Schlegel Villages has announced the death of its founder, Ron Schlegel. They said the man who championed elder care passed away peacefully on Sept. 19. He was 83 years old. Schlegel grew up on a farm near Ailsa Craig and started a straw-bailing business while he was still an undergraduate at Western University. He ran several local farms even as he pursued his master’s degree at the University of Illinois and then a doctorate degree at Ohio State University. Entrepreneurship was his lifelong passion. Schlegel started multiple businesses over the years, such as Schlegel Urban Development, Schlegel Poultry and Homewood Health. In the early 1990s, he opened his first long-term (LTC) home in Kitchener. Schlegel Villages now has 20 locations across southwestern Ontario, including facilities in Waterloo Region, Guelph, London, Hamilton, Toronto and Barrie. “It is fitting that after his health began to turn in his early-80s, Ron chose to live in The Village of Winston Park in Kitchener – the Village that launched the Schlegel Villages organization as we know it today,” the LTC wrote in a tribute to its founder. “Long-serving team members there remember how Ron and his beloved wife, Barb, would visit weekly to sit with residents and learn from team members. They knew most people by name. They learned their stories and asked about their families. They cared deeply. As the organization grew, Barb and Ron would spend their Sundays visiting different Villages, always with the same intention. They were always making authentic connections, and Ron was always eager to learn what innovations could inspire a better future for the oldest generations of our society.” As a professor at the University of Waterloo, Schlegel headed the development of the school’s Department of Health Studies and Gerontology. He was also one of the founding partners of the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA) which opened its doors in 2015. “A trailblazer ahead of his time, Ron brought together research, education and practice to drive meaningful change,” RIA wrote in an online tribute to Schlegel. “He saw research-driven innovation as the key to uncovering best practices and improving quality of life and care for older adults.” The organization said Schlegel’s spirit and compassion will be missed. “Ron’s vision will continue to be our guiding light,” said Tammy Cumming, RIA’s acting executive director. “We will forever honour his memory and continue his legacy as we drive innovation that makes a difference for older adults in our community and around the world.” Schlegel was a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal and named an officer of the Order of Canada. In 2013, he was inducted into the Region of Waterloo’s Hall of Fame.
