William Alfred Mcewen

Longtime Maumee resident William A. “Al” McEwen, 96, went to live with God on Wednesday, January 21, 2015.  He left this world from the Browning Masonic Community in Waterville, Ohio. He is survived by his loving wife of 70 years, Wanda May (Norris) McEwen; sons Barry McEwen and his wife Cathy, and Russ McEwen and his wife Sue; grandchildren Duncan McEwen and his wife Debbe, Amanda McEwen Gannon and her husband Robert, Matthew McEwen, and Cameron McEwen; great-grandchildren Derek McEwen, Bennett Gannon and Baker Gannon; and nephew Darryl D. McEwen. He was preceded in death by his parents, Alfred Bennett McEwen Jr. and Agnes (Patterson) McEwen, and a brother, Carl David McEwen. Al was born in Point Place, Ohio, on January 8, 1919.  [Point Place was annexed into the City of Toledo in 1937].  He grew up in Point Place and was president of the last graduating class of Point Place High School in 1937.  While there he was a star basketball and football player, leading his team to a second place State Championship finish in 1936. In addition to being class president, he was active with the Hi-Y, yearbook and the Be Square Boys.  He also worked as a delivery person for Tiedtke’s, a former grocery and department store located in downtown Toledo that closed in 1973. Al attended Arizona State Teachers College in Tempe (now known as Arizona State University) on a football and basketball scholarship in 1937.  He played sports throughout the Southwest and California.  He returned to the Toledo area several years later where he attended The University of Toledo. After war was declared in December 1941, Al was on one of the first ships to leave the country.  He was sent to Panama to help guard the Panama Canal from invasion.  Later military service took him to Baltimore, Maryland, and Medford, Oregon. After the war, Al worked for 42 years at Sun Oil Refinery in Woodville, Ohio, until his retirement in 1984.  In his 80’s 90’s he worked part time delivering medications for Kroger Pharmacy; Al always enjoyed helping and serving others. With his wife and two young sons, Al moved to Maumee in 1950 where he immersed himself in the community.  Al was always a willing volunteer and seemed to think of all the little details to make an event or project a success.  He was a great organizer. Al was extremely active in work, community and service activities.  He was a charter member of the Harbor Light Masonic Lodge in 1947, president of the Sun Employees Recreation Association (and Sera Ranch) for several years, a founder and – for 50 years – league secretary for the Sun Oil Bowling League, a two-term president and 1981 Hall of Fame inductee for the Toledo Bowling Association, leader of Maumee’s Troop 92, Boy Scouts of America, a Maumee Little League coach, an active member of Maumee’s St. Paul’s Lutheran Church since 1950, where he served on and was chairman of the Church Council, a board member – serving several years as president – of the Sun Federal Credit Union, a charter member of the Maumee Lions Club for 40 years, a member of the Perrysburg Lions Club for the last four years, a Lions Club International Melvin Jones Fellow and District 13-A International Relations chairman for 20 years; Maumee Lions secretary for 30 years, a Michigan Lions Eye Bank Board member and volunteer cornea tissue driver for 20 years, a member of the American Legion, and Boys State chairman for 30 years, a 25+ gallon blood donor for the American Red Cross, president of the Sun Oil Retiree’s Association (from his retirement to his death), a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Maumee Citizen of the Year in 1984, a member of Maumee Quality of Life Committee, an Honor Flight attendee, a member of the Point Place Heritage Society. Joining in 1946, Mr. and Mrs. McEwen were the longest continuous members of the Toledo Zoo. A special thank you to Vicky Al-Sharari and the staff of Browning Masonic Community. Visitation will beSunday January 25, 2015 from 12:00-3:00 p.m at the Maison-Dardenne-Walker Funeral Home, 501 Conant Street, Maumee, Ohio 43537  where  funeral services will follow at 3:00 p.m. in the funeral home.  Interment will be private at Toledo Memorial Park, Toledo, Ohio In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts in Al’s memory may be made to the Cherry Street Mission, 105 17th St., Toledo, OH 43604; Lions Club International Foundation, 300 W. 22nd St., Oak Brook, IL 60523; St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 112 E. Wayne St., Maumee, OH 43537; Browning Masonic Community, P.O. Box 10, Waterville, OH 43566.  Online condolences may be given at www.walkerfuneralhomes.com http://youtu.be/u-sUByz2kXE