William MacArthur

William Arthur Edgar MacArthur. But you can just call him Ed, Eddy or Pops. Or Killer!

Our beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend marked the end of a life very well-lived on Sunday, October 11, 2020. Ed died peacefully at home at 83 years of age with his loving wife Pat at his side. But as sad as we may be, we’re here to honour the man that made everyone he ever met feel special. And the only tears that Ed would approve of are the ones that come from side-splitting laughter.

A dedicated high school teacher, coach and tech director, Ed touched and helped shape the lives of thousands of students. And his decades of tireless work in his community earned Ed the respect and admiration of his lifelong Humberlea neighbours.

Ed’s story begins on December 27, 1936 in the small farming town of Saltcoats, Saskatchewan. He doesn’t remember it though because his family moved to Weston toward the end of the Great Depression. With the exception of a 2-year work assignment in Pembroke, he lived his whole life just a few blocks from his childhood home on Lilac Avenue. Bill & Margaret MacArthur put down roots in Humberlea in 1938 and soon after welcomed daughters Joyce, Jean and Sharron. By the time Sharron was born, Ed was already working his first job at Mason’s Garage at the ripe old age of 10. And he met his “child bride” at Melody Road Public School a few years later. 12-year old Pat had just moved up from Mimico and didn’t know anyone. Ed spotted her after school and called out: “Hey kid…can you play ball?” That school yard baseball game was the start of a 70-year friendship, love affair and marriage that blessed them with daughters Tracy & Terry, five grandchildren that he couldn’t get enough, a live-in mother-in-law who adored him and at least one dog in the house at all times!

Ed’s childhood was straight out of the TV show Happy Days – and he was Richie Cunningham! His circle of friends resembled the rest of the show’s cast: The Duggan, Hallsie, Teddy, Big Bad Bob and the Sharm. And a testament to their friendship is the fact that their wives, Jean, Delma, June & Shirley became friends too and still keep in touch to this day. Ed had a tough time academically in high school but he excelled in sports and the arts. He was the brunt of the boys’ jokes, especially when he read out loud in English class. But as his best man Jimmy Duggan recently noted, Ed was the first to get his own car and buy a house – and he was the only one who earned a degree. As Jim puts it: “In the real world, he turned us on our ears and left us in the dust.” Ed actually began teaching long before earning his teaching certificate and his B.A. – he was recruited from his drafting job at Sears to teach tech in Pembroke. Once a week, Ed would make the 9-hour round trip back to Toronto to complete his teaching certificate. The family returned home two years later and there was no looking back from there – his passion for learning and teaching had been ignited. Over the next four decades, Ed’s daily life included being a full-time teacher, full-time dad, part-time sign painter and part-time student. On that last one, he proudly stood up at U of T Convocation Hall to accept his B.A. a full year before Tracy graduated – something he had always promised himself he would do. Pat, Tracy & Terry describe this day as the proudest moment of their lives.

Teaching was Ed’s passion but he was also a very talented draftsman and sign painter. He designed many logos, including Melody Road Public School’s logo, which is now etched in stone at the site of the school just around the corner from his home. And Ed was also on the design team that created the original walkway over Queen Street that connected the Hudson Bay to the Eaton Centre. Never one to shy away from a challenge or getting his hands dirty, Ed was always there to help a friend or neighbour. Of course, it’s always the cobbler’s kids who have no shoes – when Pat asked him if he was ever going to paint their front door that he had primed years before, Ed ran his hand over the door and calmly observed: “It’s still a little tacky.”

Daughters Tracy (Fred), Terry (Terry) and Stephanie inherited his passion for life and love of family and friends. They also picked up a bit of his competitive streak, which he brought to the card table every time. Today, his five grandkids are all card sharks in their own right. Tyler, Connor, Meghan, Matthew and Joshua were his greatest joy. They always knew where to find Pops in the stands because he never missed a single game, ceremony, recital or play. Pops also taught them the importance of "keeping your eye on the ball" – in the game and in life. And shooting 18 with them as often as he could also taught them how to play by the rules. His sisters Jean, Joyce and Sharron will tell you that he could be a real pain in the backside growing up – and they loved it. And the countless friends he made through his work with neighbourhood associations, skating clubs, sports teams, school parent councils, euchre nights at the church, political events and annual events in Strathburn Park all remember him for his easy smile and his calm pragmatism in everything he did.

The memories of Ed's strong work ethic, his pranks, his love for his family and his commitment to his friends and neighbours will keep him alive in our hearts forever. We should all aspire to live life as Ed did – savouring every bit of it. He will be missed but never forgotten.