Memorable Manitobans: Robert Neill “Bob” Waldon (1932-2020)

Writer, naturalist.

Born at Killarney on 21 November 1932, son of Wilbert Neill Waldon (1902-1995) and Minnie “Hoppy” Hopkinson (1903-1995), he taught at Margaret School (1954-1955) before beginning a career in newspaper journalism at the Killarney Guide then the St. James Leader in Winnipeg. In the early 1960s, he established the St. James-Assiniboia News (later becoming Metro One) and the public relations firm of Howes Waldon Associates.

An active naturalist, from the 1960s to 1980s, he was involved with the Manitoba Naturalists Society and Canadian Nature Federation, serving as President of both organizations. In the mid-1980s, he sold his business partnership and spent five years as an interpretive naturalist at Riding Mountain National Park. During this period, he wrote several best-selling books on birds, including A Guide to Feeding Winter Birds in Ontario (1991), A Guide to Feeding Winter Birds in British Columbia (1993), Feeding Winter Birds in the Pacific Northwest (1994), and The Birder’s Journal (1998). He spent 18 years at Alert Bay, British Columbia before returning to Manitoba where he resided at Cartwright.

He died at Cartwright on 27 March 2020, survived by his wife Carole Chester.

Sources:

Marriage registration, Manitoba Vital Statistics.

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 4 April 2020

Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 4 April 2020

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.

Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text:

Custom Search

Browse surnames beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z

Browse deaths occurring in:
1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024


Send corrections and additions to this page
to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.ca

Criteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements

Help us keep
history alive!