McNeice, Wallace Sherwood
Died suddenly in his sleep May 19, 2013 in Barrie, Ontario. He was 77. Born August 23, 1935 in Bracebridge to Evelyn Alice Hill (1906 - 2003) and Thomas Simpson Taylor McNeice (1902-1979), WaIly lived his early years in Sudbury and Bracebridge. At an early age, he demonstrated the love for the outdoors so it was not surprising that he obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of New Brunswick in forestry. Although he swore like it was a whole language unto itself, told colourful jokes and could not be politically correct at times, when someone was in need of help he was always willing to assist. Not a handy man, many will remember the legendary way that WaIly could fix anything using duct tape, electrical tape and a bungie cord. Whatever you thought of Wally, he had character. His antics led him to be the lead character in a fictional novel by his friend Jim Moran called The Sentinel: A Wildfire Story. WaIly's work at the Ministry of Natural Resources allowed him to create property management plans for the county. These plans ended up garnering the country millions of dollars of revenue from lumber sales. His work was acknowledged in several ways including the County of Simcoe naming a tract of land after him. Wally thought that having the book about his character and having a tract of land named after him were better than sex. At a young age, he wed Mary Susan Richardson (1943-1979) and then later Grace Eileen Grawbarger (Carter) (1940-1999). He is survived by his two children, Gordon (Nancy) McNeice of Barrie and Barbara (Claire) McNeice-Stallard of California and one step-child, Drew (Melanie) Carter. Also surviving him are his three brothers, John, Ross (Lynn) and Greg (Bev), three grandchildren (Ian, Christopher, Graeme) and many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. Special thanks to the staff of the Mulcaster Mews Retirement Residence for their generous time and effort to help a forester adapt to community living. He never liked conforming to anyone's rules so much so that he would call his world "WaIly World". Friends may call at the Steckley-Gooderham Funeral Home, 30 Worsley St., Barrie, on Thursday, May 23, 2013, from 2-4 & 7-9 pm. and on Friday, May 24, 2013, from 10 am until time of funeral service in the chapel at 11 o'clock. Interment at Barrie Union Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada or your favorite charity. Condolences can be forwarded to www.steckleygooderham.com.