John Eden Cloutier

John Eden Cloutier, BScH ’62 (RMC), MBA ’68 and PhD (Economics, ’84), both Queen’s, died March 17, 2023, in Ottawa.

Son of the late Orville G. Cloutier and the late Lora (Martin) Cloutier of Sherbrooke, Québec and known as ‘Eden’ to family and friends, and as ‘Clutch’ to RCAF friends.

Beloved husband of the late Elisabeth (Libby Macpherson) Cloutier; loving father of Gillian (Paul G. Smith) of Toronto and Alison Cloutier of Ottawa. Predeceased by infant son, Peter Colin. Grandpa to lovely granddaughters, Aurélie & Clémentine Smith, of Toronto and fond step-grandpa to Arnaud Smith of Montréal.

Dear brother of William (Bill) Cloutier (Louise Gélinas) of Montréal and Diane Cloutier (Doug Arnold) of Richmond, Ontario. Fond brother-in-law to his Macpherson relatives of Kingston and Victoria.

Eden was born in Montréal and grew up in Roxton Pond and Granby, Québec. A flyboy from the earliest days, he pursued the skies first at CMR, St-Jean, then at RMC, Kingston, where he earned his undergraduate degree in math and physics.

Eden flew for the RCAF and was stationed across Canada until 1966, at which point he shifted gears, obtained his MBA and, with Libby, moved to Montréal to work for the Bank of Montreal. Kingston beckoned the couple back and Eden began his PhD and instructed at Queen’s School of Business.

With Gillian in tow, Eden and Libby moved to Ottawa, welcomed Alison, and Eden spent his career as a senior federal civil servant and economist working on files as complex and diverse as the actuarial soundness of the Canada Pension Plan, the sustainability of the Canadian healthcare system and the economic burden of unintentional injury.

Should a charitable donation be desired, Eden’s charity of choice has been The Alzheimer Society of Canada.