Sad news from Canada and Cinderella collecting, as we have been notified that member Ron Lafreniere passed away August 9th.
Ron (1965-2022) was the author and publisher of Field Guide to the Cinderellas Stamps of Canada (see “Top 12 Books for Poster Stamp Collectors” in the menu) and other collecting related books. The following was taken from the Facebook website
In Memoriam Ron Lafrenière 1965-2022
by André Dufresne, AQÉP
On August 9, 2022, Quebec lost a great philatelist. Nothing let his death be foreseen. Ron Lafrenière was a quiet philatelist, but one of the great Canadian specialists of ‘cinderella philately’. We owe him the Field Guide to the Cinderella Stamps of Canada. Its first edition was published in 2012, with about 5000 pictures in 234 pages. The second one, published in 2015 had more than 12,350 on 344 pages. Ron was working feverishly on the next (and last) edition of his Field Guide that was supposed to contain 25,000 Canadian cinderellas. Not long before he died, we spent two 12 hour days together digitizing cinderellas from my collection for completing the catalog. He then researched and shared with me the documentation he had found about them. He was a scientist by training, so his classification approach had all the rigor and logic of a scientist.
Ron and I also shared several other passions. In addition to collecting Canadian cinderellas we are both lovers of the outdoors, hiking, canoeing, history and genealogy. Ron also had other talents: he was also a poet, author and entomologist and he had founded his own publishing house, Bird Bear Press.
Ron was quite the encyclopedia of knowledge about Canadian cinderellas. Spending a day with him talking about our favorite topic was really fun. During our last working session on July 24th he was telling me how much he was looking forward to leaving in August for hiking and canoeing in the Laurentians with his wife Gillian. That’s where he found his peace and serenity. He looked fine, so, it is with surprise that I learned from a mutual friend that he passed away suddenly on the 9th of August beside a peaceful Laurentians lake.
Ron leaves behind quite a philatelic monument. His Field Guide has revealed the wealth of Canadian cinderellas. Ron had also tackled another challenge: solving the mystery of the “Bonne Année 1920” cinderellas. He tackled this mystery with the same rigor and he has it resolved. The result: a book titled Delandre and the Happy New Year 1920 Stamps, published in 2020 on the occasion of the centenary of these labels. This is a book of 136 pages on glossy paper, still available for sale. As for the field guide, his wife Gillian informs me she’s going to have it published. The next edition, which Ron wanted to be the last, should reach 1000 pages. It was a privilege to know Ron. I’ll miss him. The Canadian philately loses a great philatelist, but he leaves behind an invaluable testimony of his extensive philatelic knowledge.
The Montreal Gazette also posted an obituary in late August with more about his life.
I enjoyed each and every communication with Ron. He was so dedicated, informed and organized it was always a pleasure to discuss Cinderellas, Delandre and recent purchases. I’m greatly saddened at his passing. My condolences to Ron’s family and friends. He, truly, was special – and amazing. Bless you Ron.