Obituary of Lawford Ronald

Ronald Lawford March 14, 1946 - October 20, 2016 It is with sadness that the family announces that the sudden death of Staff Sergeant Ron Lawford (retired) occurred on Thursday, October 20, 2016 at age 80 years, at St. Paul’s Hospital in Saskatoon. Ron is survived by his Daughter Ronda and his granddaughter Allicia, his Son Rory, his daughter-in-law Jenn and his grandchildren Kieran, Liam and Sarah, and by his sister, Sheree and brother-in-law Christian. He was pre-deceased by Lillian, his devoted wife of 55 years. He is also survived by his loving partner in his final years, Valerie Sjovold. Ron was born in 1936 in Toronto, Ontario to Henry and Edith Lawford. As a young man, he attended Riverdale Collegiate, working summers as a lifeguard. Following high school and a brief stint playing with the Toronto Argonauts, Ron joined the RCMP in 1954. He trained at RCMP depot in Regina and over the course of his career he was stationed in Prince Edward Island, Moose Jaw, Regina, Kamsack, Imperial, and Hudson Bay before being transferred to Saskatoon as Officer Command. During his RCMP career, his accomplishments included founding Canada's first SWAT team, training at Quantico with the FBI, founding the Saskatoon Rape Crisis Centre, heading security for Queen Elizabeth II’s Royal Visit to Canada, instructing and leading underwater recovery teams, qualifying as a pilot and so much more. At the rank of Staff Sergeant, Ron retired from the RCMP after 25 years of service. From there he then soared in a near 20-year career in Financial Services - eventually managing the Canadian division of one of North America's biggest and oldest insurance companies. After retiring again, he then became a travel agency owner as well as a motivational speaker, a crisis counselor trainer for First Nations, a Law Enforcement instructor and a driving instructor. A member of Saskatoon Central Lodge, Ron was proudly a lifelong Mason, joining the fraternal order in 1954. He was also an active Shriner with Saskatoon’s Wa Wa Temple and President of the Saskatoon Shrine Clowns for decades. Himself a cancer survivor, he worked with the Hope Cancer Centre of Saskatoon and countless cancer patients as a counselor and supporter. Ron loved to travel near and far - hunting and fishing in Saskatchewan’s lake country, scuba diving in Mexico, Cuba, Florida or the Dominican Republic, riding a camel in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, visiting ancient temples in Thailand and cruising Alaska’s shores. As “Bubbles The Clown”, and later “Bubs” (Bubbles’ better looking younger brother), Ron dedicated a lifetime bringing laughter to children – even fulfilling his lifelong dream of performing centre-ring in The Shrine Circus. Ron was also a car buff, an avid reader and a lover of animals. In lieu of flowers, Ron and his family ask that donations be sent either to The RCMP Veterans Assistance Fund, or to the Saskatoon Zoo Society’s “Grey Wolves Adopt-a- Critter”.