Roland "Rollie" Frederick Gore

Dad was born to Thomas and Mildred (nee Paterson) Gore in Biggar SK on August 10, 1936. He passed away on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. Left to mourn his passing and to celebrate his life are his wife, Doris Croteau, and his children; Rhonda and Dave, Sherry, Tim and Cheryl , Leslie, Jill and Cal, his grandchildren; Morgan and Jamie, Gwyneth, Rhianne and Mac, Thomas, Bryden and Volonte, Luc, Stephanie and Joshua, Doris’ children; Rheanne and Richard and their family, Donna and Kevin, Paula and Gary and Wilf, his sisters: Muriel and Nigel, Rheta, Patricia and his sisters-in-law; Zonnia, Mirkalice and Merle and all of their families, as well as his many friends, neighbours and colleagues.

Dad’s early life was spent on the farm in the Duperow - Lydden SK district. He loved growing up on the farm and reminiscing about that time of his life. The family moved into Saskatoon in 1945, Dad attended Haultain School and the Saskatoon Tech. Collegiate. He was hired to work at the University of Saskatchewan, Crop Science Dept. in the spring of 1953 and he retired from there in 1994. Dad was passionate about his career and took great pride in the accomplishments of the department; 70 varieties of grains and pulse crops were developed during his tenure. He was seconded to work on the ZamCan Wheat Project in 1976-77 in Zambia, Africa and mentored numerous students that came to study at the U of S. He was also very passionate about sports, hockey and baseball in particular. He coached and played hockey for several years. He enjoyed reminiscing that as a kid he was able to watch Gordie Howe practice on a nearby rink. He bribed us with roasting pans full of popcorn every Saturday night so that he could watch Hockey Night in Canada in relative peace. He was an avid ball player and coach; he and Doris drove south every winter for many years to escape the cold weather and play ball. He also thoroughly enjoyed cheerleading for his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Dad loved road trips. Nothing was better than a community hall dinner in some small town. We often went camping and destinations were chosen just to see what various parks and campgrounds had to offer. He was a great supporter of events and festivals and he loved travelling to attend these throughout the province.

Thank you to the staff at St. Paul’s Hospital for their care and for understanding his sense of humour.

Donations in Dad’s memory may be made to St. Paul’s Palliative Care through the SPH Foundation.

Arrangements are entrusted to Travis Minor.

A Memorial Service will be announced at a later date.