and beyond. He would have people using yardlights so that he could work when it was dark so he could finish tilling their garden. Coral told us about when Walter used to take her to work with him. She was just walking and he would put her in front of the tiller so that she could pick the rocks for him. Walter taught Coral, Warren and Kevin at an early age the importance of a good days work and how important it was to do it right and what that meant to the inner person. Before horse whisperers or dog whisperers were even recognized, Walter was one. He could train a dog or a horse with just his voice. Walter loved his dogs. They were a large part of his life. It was a big joke for the RCMP to send their rookies to God's Little Acre to check the property. If Walter wasn't there, the dogs would hold the cop there until Walter came back. Jean and Walter knew each other like the back of their hand. That can happen after that many years of marriage. Something wasn't right. One day while Jean was reading a Life magazine, it became clear what it was. Years later Walter was diagnosed with Manic Depression. Manic Depression is a disorder in which the person has extreme highs followed by extreme lows. Each time Walt would have an episode, he would get a little higher and get a little lower and they would last a little longer. When Walter was diagnosed, it was not acceptable to have a mental illness and many episodes were covered by the family. Jean and the kids always stood behind him. Just because Walter had a mental illness, meant nothing. He was still a productive man at the best of times and the family stuck together because, being a Sloan was important and that is what Sloans do. You don't turn your back on your family. The name Walter means army of masses. His life has been a poetic journey to say the least that touched not only my life, but everyone's life that is here in some way. To end this tribute, I have a poem written by Warren Hansen called The Next Place That I Go. The next place that I go will be peaceful and familiar As a sleepy summer Sunday and a sweet untroubled mind And yet it won't be anything like any place I've been Or seen or dreamed of in the place I leave behind I won't know where I am going and I won't know where I've been As I tumble through the always and look back towards the when I'll glide beyond the rainbows I'll drift upon the sky I'll fly towards the wonder without ever wondering why I won't remember getting there, somehow I'll just arrive But I'll know that I belong there and feel much more alive Than I've ever felt before I will be absolutely free of the things that I held onto, that were holding me The next place that I go will be so quiet and so still That the whispered song of sweet belonging will rise up to fill the listening sky with joyful silence and unheard harmonies of music made by no one playing like a hush upon a breeze. There will be no room for darkness in that place of living light Where an ever dawning morning pushes back the dying night The very air will fill with brilliance as the brightly shining sun And the moon and half a million stars will be married into one The next place that I go won't really be a place at all There won't be any seasons, winter, summer, spring or fall Nor a Monday, nor a Friday, nor December or July And the seconds will be standing still while the hours hurry by I will not be a boy or girl. A woman or a man I'll simply, just simply be me, no worse or better than My skin will not be dark or light, I won't be fat or tall The body I once lived in won't be part of me at all I will finally be perfect I will be without a flaw I will never make another mistake or break the smallest law And the me that was impatient or was angry or unkind Will simply be a memory of me I leave behind I will travel empty handed. There is not a single thing I have collected in my life that I would ever want to bring Except the love of those who loved me and the warmth of those who cared The happiness and memories of the magic that we shared Though I will know the joy of solitude, I will never be alone I'll be embraced by all the family and friends I've ever known Although I might not see their faces All hearts will beat as one And the circle of our spirits will shine brighter than the sun I will cherish all the friendship I was fortunate to find All the love, all the laughter in the place I leave behind All these good things will go with me they will make my spirit glow And the light will shine forever in the next place that I go. Donations may be made to A Charity of the Donors Choice