RIP Ninian Mellamphy - Archived from 2023-
NINIAN MELLAMPHY
It is with immense sadness that the family of Edward Ninian Mellamphy shares the news of his death, in London Ontario on June 13, 2023, at the age of 86. Ninian was born in Kilkenny Ireland on September 16, 1936, and was raised in Kerry then Cork. He attended Rockwell College in Tipperary and University College Dublin, before immigrating to Canada in 1962, where he found his way from Deer Lake Newfoundland to St. Boniface Manitoba. There, he completed his Master's and Ph.D. degrees at the University of Manitoba, but more notably he met and married the love of his life, Cécile. They moved to London ON in 1970. Ninian was a central figure in the English Department at Western University, where he specialized in Shakespeare and Irish literature. He also spent many years moonlighting as a summer tour guide, giving literary tours of Ireland, Italy, Greece, and France. He was known for his outgoing, adventurous spirit, and for his unwavering kindness and generosity. Ninian was a devout Catholic, an avid golfer, and active in all areas: he was a dedicated member of the Kiwanis Club, the Baconian Society, the Irish Benevolent Society, the Retired Academics Group, a book club, a gym, and international online courses, among others. He is survived by Cécile (née Daoust), his beloved wife of 57 years, and his three children and their families: son Dan and daughter-in-law Nandita (née Biswas), daughter Janelle and son-in-law Michel (Lambert), and their children Ronán and Éamon, and son Marcel and his children Capri and Cruz. He is also survived by his brother Brendan and sister-in-law Carol, as well as many much-loved cousins, nieces and nephews, and great-nieces and nephews, in Ireland, England, New Zealand, and around the world. He is preceded in death by his parents, Daniel, and Eileen (née O'Shea) Mellamphy of Ireland, and his parents-in-law, Charles, and Jeanne (née Guilbert) Daoust of St. Boniface, MB. Visitation will be held on Monday, June 19 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Donohue Funeral Home, 362 Waterloo St., London, prayers will be held at 8:00 p.m. The funeral mass will be held on Tuesday, June 20 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Peter's Cathedral Basilica, 196 Dufferin Avenue in London. A private interment will follow. Memorial donations can be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.
Published by The Globe and Mail from Jun. 17 to Jun. 21, 2023.