Obituary of Robert Wheaton

Dr. Robert “Ross” Wheaton June 22, 1928 – April 24- 2016 Ross was born June 22, 1928 in London, Ontario; middle child of three children to his parents Bob and Mabel Wheaton who raised purebred cattle on their farm. The Wheaton family moved to Saskatoon, where Bob worked as a church caretaker and Mabel worked as a bookkeeper and piano teacher. The Wheatons had a garden that encompassed thirteen city lots and Ross would deliver cobs of corn and other vegetables by bicycle to anywhere in the city for 25 cents. Ross was a brilliant student and skipped two grades in elementary school. He graduated from Nutana Collegiate when he was 15 years old and studied Biology at the University of Saskatchewan; where he also played basketball for the U of S Huskies. Ross was working on a Master’s Degree in Fish Biology and worked for the Fisheries Department, conducting research on Great Slave Lake, where he met his good friend Eric Paetkau. Ross fell in love with the north and travelled down the Mackenzie River in a freighter canoe. Ross worked at the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club as a greens keeper all through university. Ross’s love of biology led him to return to Saskatoon to study Medicine and he graduated from the College of Medicine in 1957. Ross married Ritva Pohjavouri in 1958 and they bought some land north of Saskatoon in 1960.This would become Mark II Farm, a standardbred racehorse farm, and home to Ritva's German Shepherds. Ross kept up to forty horses, the most famous of which was Mark Majestic, who at one time held the track records at Regina and Edmonton, and was the racehorse of the year in Alberta in 1977. Ross trained and raced the horses himself, and won many races all while running a family medical practice. Ross and Ritva’s daughter Leslie was born in 1963. Ross started his medical career working for Dr. H. Dalgleish and Dr. G. Kinsman and later then joined with Drs. E. Baergen, and W. Hathway,in the Medical Arts Building, and later with Dr. N. Kavanagh. Ross delivered over 3500 babies during his general practice and retired in 1972. Ross served as the Head of the Saskatoon City Hospital Emergency Department for many years and was Santa Claus for the Operating Room staff; Ross even had his own Santa suit which he also later donned for his grandchildren (Jovana, Mara, and Tatijana). Ross later worked at the Cancer Clinic and served as the Health Officer at Intercontinental Packers and Marquis Downs. Later, Ross enjoyed doing surgical assists with Drs. Robert Shannon, Graeme McIvor, Jack Reilly, Jeff McKerrell, and others and mused that he would have been an orthopedic surgeon if he could have started again. Ross was a great friend to many of the medical and nursing staff at SCH .Ross was a great curler and won the Canadian Medical Bonspiel in 1965 with Drs. G. Kinsman, E. Baergen, and J. Mann; He later teamed up with Drs. Trevor Treen, Briane Scharfstein, and Ernie Klassen wearing wacky overalls, two brimmed hats, and curling sweaters, to show everyone just how enjoyable curling could be. Ross had a love of flowers, and gardening and he grew lots of native plants at Little Bear Lake, including his amazing Himalayan impatiens. He was happy working outsidewhile soaking up the sun or working indoors making amazing multigrain bread and great soups. Ross also enjoyed jazz and did all his own artwork for his annual Christmas card. Ross loved to read books, especially stories about the north and early explorers. Ross enjoyed golfing with John Yano and Elwood Flynn; they would attend the annual tournament in Minot together on Labour Day weekend. Ross was a member of the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club, and served on the Board of Directors of Saskatchewan Mutual Insurance Company for 34 years, from 1972 to 2006. Ross moved into the Bentley senior's residence after leaving his cabin at Little Bear Lake and was very active in weekly Bible study, Friday chapel, the choir, and taught a seated exercise class three mornings a week that was always well attended. Ross had a great time doing puzzles with his dear friend Frank Strange. Ross was extraordinary at tying flies; he loved going fishing at Versailles Lake. Peter Barrett , Larry Taranger and Dick White would help Ross to get in the float plane, and they were off. Peter and Sue Barrett kindly drove Ross out west whenever they were headed to Calgary so that Ross could see his beloved grandchildren. The Barretts also took Ross to Huskie basketball games, of which he was a fan. Robert and Renis Shannon also accompanied Ross out to Calgary and looked after Ross when he was recuperating. Ross lived a great and full life and whatever he did, he did with great gusto. Ross worked very hard over the years and was loved by his family and all who knew him. He was predeceased by his parents, Bob and Mabel, older sister Joyce, brother-in-law Nick Gulenchyn, and younger sister Ruth McIntyre. Ross is survived by his daughter Leslie(Radovan), his three granddaughters Jovana, Mara, and Tatijana, Leslie's mother Ritva Wheaton, his brother-in-law Dick McIntyre(Zoe), niece Pat(Doug) Prentice, their children Lindsay(Karl)and son Walker, and Alexandra(Steve)and son Louie, his niece Heather(Keith)Anderson and children Kyle and Lindsay ,his niece Moira McIntyre, and nephew Tom Gulenchyn, his cousin Ross(Trona) Wheaton and family, and great aunts and uncles in Ontario. The MacWhirter's were a second family to Ross and he is survived by his great friend Phyllis, daughter Jill (Rob) Friedt and their daughters Jenelle(Rob) and Tamara(Kelly), son Ken, son Bob, and family. Ross’s family would appreciate Memorial Donations to the Saskatoon City Hospital Foundation in lieu of flowers. Ross was a City Hospital man through and through.