Obituary of Ralph Hislop
Ralph Douglas Hislop, age 82, of Salt Springs, passed away peacefully after a short illness, surrounded by his family, on July 11, 2023 in the Aberdeen Hospital.
He will be missed dearly by his wife of 55 years, Judy; son John (Susan); daughter Trish (Randy Czerwinskyj) and those who thought of him as their “second dad”; grandchildren, Kieran, Ariana, Grayson and Rylan, who called him “Becky”, a long lasting nick-name given by the eldest; siblings, Glen (Mary), Theresa, Adele (Jude) and Gary (Carol); sister-in-law, Muriel; and so many other family and friends.
He is predeceased by his mother, Olive, and brother Wayne.
Born in Salt Springs, Pictou County, Ralph lived there for most of his life. He was raised by his grandparents, Ella and Jack, on the Six Mile Brook Road where he later met his future bride, and offered her a drive as she walked to church. Not long after, he was building their family home on that very same road. Ever since then, he has been a pillar of the community: a long-standing member of St. Lukes Presbyterian Church and its choir, a loved neighbour, and the community go-to guy. He was always the first to lend a helping hand to a neighbour, friend, or stranger in need. Whether something needed fixing, building or troubleshooting, there wasn’t a task he wouldn’t tackle.
He enjoyed being outdoors: fishing, four wheeling, snowmobiling, and gardening. He also loved music, whether traveling to bluegrass festivals, listening to Newfoundland tunes or in recent years, listening to the tunes in his head. He enjoyed making wine and drinking rum and water. He loved to talk and tell a good tale, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.
An electrician by training, he worked at Michelin Tire in Granton for more than 30 years, before retiring and taking on a new passion. Ralph took great pride in maintaining the Stillman Cemetery in Salt Springs on a voluntary basis. He spent countless hours mowing and whippersnipping (with his good buddy Fred), cleaning gravestones (with friend Donnie) and ensuring it was in tiptop shape for those visiting their loved ones. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Stillman Cemetery Fund, c/o Fred Hampton (contact: fhampton@hotmail.ca, 902-396-7871).
Visitation will be held on Friday, July 14,from 6:00-9:00 p.m.at Eagles Funeral Home. His funeral service will be held on Saturday, July 15, at 2:00 p.m. at Eagles Funeral Chapel in Westville with Rev. Barb Fotheringham officiating. His funeral service will be streamed live and may be watched by clicking on the following link: https://www.youtube.com/live/EoIxWTeEZp0?feature=share