April 30, 1934 – September 27, 2014
Carson, Rev. William McMillin (Mac) – On Saturday September 27, Mac died at Hamilton General Hospital after a lengthy illness. He will be missed terribly by his wife, Barbara, and by his children, Neill, Craig and Fiona, their partners, Elizabeth, Nina and Russ and by his grandchildren, Eileen, Michael, Liam, Rachel, Colin and Clare. Mac was a United Church Minister who believed deeply that his ministry and calling were expressed in his service to his church and community and to the many individuals he touched through his work. Ordained to the Methodist Church in Ireland in 1959 he started his Canadian ministry at Londesboro United Church. In Hamilton, Mac started as a street Padre and as chaplain at Barton Street Jail. He founded Hamilton Wesley House in 1969 and eventually became Commissioner of Social Services in Hamilton Wentworth Region. He ended his career as Chief Administrative Office of the Region. Mac served as president of OMSA, as Chair of the Ontario Housing Corporation and was founding director of Public Private Partnerships. Mac was an active volunteer throughout his life. He was a proud Rotarian, a member of the “Routes” Youth Board, a CUSO volunteer and supported a variety of not for profit organizations in their work. Visitation will be at Cattel, Eaton and Chambers Funeral Home in Dundas on Thursday, October 2 from 7-9 pm. The funeral will be at St. Paul’s United Church in Dundas on Friday, October 3 at 10 am. In lieu of flowers, donations are gratefully directed to the Christian Children’s Fund of Canada.
Our sincerest sympathy to Barbara and the Carson family. He was a great Canadian. We will all miss him.
Carolyn and Michael Fenn, Burlington
Our thoughts and prayers are with you Barbara and family.
Dear Barbara and Family:
We are deeply saddened by the passing of our good friend, Mac. Bob will miss our luncheon meetings and Mac’s endless interesting stories: the accumulation of a long and fruitful life.
We regret that we will not be able to attend either the visitation or the funeral. Our thoughts and prayers go with you, and we will be in touch in the near future.
Joyce, Alexander and I send our deepest condolences to the entire Carson family. Mac was a very dear and close family friend through the years and all of our lives were both touched and changed by him. My heart is indeed very sad today.
My prayers are with you at this sad time.
Bev Ann Brown
Dear Barb:
Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family as Fred and I fondly remember the all too short time we spent with you folks here in Ottawa. May God bless you and hold you in the palm of His hand. We will remember Mac with fondness for his humour and wisdom. Jean & Fred Muggleton, Navan, Ontario.
Dear Barbara and family; I am so sorry for your loss. Mac was an inspiration for me, a true encouraging servant of God and a prophetic visionary. I thank God he is at peace after a long and loving life.
I had the privilege of meeting and working with Reverend Carson when he was chair of the Ontario Housing Corporation. I appreciated his dedication, his candour and his support staff and residents in many housing communities across the province.
Sandra Datars Bere
Mac was kind to all who met or worked with him. I have fond memories of his humour and effervescence; his guidance will be remembered by all of us who worked with him. A compassionate public official, he will be sadly missed.
My condolences to the family.
Many fond memories of Mac during his days in Londesborough . Deepest sympathy to Barbara and the family.
My deepest condolences to Barbara and the Carson family.
So saddened by the passing of dear Mac – he was a mentor and friend – a true gentleman and will be dearly missed.
I believe he is now on a journey to the next great adventure. Rest in Peace Mac – you deserve a well-earned rest.
Marie Leone
Dear Barbara and family; our sympathy is with you in this time of loss. The peace and blessings of Christ be with you, Lorna and Florence.
Our deepest sympathy to you and your family Barb. We will miss Mac, especially his never-ending wisdom and wit. Sitting here at the cottage in Parry Sound we are thinking of Mac’s short visits to escape the rigors of Hamilton-Wentworth Council together with friends including Reg Whynott, Jack Southall and the late Jim Robb. It was always fun.
Our thoughts are with you at this difficult time.
All our love,
Don and Glynis
Our deepest sympathies for Barbara and the rest of the family. God’s comfort to all of you.
Mac was instrumental in my career path. He was a great mentor and friend. Both Sabine and I will miss his friendship and sense of humour! Discussing politics and our Christian faith was always part of our getting together.
Michael and Sabine
There are some people that have the ability to know when you need support and be there. Mac had that gift and I benefited from it. In the early days, it was lunches at Wesley House and infrequent get-togethers. We all will miss him but no one more than you and we pray you have the strength and support to deal with that pain. We wish we could be there on Friday but are currently in France.
All our love and prayers.
Gary & Merle
Missing Mac already, may you and your family take comfort in all the memories. Thinking of you today and always.
God Bless Jay Morris and Family
You have my deepest sympathy for your loss. I remember Reverend Carson as a man of immense humor, kindness and generosity. My condolences to all the Carson family.
Liesa Barrett, Seattle
I am very sorry to hear of Mac’s passing. I once reported to him during his posting as Commissioner of Social Services, Hamilton-Wentworth. I remember him as a great mentor, an excellent leader and a compassionate, caring person. My deepest sympathy goes out to his family and friends.
Dear Neill and family
My deepest sympathy for the death of your Dad. My thoughts are with you during this difficult time.
Barb
My thoughts are with the Carson family at this sad time. Mac hired me in 1988 and mentored me through my early career. Although I lost touch with him, his guidance and support have stayed with me throughout my career and I thank him for that.
Dear Barbara and Family,
Barbara and I were very sorry to hear of Mac’s passing. We actually read about it in the air enroute to Vancouver for a family visit. I was involved with him when he founded Wesley House. I served on the board with him for many years, and hugely admired his expertise in the care and guidance of challenged and troubled youth. He did so with enormous compassion , foresight, and kindness. As a cohort, I enjoyed his friendliness and his positive outlook.
In spite of all the demands put upon him by his profession, he was also a dedicated husband and father, and will be missed by all. Barbara and I regret that we are not going to be able to be there with you for the service on Friday.
We will be thinking of you all and remembering what Mac has done for so many people.
Sincerely, Tom Tweedie
Barbara John and I were so sad to read of Mac’s death. he was such a wonderful man and did so many amazing and caring actions in his life. I shall never forget how helpful he was to me when Ron Owston and I were establishing the Pastoral Counselling
centre in Hamilton. he will be fondly remembered and sorely missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
I knew Mac since 1956 when I was a member of his father’s congreation , Dromore Methodist Church, Co. Down. Northern Ireland. As a minister Mac was an eloquent preacher who could always get his messaage across clearly.
I lost touch with Mac in recent years but from reading the foregoing messages he certainly fulfilled his Christian
Ministerial calling by thought, word and deed. ” Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel”. He touched so many people in all walks of life.
To Barbara and the Family I send my deepest sympathy. May God give you strength and comfort in this your time of mourning. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
“Rejoice for a Brother deceased, our loss is his infinite gain.”
Stan Preston. Brampton.
What a great Rotarian. Mac was the perfect person who lived “Service above self”
Our sincere sympathies go out to Rev. Mac’s family. Our family, especially my parents, Mas and Sachi from Olivet United Church, had a high respect for him as they shared the outreach passion. May fond memories of good times help you through this difficult period.
The Hyodo family
So sorry Barb and family to find out of Mac’s passing. A profound loss. Both of us having been volunteers at Wesley House in the early years had the bonus for us of finding each other. Mac’s influence on those he touched had a positive ripple effect to many places including Thunder Bay where we now live.
Larry and Cathy Brigham, Thunder Bay