Obituary of William Sleeth

Sleeth, William Murray ~ It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of William Murray Sleeth at Guelph General Hospital on April 1, 2015. William died peacefully with beloved wife Claudia Escandon by his side. Dear brother of Gordon (Kathy), Lynn McLean, Martha Testa (Steve) and brother in law Rafael Escandon (Maria Teresa), he will also be greatly missed by mother-in-law Alicia Vargas and many nieces, nephews and friends. William is predeceased by sister Laura, father, Murray, mother Helen McMillan and step father Max McMillan. Born on June 22nd 1955 in Hamilton Ontario, William spent his childhood and early teen years in Stoney Creek. He earned a Bachelor’s of Landscape Architecture from the University of Guelph in 1980 and developed his professional career at the City of Kitchener, where he was responsible for stewardship of many parks, trails and natural areas. In the spring of 2015, William was honoured with the Ontario Association of Landscape Architecture Public Practice Award for his contributions in the development of new public projects and policies that changed the face of the city during his career. William was a man of many talents, and shared generously with family, friends and community. His passion for life manifested in many areas, including garden design, paddling, hiking and downhill skiing. His creative skills are on display in his extraordinary naturalized home garden on the Speed River, his most significant touchstone and location of his annual solstice party. He loved the great outdoors and became an accomplished paddler over 40 years during many river trips to remote wilderness places, where he could become one with nature and embrace the challenges it presented. When the waters froze over for the season, William took to the slopes where he loved the freedom and speed of a good downhill run. He excelled to the level of White Water Canoeing Instructor and volunteer ski patrol. In his spare time, William practiced Tai Chi to stay balanced and focused and later took up bridge. His love of the world and its people took him to exotic places where he could immerse himself in different cultures and ways. He brought back his travel experiences in journals filled with stories and photos to share with his loved ones. These travels allowed him to pursue his passion for handmade textiles while getting to know the artisans who created them. He was a spinner, hand dyer, and knitter, never using a pattern and only dying with substances from the earth. William was active in his community and gave generously of his time and energy. He was a founding member of the Guelph Men’s Help Line and support group. He trained as a facilitator of Human Service Community using his communication skills, wisdom, and experience in many areas of life to improve and advocate for the needs of others. As a man who held a deep-rooted love for his community, he worked tirelessly to ensure that future developments in the downtown neighborhood retain green spaces along the river for people to enjoy and bridges to connect the community. William was an honest, humble, creative, unassuming, loving, and grateful man and an agent of change. He was an inspiration to those who knew him and will be deeply missed. We thank the medical team of Sunnybrook’s Odette Cancer Centre, the Guelph General Hospital - Chemotherapy Clinic and the Grand River Oncology Centre that provided excellent and compassionate care during his illness. A Celebration of Life will be held for William at GILCHRIST CHAPEL – McIntyre & Wilkie Funeral Home, One Delhi Street, Guelph , (519-824-0031), on Saturday April 18th, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. with visiting at the family home after the service of celebration. Memorial contributions to the charity of your choice would be appreciated. We invite you to leave your memories and donations online. Service Information Service Date Saturday, April 18, 2015 Service Time 2:00 p.m. Service Location Celebration of Life at the funeral home - 1 Delhi St. Guelph Requested Charity charity of your choice