Obituary Overview
Raymond “Ray” MacLeod
MacLeod, Raymond Harvey “Ray” – age 75 of Waverley, a man of many hats, died the morning of November 4, 2018, at the QEII in Halifax. He was a journalist, teacher, coach, outdoorsman, author and lover of his family.
Ray was born October 1, 1943 in Croydon, England, the son of the late Marie (Price) and Everett MacLeod. Raised in Kentville, he was a graduate of Kings County Academy, Acadia University and Mount Saint Vincent University. In 1998, he became the first person not educated in the United States to pass the Journalism Education Association of America’s exam to become a certified Journalism Educator.
While in high school, Ray taught himself journalism by reporting sports for The Kentville Advertiser, CKEN radio and The Halifax Chronicle-Herald. In 1965, he joined The Chronicle-Herald as a news reporter and later an entertainment columnist.
He spent several years as a reporter and outdoors columnist in Newfoundland, followed by a period as Resource Information Officer for that province, returning to Nova Scotia in 1973 as news director at CFDR Radio, Dartmouth.
Ray became an English teacher in 1978, winning recognition for combining journalism with cross-curriculum learning. In 1991, while at Cole Harbour District High, he created and taught Nova Scotia’s first full-credit high school journalism course. For this he was awarded the 1992 Hilroy Fellowship for outstanding innovation in Canadian classroom education. Ray and his students gave many workshops and won several other awards in scholastic journalism in both Canada and the United States.
For several years he was a very successful badminton coach whose players won many provincial and Atlantic titles. He served on the executive of the Nova Scotia Badminton Association as Director of Junior Development, creating the province`s Grand Prix program.
Creative writing was also one of his interests. In 1999 he founded the Metro High School Writer’s Circle, leading it to international recognition that included work for the United Nations, a presentation to the King and Queen of Norway and a reception by the Lieutenant Governor honouring the group’s work.
His volunteer projects also included terms as a national executive member of MusicFest Canada, The Students Commission and SchoolNet News Network.
Ray loved the outdoors and was a lifelong camper, canoeist and angler, often writing on these topics. For many years he trained school groups in camping and canoeing then led them through trips on the upper Gaspereau River system in Kings County that he had known since childhood. He was a freelance outdoors writer whose 2011 book Hope for Wildlife: True stories of animal rescue became a provincial best seller and a finalist for the 2012 Evelyn Richardson Award for non-fiction.
He was predeceased by his wife, the former Joanne Mann, Halifax, and is survived by daughter, Morgyn MacLeod (Chris Bright), Dartmouth; granddaughter, Tegan Bright, Dartmouth; sisters, Sheila (David) Ball, Chipman Corner, Sharon MacLeod, Kentville; nephew, Shaun (Aileen) Evans; nieces, Melissa (Tom) Secord, Meaghan (Tony) Martin and several grandnieces and grandnephews.
A memorial service to be held 1pm Tuesday, November 13th in Atlantic Funeral Homes, 771 Main Street Dartmouth, followed by a reception. Private family interment in Dartmouth Memorial Gardens.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory to Hope for Wildlife.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of RaymondRay MacLeod 2018..
Death notice for the town of: Dartmouth, Province: Nova Scotia
My deepest condolences to all the family members of Ray. I especially wish to extend my sympathies to his daughter Morgyn and her husband; his granddaughter, Tegan; and his sisters Sheila and Sharon and their respective husbands. Ray was a childhood friend of my. This was from our early childhood years in Kentville and into our teen years. After that we went to different places and careers. Again, my most sincere sympathies to all family members and to all who loved and were touched by this wonderful person.