A. ROY MACGILLIVRAY

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A. ROY MACGILLIVRAY

1926 - 2025

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Alexander Roy MacGillivray on July 26, 2025, at the age of 98. Roy left this world gracefully, surrounded by his family, after a brief illness.

Born August 27, 1926 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Roy lived a long and purposeful life of service. As a boy, he had witnessed the Second World War by watching the convoys of troops leaving Halifax Harbour, and by seeing the grief on the faces of those to whom he delivered telegrams with the sad news that one of their children had fallen. Undeterred, he tried to enlist in the Army, but he was initially turned down due to being underage. Ultimately, he enlisted on September 1, 1944 – a mere five days after reaching the age of 18 – and became the youngest member of four brothers to don a military uniform. Roy saw service during the Second World War, and more of it when he fought in Korea with the Royal Canadian Regiments. As a member of the peacetime forces, he was later stationed in various parts of Canada and Germany, including London, ON, Soest, Germany, Camp Gagetown, NB, and Rivers, MB, where he became a warrant officer and jumpmaster, training fellow paratroopers in airborne tactics. He also served with the NATO forces in Europe. He was awarded several medals for service in the Second World War and Korea, as well as one for long service and good conduct, and a Western Europe Special Forces medal.

He met his wife Gloria while serving in the military. After more than 36 years in the forces, Roy settled into civilian life in Winnipeg with his wife Gloria, a nurse, with whom he had three children. Always interested in sports, Roy became manager of the Winnipeg Canoe and Golf Club, worked for eight years as the official scorer with the Winnipeg Jets of the WHA and NHL, and then became Deputy Sergeant-at-Arms at the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.

Roy had a long and well deserved retirement after retiring from the Legislative Assembly in 1997. Ever the avid reader, Roy could often be found reading books, discussing politics, or doing crossword puzzles. For relatives outside of Canada, he was a wealth of insight on Canadian current affairs and governance until his final days.

Roy is pre-deceased by his wife Gloria, his son Bob, and his daughter Nancy. His passing leaves a void in the hearts of his surviving family members, including his daughter Cathy (Chris), his grandchildren Benjamin (Daviel), Bryan (Brittany), Andrew (Cairistin) and Jill, as well as his great-grandchildren Ellie, Gwen, Elsie, Nick, and a fifth great-grandchild arriving soon. He will be dearly missed by his long time companion Fran, who lived across the hall from him at the Deer Lodge Centre, as well as by many cousins and extended family.

Roy’s family expressed their gratitude for the exceptional care by the staff at the Deer Lodge Centre, where he had resided since 2022.

Cremation has taken place. In keeping with Roy’s wishes, no funeral or memorial service will be held. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Deer Lodge Centre Foundation, or, for loved ones in the United States, to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation.

Chapel Lawn Funeral Home

204-885-9715

Tribute Link: www.chapellawn.ca

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Aug 02, 2025