Gary MacKinnon

April 7, 1962 – November 6, 2019

It is with tremendous sadness that we had to let go of Gary MacKinnon on Wednesday, November 6, 2019.

Gary is an example of ‘a life well lived’. Gary carefully crafted a beautiful tightly knit and colourfully passionate tapestry of Family, Friends, Skiing and all sports and Music stretching as far as Australia and New Zealand and across most of Canada.

Gary was born on April 7, 1962 in Beardmore, Ontario. He was welcomed enthusiastically and deeply loved by his parents, Joe and Helen and sisters Marilyn, Sandra and Holly. Gary had friends before he even came home from the hospital. Imagine that! A community of kids were waiting for him to join them. Some he stayed in contact with all his life (L.K.). Beardmore had a Ski Club at a nearby mountain called Moose Mountain. Since the family was already skiing, Gary was part of the weekend adventure. He was only two when he first rode down the hill on the front of Holly’s skis as trusting and fearless as ever.

Moving to Thunder Bay (Port Arthur) in 1965, brought the family new adventure and opportunity and Gary had the energy to participate in everything he could. He went swimming at age 4 with his Mom and began hockey at age 6. Hockey was the first sport Gary became passionate about. The whole family and their friends would spend hours at Grandview Arena cheering Gary and his teammates on and enjoying all their passes, scores and near scores. 

Early, in his high school years Gary developed two more passions to add to hockey; gymnastics and guitar. These added passions became a new focus. Those who knew Gary also knew he didn’t do anything halfway. Guitar followed by favourite music and friends lead to the creation of Gary’s band called Midnight Star. Band members Lori, Sandy, Brian and Bob quickly became part of the family.  Again, family and friends supported the new rock ’n rollers by becoming managers, drivers, bouncers, supervisors and indeed enjoyed hearing “Mamma let him play” played loudly in the basement of Robinson Drive.

As high school was drawing to an end, Gary changed his sport focus from hockey to alpine skiing.  He travelled as a CSIA Ski Instructor, honing his skills working in Banff Springs and Lake Mary Louise. For two years when winter ended in Canada Gary headed south to teach skiing in Australia and New Zealand. During his travels, Gary realized he also had a knack for golf. Then he had the perfect plan – ski in the winter and golf and play baseball in the summer, ‘no better place to do that of course but Thunder Bay’. 

When Gary returned, he married and settled into working at Loch Lomond. He focused on loving his own family and creating a mini hockey/golf team and mini musicians. His beloved sons, Thomas, Alexander and Jordan were all in! Gary had enough energy to keep them all busy.

Later, Gary and his family moved to Dryden where Gary managed the Dryden Golf and Country Club and

then on to Winnipeg where Gary owned and operated the Spring Hill Winter Park.  When he wasn’t busy working at the hill he was at the arena coaching his sons’ hockey teams, Gary was presented with awards from Sport Manitoba for his ice hockey and inline hockey coaching accomplishments. And if that wasn’t enough, he would find the time to spend with his buddies to play hockey and jam with his friends “The Wooden Sticks”.

As his sons grew, so did their talent in music, sport and academics. Gary was always so proud of his boys referring to them as “My Three Sons”.   It was his greatest pleasure to sit back and watch his boys turn into fine young gentlemen. When others would offer compliments about Thomas, Alexander and Jordan, Gary would say “Yup, they’re pretty good” with great pride and conviction. Gary was sure they would achieve their goals and become the best they could be. He consistently role modelled good sportsmanship, tenacity, forgiveness, never-ending patience and the importance of family. 

Gary’s career path changed when he chose to become a financial planner and opened his own business.  He loved helping his clients and worked hard especially during the tax season, he truly enjoyed when his clients would stop by just to chat and have coffee.  

After being together for nearly 10 years Gary and Gwen married at their friends’ home in Baden, Ontario and created a wonderful blended family. Together they have three grandchildren each of whom was learning to call their grandfather Pops (as Gary called his grandfather). Gary and Gwen enjoyed playing slo-pitch together for a couple of years before deciding that there were less injuries if he just stuck to golf. Gary enjoyed all levels of golf whether it was a relaxed round with Gwen so the two of them could quietly enjoy each other’s company or with the boys where his competitive nature could come out. For the last few years Gary was a member at the Wildewood Golf Course, this is where Gary and friends, along with Jordan entertained on Friday nights and at special occasions at the golf course. Gary loved playing his guitar and singing whenever he could, especially at local venues or at friends’ homes where he could get people to have fun and sing along with him.  He took pride in doing home renovations at his own house and helping friends with their projects and was always that good neighbor who would help anyone who needed it.

For the past 36 years, Gary has been a member of the Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance teaching hundreds of ski teachers and coaches throughout Canada. His focus was always on the promotion of alpine skiing and sharing the love of his sport while representing CSIA Central Canada. Gary is a CSIA Level 4 course conductor and two-time Western Canada demo team member for alpine skiing.  Gary was still intent on teaching when he learned of his diagnosis in late August.   His first question for the doctors was “can I still ski this winter?”  

Gary wasn’t ready to leave this world, he had so much he wanted to do. In the end, he was ready to take his Father’s hand and be guided above to watch over us all.

Gary was predeceased by his father Joe MacKinnon in 2007, his grandparents and many aunts and uncles.

Gary is survived by his devoted wife Gwen; Gary’s sons Thomas (Alexandra), Alex (Cassidy) and Jordan (Sarah); and Gwen’s children Sheldon (Sabrina) and Amanda (Ted); also his mother Helen and three sisters Holly of Thunder Bay, Marilyn (Terry) of Claresholm and Sandra (Benji) of Kelowna. Gary leaves three grandchildren, Kaden, Jessie and Gracelyn; as well as nephews Adam (Crystal) and Matt of Thunder Bay, nephew Cory of Oakville, and niece Hayley (Greg) of Calgary as well as grand-nephews and niece Reid (Thunder Bay) and Georgia and Malcom (Calgary). Each member of this family will feel this loss for years to come.

Gary’s family would like to thank the medical staff who took care of Gary at the Victoria General Hospital and the Palliative Care team who made Gary’s final days at home as comfortable as possible.  A very special thank you to our wonderful friends for their visits and help during Gary’s final days.

All of Gary’s friends, associates and clients, each and everyone, to numerous to name will remember Gary in their own special way for how he came into their lives and the memories they made together. 

We are all a part of Gary’s beautiful tightly knit and colourfully passionate tapestry. We can hold it in our hearts forever. We can continue his work as we create our own piece to share with others.

A Celebration of Gary’s life will be held on Saturday, December 7, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. in the Upper Hall at Dakota Community Centre, 1188 Dakota Street in Winnipeg.