John Franklin Cleland PhD

The sun came out in the late morning of January 19, 2021 as Dr. John F. Cleland exhaled for the last time. He was known to most as “Jack”; to me, Dr. Sally L. Cleland (Regina, Saskatchewan) and to my brother Dr. W. John D. (Laurel) Cleland (Kamloops, BC) he was known as Dad; to P. Kyla Cleland (Regina), Bonnie L. Cleland and Danny J. Cleland (both of Kamloops, BC) he was called “Grandpa”. He is also survived by his loving sister B. Marlene Ross (nee Cleland) of Yorkton, Saskatchewan and her children Sandee (Bill) Michalchuk (nee Ross) also from Yorkton and Colleen (Chris) Ross-Reitz of Red Deer, Alberta. Also known as Uncle to Lauren (Bob) Saveraux (nee Cleland) of Edmonton, Alberta, Jeri Anne Alverez (nee Cleland) and Sherri Van (John) Doren (nee Cleland) both of Westbank, BC and Rebecca (Collin) Harris (nee Cleland) of Tigard, Oregon and Brad (Deb) Cleland of Sylvan Lake, Alberta, Abbey (Duncan) Cleland (Dawson City, Yukon), Eric Cleland (Vancouver, BC) and Maureen (Bob) Corkal of Winnipeg, Manitoba. He also is survived by four (4) great-grandchildren: Aaliyah, Ava, Alex and Arabella. Dad is predeceased by his wife (our Mother) M. Ruth Cleland (nee Cavanagh) in 2008, his brothers Alexander Eugene Cleland (2004) and Robert W. Cleland (2005) and his parents William (Bill) Hector Cleland in 1986 and Cepha Adele Cleland (nee Phillips) in 1991.

Born in the city of Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Dad grew up in this prairie town during the Great Depression. His grandfather (Clarence Eugene Cleland) built (1920) and owned The Cleland Funeral Home (as well as the Saskatchewan Furniture Company, the Cleland Dance Hall and ran both the ambulance and taxi services). For all of these businesses at one time or another, Dad worked in as a growing lad either building “rough boxes” for the funeral home, attending ambulance calls with his Father Bill (who took over the funeral home business from his father Clarence) or answering the business phone – the telephone number was “95”!

Dad was part of the “Greatest Generation”. As he was too young to enlist in the Canadian Armed Forces during WWII, he did work in the Canadian Car and Foundry (Can Car) in Fort Williams, Ontario which was converted into an Airplane Factory where he learned to build Curtiss (SB2C) Helldivers for the US Navy and Hawker Hurricanes (Marks X, XI and XII) for the RAF. Later in life, he did obtain his own private pilot’s licence!

Our Mom and Dad were “high school sweethearts” and while she was attending Nursing School at Toronto General Hospital, Dad had selected Medicine as his “original” career path. In his first year of Medical School in Brandon, Manitoba, his roommate gave him a copy of Freud’s “The Interpretation of Dreams” (an 1899 book by Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis) and as they say, “the rest is history”. He transferred to Montana State University, Missoula, Montana and changed his career objectives to psychology earning both his Bachelor and Master’s degrees there. Mom and Dad fell in love with Missoula and this description mirrors everything they experienced: "There's this place...where the skies are big and the water flows. A place of deep roots and mountains of pride. A spirit of adventure and a culture of craft. And, through it all - the river runs." Aside from his studies, Dad loved to fish in his spare time in the many lakes and rivers nearby and Missoula is where I was born.

Dad, Mom and I returned to Weyburn and he accepted a position as Staff Psychologist at the Weyburn Mental Hospital where he had many novel experiences and adventures. And then “along came John”, my brother. Feeling the drive to complete his PhD, Dad moved us all to Regina where he had accepted a position as Clinical Psychologist at the Munroe Clinic, Regina General Hospital and had previously completed his Graduate Work at both Boston University and the University of Utah. He left the Munroe Clinic to begin a teaching career for over 20 years at the University of Regina (originally University of Saskatchewan, Regina Campus) where he did earn his PhD in 1970 while still maintaining his private clinical practice. He was mentored by and/or collaborated with many of his contemporary “greats” including Eric Berne, Fritz Perls, James Bugental, Rollo May and Irvin Yalom becoming proficient in and specializing in group psychotherapy and existentialism.

Many reading this abbreviated version of Dad’s life story also know of his love of playing the trumpet from his very early days as a high school student at the Weyburn Collegiate Institute to playing in numerous bands through the decades as well as having his own band on several occasions – starting with “The Lucky Seven” in the 50’s in Weyburn to “A String of Pearls” his Big Swing Band in Regina through-out the 80’s and 90’s most often with his brother, Alex on drums - he played his trumpet at both my and my brother’s weddings. He was an avid gardener, a compassionate therapist, a generous, kind and empathetic professor, forever reading and had a passion for hunting and fishing originally learning from his grandfather and father and then passing that passion to my brother John.

Dad was my first role model, my first mentor and he taught John and I how to be decent human beings - what greater gift could a parent give their children? Although both John and I are feeling very empty right now, I believe that the phenomenal memories, his life lessons and guidance and fabulous stories will eventually fill that void in our lives. His mantra was “Honour each moment for in it you experience a Miracle – the Miracle of Existence”.

He touched all who engaged with him whether it was aiding family members who needed his advice or supporting his clients through their own stresses and tragedies or encouraging his students to fulfill their dreams - he was the epitome of "living life to the fullest". He passed to the Great Hunting Ground in the sky listening to Glen Miller’s “In the Mood” with me by his side. Just a few days before he took his last breath, I found a little notation on a filing index card he had written: "To me success means genuine relationships ... authenticity". THAT is so "Dad". Good bye, Dad – Thanks for Everything!