Ron A. Searle

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ron Searle was the second mayor of Mississauga. He was born in Southampton, England on July 19, 1919 to Ruby and Alfred Searle. He was later joined by a sister, Barbara. His mother Ruby was a seamstress and his father Alfred was a seaman with the White Star Line and the British Navy during WWI. His parents were married in Edinburgh, Scotland while Alfred was on a short leave from patrols in the North Sea.

After the war, Ron's father Alfred returned to the White Star Lines and was transferred to New York, U.S. He moved his family to New York but succumbed shortly after contracting dengue fever while on mercy missions in the tropics. Ron was just over three years of age at the time. Alfred's death bed wish was that the family re-locate to Toronto, Canada where the family had relatives.

Searle attended Harbord Collegiate Institute, where he became friends with Ed Mirvish and Wayne and Shuster, among others. Ron admired many of his classmates and families who were new Canadians having moved to Canada from various European homelands where the Nazi tyranny had caused them to flee for their lives. Ron has said that his relationships with these school friends further added to his resolve to do his part against the Nazi's.^{[citation needed]} He joined the Toronto Scottish militia in the mid-thirties, which would eventually lead to his signing up with the Toronto Scottish Regiment immediately upon Canada declaring war against Nazi Germany in September 1939.

Preceded by Martin L. Dobkin

Mayor of Mississaga 1976-1978

Succeeded by Hazel McCallion