Obituary of Ronald John Wayne Stevens
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Ronald John "Wayne" Stevens, devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He passed away peacefully on February 8th, 2026 at home and surrounded by family.
He is survived by his wife of 52 years Deborah "Deb" Stevens (Carroll), his two children, Carroll Anne MacAdam (Tom) and Craig Stevens (Holly), his four grandchildren, Ryan and Abby (MacAdam), Chloe and Violet (Francis), and his sister, Linda Felderhof (Dick). Wayne was predeceased by his parents, Ronald Stevens and Gertrude Stevens (Dauphinee), parents-in-law, George Carroll and Anne Carroll (Keeping), his sister-in-law, Geraldine Carroll, and his niece, Tanya Carroll.
Born August 31, 1950 in Windsor Ontario, Wayne grew up in Fairview Nova Scotia. As a teenager in the 1960's, Wayne was involved in Air Cadets, from which he received an expert marksmanship award. He graduated from Halifax West High School in 1971 and moved with Deb to Lower Sackville Nova Scotia to raise their family.
Professionally, Wayne led a life of public service. In 1973 he joined the National Harbours Board Police, which later became the Ports Canada Police, as a Probationary Constable. During his time at Ports Canada Police, Wayne played a role in providing security for various members of the Royal Family as well as international heads of state during royal visits and the 21st G7 summit in Halifax. In 1994, he received a Police Exemplary Service Medal awarded by the Governor General. When Ports Canada Police disbanded in 1997 he had reached the rank of Lieutenant Second in Command of the Halifax detachment. From there, Wayne moved to Environment Canada where he was a senior Environmental Investigator for which he received a Peace Officer Exemplary Service Award First Bar from the Governor General in 2006. He retired from public service in 2015.
Wayne was active in the community. He was a volunteer with the Police Association of Nova Scotia (PANS), a volunteer leader with Scouts Canada and volunteer for the Sackville Minor Hockey Association. He enjoyed many sailing trips to the British Virgin Islands, captaining various types of boats from motor yachts to sailboats and catamarans. In 2019 he fulfilled his dream of owning his own sailboat, spending many hours restoring and re-outfitting the boat and taking friends and family out in Bedford Basin. He also enjoyed woodworking and making model boats in particular. His models of the Bluenose were sold in gift shops throughout Nova Scotia's south shore.
Wayne will be deeply missed by his family and friends. Donations in memory can be made to the Canadian Cancer Society.