Sands, Alan Bruce
Alan Bruce SANDS died peacefully at the Farm near Loretto on Friday, March 2, 2018 in his 85th year.
He will be remembered for his love of family, friends and “The Farm”, as well as his lifelong passion for vintage cars and motorcycles which often served as the vehicles for his many crazy adventures.
Alan loved to make people laugh. Whether it was a practical joke, slight-of-hand magic trick, or one of the countless humorous stories from his past, smiles were ever present. If you were not impressed by one of the above, he’d resort to sharing his knowledge of obscure trivia and meanings to English words which nobody knew existed.
Music too was a part of Alan’s life and Banjo playing was a lifelong passion, yet he could pick up anything and play a tune. Gather around a campfire and he would recite “the Cremation of Sam McGee” by Robert Service, word for word, from memory. No small feat and no one ever grew tired hearing it.
He was fortunate to have travelled through much of the world, making new friends where ever he went and finding humor in everyday life. He would never have wanted his obituary to be too lugubrious. I’m sure if he were reading this now he would have said “Guess who cocked his clogs”
Good bye Alan, Dad, Gumpy and thank you for being part of our lives.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

A tree will be planted in memory of Alan in the Dods & McNair Memorial Forest at the Island Lake Conservation Area, Orangeville. A dedication service will be held on Sunday, September 9, 2018 at 2:30 p.m. Condolences may be offered to the family at www.dodsandmcnair.com