Obituary of Vaughn George Munroe

Vaughn George Munroe It is with great sadness and the deepest of love that that we announce the passing of our dear Dad, Vaughn George Munroe, 73, in Ottawa, Ontario on June 29, 2021. Vaughn left this world peacefully in the arms of his loving daughter, Joy, and with his son, Mark, standing supportively by his side. Vaughn is survived by his wife, Val (nee Mitenko) Munroe of North Vancouver, and by beloved family in Cape Breton, including his cousin, Brian Ferguson of Glace Bay. Vaughn was born on March 22, 1948, in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. He was the grandson of Edgar and Mary Emma Smith, of Birch Grove, and of George and Annie Mae Munroe, of Little Narrows. He was the only child of Gladys (nee Smith) and John Dan Munroe (of Baddeck, NS). Vaughn spent his childhood travelling the world, as his family moved to various RCAF bases in Spain, France, Texas, Vancouver, and throughout Nova Scotia. Although Vaughn spoke fondly of his travels, Cape Breton was always the home of his heart. Vaughn studied at Acadia University, where he was awarded a full scholarship to complete his BSc in Chemistry in 1969. During his undergraduate degree, Vaughn found inspiration and meaning in philosophy, psychology, politics, and applied sciences alike. As a natural problem-solver, Vaughn was inspired to be “useful in an ever changing, cold-war world”. This motivated Vaughn to gain his Professional Engineering credentials at Nova Scotia Institute of Technology (Dalhousie Engineering) in 1971 and pursue a career as a Chemical Engineer. Vaughn was highly dedicated to his work, including at St. Mary’s University, Nova Scotia Department of Mines and Resources in Halifax, and Natural Resources Canada in Ottawa. Vaughn’s creative and impressive career focused on understanding and utilizing sustainable energy sources, natural resources, and environmental conservation. Personified, Vaughn was an exceptional mixture of art and science. Vaughn held a wide set of interests, including being an avid reader, storyteller, traveller and history enthusiast. In his spare time, Vaughn enjoyed maintaining his Dartmouth heritage home, searching for antiques with Joy, cooking wonderful meals, engaging in world news, and spending time by the ocean, immersed in thoughtful conversation. Vaughn was delighted to become a father in his 40’s and loved nothing more than sharing the world with his kids. His legacy of ingenuity, kindness, passion for learning, and contributing to a better world, will live on proudly in his children. Vaughn’s kind heart, listening ears, thoughtful advice, wonderful stories, and smiling eyes will be greatly missed by his loved ones near and far. A service to remember and celebrate Vaughn’s life will take place on Friday Sept 17, at 1 p.m., at TJ Tracey’s Funeral Home on 370 Reserve St., Glace Bay, NS. All are welcome; A reception is to follow. Following, Vaughn will be laid to rest alongside his parents at Forest Haven Memorial Garden (1510 Grand Lake Rd, Sydney, NS) at 3 p.m. Cherished memories and stories of Vaughn are welcomed by his family, at jvgmunroe@gmail.com.