With love, appreciation, and great sadness, we announce the passing of a steadfast family man whose quiet strength, hard work, and perseverance defined him to the very end.
Roger left us peacefully—and perhaps stubbornly—at home, as he wished, with his wife Marilyn by his side, on Sunday, January 18, 2026, in his 85th year.

Roger was born in Kitchener, Ontario, on October 25, 1941, to his father, Private Ronald Whetstone, who was part of the war effort, and his mother, Rita Triffo. As was particularly common at the time, Roger was raised by his grandparents, Clarence (“Ike”) and Annie (Searle) Whetstone, whom he loved dearly. Being raised by Ike and Annie expanded Roger’s family to include dear brothers and sisters Elmer Whetstone, Eunice Reist, Nancy Seip, Dan Whetstone, and Mary Coole, all of whom he is now reunited with; while Wayne Whetstone and Sharon Koenig will miss Roger deeply, as will Delbert & Valerie Whetstone, with whom he shared a particularly strong bond.

By 1960, Roger was making his way in Kitchener when chance brought Lucy Kaminski to apply for a job at People’s Store. Within a year, working together led to marriage. Their lives were blessed with Julie, Stephen, and the late Brian—gifts Roger cherished deeply.

Roger worked at Indiana Steel, Uniroyal, and Rumpel Felt, meeting life’s challenges—some self-inflicted, most not—with hard work and resilience. This resilience carried him through life’s path and into a new chapter of family and love when he married his soulmate, Marilyn, on September 17, 1977.

Marilyn, and the ever-expanding Ontario Hydro, brought Roger to Bruce County and ultimately Paisley, Ontario. Roger loved Paisley and had found home.
Jim joined the family in 1981, and Roger cherished his second chance at fatherhood. Working hard to ensure everyone always had enough, Roger truly came into his own—not just as a father, but as a Dad.

Overtime shifts at Hydro, six-day workweeks that became customary, and lengthy secondments to Pickering reflected his belief that hard work is never overrated and proved that you can go a long way if you simply keep showing up—lessons he instilled deeply in Jim.

Roger showed up beyond work, becoming a quiet leader in both the minor sports community and his church. He loved coaching minor hockey, softball, and baseball over many years as Jim grew up. Those years in sport created lifelong bonds with many young people, including James, Zach, and Rob, who were especially meaningful to him.

Summers were spent at Arran Lake where fishing, campfires, horseshoes – horseshoe tournament wins (maybe one or two horseshoe afternoons that were a “little too long in the hot sun”) – together with boatingwere much loved activities and treasured family timewith Marilyn, Jim, Terry, Grant and many others.

Roger loved Marilyn and Jim deeply and opened his life fully to Marilyn’s son, Terry, and his father, Grant (Marilyn’s first husband). Roger loved Terry and built a friendship with Grant that lasted over 50 years. To this day, the spare room remains “Grant’s room”—something unusual, deeply special, and very telling of the strength of Roger’s love for Marilyn.

Time carried on, bringing retirement from Ontario Hydro—now Bruce Power—a little over 20 years ago. Retirement was filled with happiness, a wonderful trip to Graceland and the next chapter as Roger became a grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather. He enjoyed hearing stories from Stephen Whetstone of his dear friend Dawn Ruehle, from Terry& Sue Hartwig about grandchildren Amanda and Blair; from Julie & Ken McDonald about grandchildrenAlyssa, Autumn, and Aaron; from Brian Whetstone about grandchildrenSarah, Rebekah, and Bethany; and from Jim Whetstone & Sam Blackmore about grandchildren Zoe, Nathan, and Liam.

Over the past year, Roger experienced a number of health challenges—a careful reminder that life can change quickly and that one should never subscribe to deferred life plans. In February 2025, an aortic tear and a remarkable recovery through open-heart surgery stood as a testament to his strong-willed nature. Late fall brought further health challenges and a renewed resolve to enjoy his remaining time at home with Marilyn. In typical Roger fashion, secretly cancelled doctor’s appointments, half (and probably much less than half) truths from medical reports, and a consistent refrain of “just feeling lazy” were Roger’s way of reaffirming his lifelong quiet strength and resilience.

As Roger left us, Marilyn’s strength—and Roger’s lasting impact—were on full display. Community members rallied in the middle of the night, staying with Roger and bringing comfort to Marilyn. Our gratitude to Don McCulloch, Dave Teeple, and James Cormack cannot be overstated. Roger’s sister-in-law Gail, along with cherished family Dale and Sheryl Steinhoff, provided comfort throughout the evening and will never be forgotten.

Friends will be received on Friday, January 23, 2026, from 7:00–9:00 p.m. and Saturday January 24, 2026 from 1:00-2:00p.m. at Knox United Church, 399 Goldie Street, Paisley. A funeral service will be held at the church on Saturday, January 24, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., with cremation to follow.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to Paisley Minor Softball would be appreciated by the family.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the T.A. Brown Funeral Home, 510 Mill Street, Port Elgin, 519-832-2222 with memorial online at www.tabrownfuneralhome.com

 

• First Name : Roger
• Last Name : Whetstone
• Funeral Home : T.A. Brown Funeral Home, Port Elgin
• URL : https://www.tabrownfuneralhome.com/obituary/Roger-Whetstone

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