02/20/2026
MARLAND, Paul Jepson
Paul Jepson Marland, 82, died on February 11th, 2026 surrounded by his loving family. For a man who often quipped that a pyramid should be built in his honour upon his passing, it seems impossible to summarize Paul’s larger than life qualities. He was a raconteur whose tales never failed to delight his audience. Paul was born in England during WWII to parents Jack and Rosalind. In 1957, the family—spearheaded by his father’s imagination of a new life in North America—moved to Canada, eventually settling in Ottawa and making fast friends within the local British expatriate community. Jack, who served in the Merchant Navy, encouraged Paul to enlist in the Canadian Navy, which he did. Destined to become a teacher, Paul studied at Carleton University and Queen’s University, and by 21 he was employed by the Ottawa Board of Education.
In 1969 he married Christine, who became his wife of 56 years. He was a dedicated teacher of English literature at Ashbury College (1964-66) and several Ottawa high schools, including Brookfield (1966-1980, 1997-2000), Woodroffe (1980-89), and Ridgemont (1989-97), often as department head, where he was known for combining a deep awareness of history and English literature with a caustic British wit. It was not uncommon for Paul to run into former students who professed that he was their favourite teacher.
Paul was a master storyteller who effortlessly wove the absurdities of daily life into a cast of characters he carried along in a dramatic arc. He loved to make people laugh, while also asking them both probing and philosophical questions. As a teacher, he enjoyed producing musicals and school plays at Brookfield High School, and had a soft spot for students from other countries to whom he taught English literature. He encouraged curiosity about the world through didactic conversation about life’s (mis)adventures.
Paul enjoyed the theatre, travelling, playing bridge, reading ferociously, long walks, a passion for history, classical music, his many friendships, and taking joy in learning and thinking. He could recount histories of the English monarchs and quote Shakespeare from memory, but also dabbled in gallows humour when the time was right. He had a sense of the absurd and a wry sense of humour. In retirement, his popular lectures, filled with anecdotes and intrigue, at the library in Almonte dealt with such diverse topics as King Richard III, Nicholas II (the last Tsar of Russia), and crime stories. The opposite of a Luddite, Paul kept up to date with technology and was never far from his iPad, where he researched whatever interested him and even tested the ability of AI to create caricatures of his lifelong beloved monarch: Queen Victoria. Paul said that he lived his life according to his own satisfaction. He was the proud father of three children: Alex (Karly Kehoe), Michael (Patricia Cho), Rosemary (Jeffers Lennox), devoted brother of Shareen (Hugh Montgomery), and fond uncle of Jonathan Killin (Kristina Frolova). He delighted in his grandchildren Rooke, Rosalind, Jack, and Emerson.
We will profoundly miss his humour, companionship, and twinkle in his eyes.
The family extends their gratitude to the caring medical professionals at the General and Civic hospitals, and the health care workers who assisted him at home.
A private celebration of life will be held at a later date.
Arrangements entrusted to the Whelan Funeral Home
tel. (613) 233-1488
https://www.whelanfuneralhome.ca/services.html
