Bob passed away peacefully on January 2, 2016 at Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon, with his family by his side.
He was born at home in the village of Cargill, Ontario on March 9, 1939 to Allan and Margaret Garland. He grew up learning about farming and making maple syrup on his grandfather Alfred’s farm. He also accompanied his father while he hunted and trapped in the area. He had many friends in his youth. He attended the one room school in Cargill for his elementary education and graduated from Walkerton District High School. He furthered his education in Toronto at an automotive mechanic trade school after which he apprenticed and became a licensed mechanic. Bob loved working on cars. This trade allowed him to travel to Saskatchewan for work in 1965 where he worked first at the potash mine in Esterhazy then to Saskatoon in 1967 working for various garages including Merlin Motors, eventually opening his own engine rebuilding shop. In Saskatoon he met and married his wife of 48 years, Carol Thomas. In Saskatoon, their children, Rob and Tammy were born.
In 1974 the family moved to Plato, SK where they owned and operated a hotel for 3 years before moving to the Garland family farm near Cargill. On their farm they had a variety of livestock, but were most proud of their registered Jersey herd.
In 1989, Bob moved the family to Sylvania, SK where they bought the Sylvania Hotel, and shortly after the Lac Vert Hotel, and operated both for several years. In 1999 they retired to a farm they had bought near McKague, SK. Bob kept busy with some beef cattle, haying and grain farming. He also was a part time operator of a pilot truck for Beeland Co-op when delivering bins to farmers’ yards in the Tisdale area. Bob liked telling stories and always had a joke, as all patrons of his hotels knew well.
Bob’s favourite pastime was fishing, an activity he enjoyed from early childhood until recently. His other passion was watching his Toronto Maple Leafs on Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday evenings. He also rooted for the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Toronto Blue Jays.
Bob is survived and dearly missed by his wife Carol, son Robert (Andrea) Garland, and their children Aubrey and Brant of Moose Jaw, SK; and daughter Tammy (Roland) Doerksen, and their children Madison, Carter and Caden of McKague, SK. Also surviving him are 4 brothers and sisters, Joan (Cliff) Johnson of Cargill, ON; Shirley (Bob) Cronin of Kitchener, ON; Pat (Sandy) Garland of Champion, AB; and Gary (Earlene) Garland of Walkerton, ON. He was predeceased by his parents Allan and Margaret (Hetsler) Garland and infant brother James.
Many thanks to the doctors, nurses and staff who cared for Bob during his illness.