McLaughlin, Jeffrey “Jeff”

In loving memory of Jeffrey McLaughlin, an amazing man, husband, and father who passed away peacefully Wednesday, June 17, 2020. Born in Sarnia, he was the son of the late Douglas and Maxine McLaughlin (nee Haywood). Jeff was a loving husband and best friend to Kate; a beloved father to Beatrice, Eloise, and his four-legged son, Willie; and brother of Pat (Jeri), Dan (predeceased), and Lori (Ian). Jeff was loved and admired by his nieces and nephews Amy (Aleks), Zachary (Jamie), Mike (Stephanie), Katie, Danielle, Violet, and Bella-Sophia. Jeff also wanted to be certain to leave a special thank you to Beth and Roger Cassey for their care and support, which enabled him to stay home surrounded by love and enjoy as much golfing as time would allow, which was thankfully far longer than we thought possible. Jeff was born October 15^th in a special year, 1961: the “upside down” year. He was a special person who brought joy to all who were fortunate enough to know him. His big, goofy grin would win people over immediately. Jeff was an outstanding student-athlete during his high school years. As a quarterback, he led his Northern Viking teams to numerous championships and was an accomplished javelin thrower, setting records on many occasions. A very humble person, he seldom shared his triumphs with many people. Jeff graduated from the University of Toronto with a BSc in Chemical Engineering, then went on to complete his Masters and PhD in Metallurgical Engineering. He had a passion for mineral processing and fondly remembered his time working in plants across Canada and the States. Jeff was happiest at work when he was leading people to achieve results they never thought possible. He truly enjoyed his days engaging with employees, remembering all their names, and wanting to know how their families were doing. His greatest pride, by far, were his two daughters, Bea and Ella. He would regularly look at Kate and say with great awe, “We did that.” Jeff was a great Dad who loved to go for walks, go swimming, and even body surfing with his girls. One of his proudest stories was how we took Beatrice bird hunting when she was only a few days old. On one of our many trips over the past few years, Jeff had the joy of introducing his girls to his other true love, the Raiders. If you knew Jeff, you knew it had to be silver and black. We would like to thank Dr. Tracy Hayes and the entire team at Oak Lodge for the extraordinary care they offered Jeff. You not only made Jeff feel safe, but you included him as a part of your family of caregivers. We truly appreciated that you saw the gentleman that Jeff was. Due to COVID restrictions, and per Jeff’s wishes, there will be no service or visitation. We will, however, host a celebration of Jeff’s life once it is safe for us all to gather and remember with joy what an amazing man Jeff was and the mark he left on us all. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Jeff’s name, directly to the Alzheimer’s Society. In the meantime, please raise a toast to Jeff, and know that he will be right there enjoying it with you.