In the midst of a protracted battle with pulmonary fibrosis, Alastair passed away in the comfort of his own home. His parents, Robert Sinclair and Mary Sinclair (née Somervile), both of Glasgow, Scotland, passed away before Alastair was born. Alastair is survived by Sandra, his dearest friend and the woman he has loved faithfully for the past 31 years. Additionally, he was preceded in death by his brother David, his sister-in-law Rosemary (née MacPherson), his stepson-in-law David Ritchie, and his grandson David Gotlieb.
Douglas (Ana), Gillian (Stan), Andrea, Fiona (Norman), Michael (Jodi), and Elizabeth, Alastair’s daughter-in-law, were the five children that Alastair had throughout his lifetime. He was the proud grandfather of nine grandchildren, including Alexandria (Bongi), Ashley (Dylan), Jamie, Charlie, Katie (Cameron), Graham, Erin, Cameron (Cass), and Brady (Justus), as well as one great-grandson, Saba. As a result of Sandra’s marriage to Alastair, he became a member of yet another happy family, which included Cathy, Nancy, and Mark, as well as their grandchildren Rebecca, Parker, and Austin.
Having spent his childhood in Glasgow, Alastair received his education at The Glasgow Academy. Following in the footsteps of his brother David, he continued his education and became a Chartered Accountant after completing his high school education. A number of sports, including golf, tennis, rugby, cricket, football, and sailing, were among the most memorable experiences of his boyhood.
His Scoutmaster encouraged him to become a King’s Scout, and he made the decision to do so. He was particularly involved with the Scouts. When he was a Scout, he scaled the Morgenhorn, which is a mountain that is over 11,000 feet in height.
In the year 1958, when Alastair was 24 years old, he made the journey to Montreal. After being employed by Clarkson Gordon, he set out on the route that would eventually lead him to partnership with Ernst & Young. When he moved to Calgary in 1974, he had been a resident of Montreal until that year. While he was living in Calgary, he participated in a variety of activities that he enjoyed doing with his children. These activities included cross-country skiing and hiking in the Rocky Mountains. He even purchased a horse that he named Cork.
It was in 1977 when Alastair and his family relocated to Ottawa, which is located in the east, and he remained there for the rest of his life. When it came to sailing, Alastair was a fervent enthusiast, and his preferred location was anywhere on the water. The Britannia Yacht Club was a place where Alastair and Sandra could go sailing, and they were both members there. Each and every Tuesday afternoon, regardless of the weather, Alastair and his crew, which consists of Stu, Terry, Kit, and Alan, set sail with the expectation of receiving a little dram at the end of the day.
Alastair and Sandra continued to enjoy sailing when they retired, and they even had the opportunity to crew the tall ship The Soren Larsen on two separate occasions. On top of that, they enjoyed traveling and playing golf. After spending a year in New Zealand, they made numerous journeys to Scotland, where Alastair was able to keep his close contacts with his Scottish family and friends. During this time, they also had many fantastic experiences. Even in his latter years, Alastair was able to continue to take pleasure in playing golf with his wife Sandra, his kids, his grandchildren, and his son-in-law. In addition to that, he was able to keep his own yacht, Spindrift, in good condition and skipper it until he was 85 years old.
