Gary Naugler

1942-2026

(Ralph) Gary Naugler passed away peacefully on Thursday, June 18th, 2026, with his loving family around him. Left to mourn are his wife of 50 years, Myrtle, his son Douglas (Arielle Boisvert), grandsons Arlo and Damian of Roberts Creek, BC, and his daughter Anne (Stefan Brennan), and grandchildren Pearse and Annalise of Saskatoon. He will be missed by his extended family in Nova Scotia, many nieces and nephews, and his many friends.

Born to humble beginnings in New Ross, NS, his teacher at the one room schoolhouse told him he was clever, so at age 12 he hitchhiked his way to a posh private school and convinced them to let him gain admission. He graduated high school at age 14. Though he dreamed of a career in medicine, he was encouraged to enter Teacher's College so that he could quickly begin to work and support himself. He began his teaching career two weeks prior to his 16th birthday. After 15 years in the classroom in Nova Scotia, Yukon, Ghana, and Saskatchewan, and also earning a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education, he was admitted to the University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine by producing marks too good for them to turn down, despite his advanced age in comparison to his classmates. It was during these years that he met and married Myrtle. He credited her for getting him through medical school while caring for their young family. He served Saskatoon, as well as the communities of Allan and Colonsay as a family physician for over 30 years.

In his retirement he found a variety of ways to stay busy. He developed his visual art skills by better learning to draw and paint, played bridge (winning a national championship) and took piano lessons. He and Myrtle enjoyed several winters in Florida and many summers at the family cabin at Cochin. As well, he enjoyed traveling to Europe a couple of times and he made it back to Ghana in 2018. He also continued to downhill ski, including on a trip to the mountains just last winter.

In 2015 he was diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma and had a radical nephrectomy. He considered any time he had after that to be his bonus years and would annoyingly repeat the mantra "Life is good! Life is good!" whenever anyone complained about anything. In those years, his 4 grandchildren were added to the family, much to his delight. He valued family above all, took joy in being an active grandfather, and would become giddy at the chaos created by four little ones running rampant in the house. He took particular satisfaction in knowing that all 6 of his descendants play the piano.

He faced the recent return of cancer with courage. We are grateful to Dr Clint McDonald for his many years of care and counsel, and to the staff at the Cancer Clinic for their support. A special thanks to Shane Hiltz and Juanita Tremeer for their help co-ordinating his care.

In his last days he expressed much gratitude for a life rich with blessings, and love for his family and friends. Though he was a man with many amazing accomplishments, his greatest pride was in the closeness he retained with his wife, children, and grandchildren.

He will be remembered for his tireless work ethic and desire to serve, the care and compassion he showed others, quick wit, sense of humour, and grit. Until his most recent illness, he continued to take on new projects with passion. As his niece said, "He never got old. He just got sick."

There will be a funeral held on Thursday, July 9th at 11:00am at St. John's Anglican Cathedral in Saskatoon. Arrangements are being made by the Saskatoon Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Gustin House, Saskatoon Music Festival, your local food bank, or a charity of your choice.