Obituaries
Obituary - Ruth McLennan
Ruth Isabel McLennan
December 4, 1932, ~ February 25, 2026
Sadly, we said goodbye to Ruth for now on Wednesday February 25, 2026, at South Muskoka Memorial Hospital with family by her side.
Loving wife to John, Mother to John (Nora) and Mark (Gaye), Grammy to Lucas (Amanda) and Zachary (Jaz), Great Grammy to Rhett and Henry.
She also leaves her sister Elinore (Russ) and brother Graham (Helen deceased) as well as many nieces and nephews.
With roots going back to the 1800’s on both her mother, Ellen MacKay and father, Orrie Avery. Ruth developed a fascination for both family and local history. This led to her researching and writing several books and to her volunteering at the Dorset Heritage Museum.
Ruth also had a deep appreciation and knowledge of nature. She belonged to the Forestry Club in high school and through them, she obtained 3000 pine seedlings which with the help of friends she planted two sites on Avery property.
Ruth attended public school in Dorset and Paint Lake and went to Huntsville High School. She then went to North Bay teachers’ college with the aim of filling her lifelong dream of teaching. Children in North York and Dorset benefited from her enthusiastic approach to education.
After caring for her Aunt Kate, Uncle Len and Mother as well as teaching she returned as Principal of the Dorset School.
She then had time to pursue her artistic nature: painting watercolors of many historic homes in the area and wood burning paddles and memorial boxes for family and friends. She also made lamp shades and cards from her pressed flowers and did beautiful embroidery panels as she watched the Olympics. Ruth’s crafts were always done for her own pleasure and satisfaction.
So true to her generous nature, on turning 90 she gathered her art together, invited her McLennan, McKay and Avery families to choose from her many crafts something that touched them personally.
Ruth was active in the Bracebridge Fair and won in many categories.
Ruth and John hosted many get togethers at the former Paint Lake Campsite which they started. These included over 50 years of Avery picnics, MacKay pancake breakfasts and friends for two church groups in Bracebridge.
She was active in the Knox United Church in Dorset over the years. She was in the choir, C.G.I.T Young Peoples and taught Sunday School.
In 1954 she was a delegate to the Young Peoples National Council in Winnipeg. On her return she was asked by Toronto Conference to organize the Young Peoples Presbytery for Muskoka. This was very successful bringing together youth from Parry Sound, Gravenhurst, Severn Bridge and Dorset. Life long friends were made at the many events and camps.
After moving to Bracebridge she attended Knox Presbyterian Church where she felt warmly welcomed and quickly became an intrinsic part of the congregation.
A Celebration of life will be held at a later date. Cremation arrangements entrusted to Cottage Country Cremation Inc. 55 Ann Street Bracebridge ON.
Ruth, by friends and family, you will be greatly missed.
Service Details
When
Saturday, May 9th, 2026 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Location
Knox Presbyterian Church
Address
315 Muskoka Rd N
GRAVENHURST, ON P1P 1G4
Get Directions: View Map | Text | Email
When
Saturday, May 9th, 2026 2:00pm
Location
Knox Presbyterian Church
Address
315 Muskoka Road North
GRAVENHURST, ON P1P 1G4
Obituary-Ray Alexander MacKay
Roy MacKay was born at home on July 22, 1936 in the village of Dorset. He was the third son of mother Doveina, and father Norman, and had two older brothers, James and Norman.
The family farm provided much of their food and the community of friends, family, school and church provided the rest.
He met his wife, Heather, when she took a job as a school teacher in Dorset and needed to board her horse at the family farm. They were married in 1958 and son Sandy and daughter Adrienne soon followed.
With help from others in the community, Roy built his family’s home on property that was formerly his grandfather’s sawmill site on Little Trading Bay. He lived there the rest of his life.
Roy started his working life as a Forest Ranger for the Department of Lands and Forests in Dorset in 1955. The Department was changed by reorganization in 1972 to become the Ministry of Natural Resources and his job was moved to the new district office in Bracebridge where he completed his career as District Forest Operations Manager in 1991.
As an avid outdoorsman, he enjoyed hunting, fishing, trapping, canoe trips and activities that often included snowmobiles and ATVs. In spring, he made maple syrup and tended a large garden on his property throughout the summer. If you dropped by for a visit, you would often go home with a jar of his homemade pickles, jams or jellies.
He was an active community member. He served a term as town councillor, several years as volunteer Fire Chief and 40 years as chair of the Paint Lake Pioneer Cemetery Committee. In his later years, many organizations benefited from his charitable donations.
Whatever Roy did, he did with a strong work ethic and loads of integrity.
Roy was predeceased by his father Norm, mother Doveina, brother James and his wife Alice and his own wife Heather. He is survived by his brother Norm and his wife Alice, his son Sandy and his wife Lori, his daughter Adrienne and her husband Andrew, grandson Caleb and his partner Kaylin and grandson Ethan. He will be deeply missed by them and by so many in the community that he was such a significant part of.
A fall at home in early November seemed to set off health complications that could not be overcome. He passed away less than three weeks later in Huntsville Hospital on November 19.
A Celebration of Life will be held at the Recreation Centre, 1051 Main Street, Dorset on Saturday, November 29th, 2025, all are welcome. The gathering will begin at 1130 a.m. with a short service at 12 noon. Lunch and visits with friends and family will follow until 3:30 p.m.
Donations in Roy’s honour can be made to Knox United Church or the Dorset Heritage Museum.
If desired contact Mitchell Funeral Home for assistance.
Obituary-Michael Buss
In Loving Memory of
Michael Edwin Buss of Dwight, Ontario
With sadness and gratitude for a life well lived, the family of Michael Buss announces his peaceful passing on August 13 th , 2025 at the age of 82. Mike was born on March 21, 1943 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the son of Waldemar and Della (Kaercher) Buss. In 1965, he married Joanne Kleinschmidt his wife of 60 years and they had two children, Gary and Jennifer. Mike is survived by his wife, Joanne, son Gary (Genevieve) Buss, daughter Jennifer McCague, grandchildren Madison McCague and Connor Buss, brother-in-law Michael DeLong, sisters-in-law Sally Jo and Terri Kleinschmidt and cousins, nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents and his sister Karen (Buss) DeLong and brothers-in-law Charles and Donald Kleinschmidt.
Mike attended the University of Michigan, obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Biology (1965) and a Master of Wildlife Biology (1967). He was employed by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources for 29 years, working as a wildlife biologist in North Bay (1967-70), Sioux Lookout (1970-73), the L.M. Frost Resources Centre in Dorset (1973-84), and as Regional Wildlife Biologist in Huntsville (1984-95). He also worked on Environmental Assessments of Forest Management in Thunder Bay during those years.
In retirement, Mike was Secretary of the Hunting Heritage/Hunting Future Working Group (1994-2004). He had a life long interest in history and the out of doors and was a true life long learner and mentor/teacher to many. His passion for responsible hunting, the use and history of flintlock muzzleloader hunting was legendary. After working with trappers for many years, he developed a keen interest in the history of the fur trade and developed a presentation for teaching that history, complete with the appropriate apparel, furs, a remarkable collection of reproduction fur trade items and the accoutrements of the fur trader. He felt strongly that many Canadians were not educated enough about the fur trade and its important role in Canadian history and worked hard to spread that information through various venue presentations.
Fond memories abound of his many hunting and fishing adventures with like- minded friends, family trips across Canada and special times spent at the family “camp” on Lake Penage. His grandchildren have made those lake times, and all times with them, his best memories. Mike and Joanne enjoyed road trips and often organized their travel around visits to friends and relatives. He was an artist and a craftsman, a log cabin builder, dog trainer and musher, and an avid environmentalist. He knew who he was, what he believed and acted on those beliefs.
An open-house in celebration of Mike will be held at the family home on Saturday, September 20 th from 1:00-4:00 p.m. All Welcome.
We don’t have enough words to thank our friends and relatives for their support, the staff and Royal Victoria Hospital Cancer Centre, the Huntsville Palliative Care Team, nurses Lindsay and Julie and Dr. Deborah Harrold for their compassionate care.
If desired, donations in memory of Mike to RVH Hudson Regional Cancer Program in Barrie, Hospice Huntsville, or Knox United Church in Dorset are appreciated.
RVH Hudson Regional Cancer Program
201 Georgian Drive
Barrie, ON
L4M 6M2
On-line: https://www.rvhkeeplifewild.ca/donate-today/ (note Cancer Program in comments)
Knox United Church, Box 213, Dorset, Ontario P0A 1E0
Hope Huntsville Palliative Care Team
Hospice Huntsville
100 Frank Miller Drive
Huntsville, ON
P1H 1H8
On-line: https://www.hospicehuntsville.com/donate-form/