Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Obituary announcement for old comrade Michael Webber (BGen Ret'd)


Michael Webber

January 29, 1919 -  October 16, 2017


WEBBER, Michael Henry Fairfax Webber, C.D.
BGen (Retired) – RC Sigs

Michael Webber died peacefully at home in Ottawa, on Monday, October 16, 2017 in the company of family.
Michael was born in Kings Lynn, England, January 29.1919, the only child of Harold Fairfax and Edith (nee Proctor) Webber.
As an infant, he emigrated with his mother to Ottawa, rejoining his father who had preceded them as a returning World War I veteran. As the child of a career army officer he lived in Kingston, Toronto, Camp Borden and finally back to Ottawa.
In 1937 Michael entered a four-year course of study at Royal Military College of Canada, cadet #2612, with the aim of pursuing a military career. In 1939 his studies were interrupted by the outbreak of World War II. He accepted a commission as Lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals. In April 1940, he married Margaret Frances Marr and four short months later was shipped overseas. It would be nearly five years before he would return to his wife and meet his young son, Michael. Early in the war he endured the London air raids and was the first to land in the vital 1941 Spitsbergen raid. On July 10, 1943 Capitan Webber waded ashore with much of the Canadian Army in Sicily for the beginning of the arduous Italian campaign. As the war progressed he transferred with the rest of the Canadian Army to N.W. Europe. V-E day found Major Michael Webber in Hilversum Holland.
Post-war Michael completed his electrical engineering degree at Queens University and was posted to National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa. In 1952, promoted Lt. Colonel, and became the first Commanding Officer of the First Canadian Signals Regiment (1CSR) based at what was then Camp Borden, near Barrie Ont.
During his distinguished career, he served in several roles at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa, attended the Canadian Army Staff College, the US War College and the Canadian Defence College. He served in 1957-1958 in Indochina with the International Control Commission, in 1960-1964 in Washington D.C. as Canada’s Military liaison to the Pentagon, in 1970-1972 as Honourary Aide-de-Camp to Governor General D. Roland Michener CC, CMM, CD., represented Canada at NATO’s military communications committee in Paris. Promoted Brigadier General in 1971 he served at NATO Headquarters in Brussels until his retirement in May 1974.
Post-retirement Michael worked ten years for the Law Reform Commission of Canada, and served in 1987-89 as Colonel Commandant of the Communications and Electronics Branch.
Michael is predeceased by his wife of 50 years and the mother of his children, Margaret (nee Marr), and his son Michael Fairfax Marr Webber, as well as his second wife, Louise Gray (nee MacBrien)
He is survived by his children, Christopher, Peter and Jennifer, and his wife Louise’s children Michael, Brien, Bruce and Diana and their families. Also left to treasure his memory are his grandchildren, Michael and Christina Webber, Andrew (Francine) Altman, Matthew (Stacy) Altman, step-grandchildren, Lynnette and Gregory White, and great granddaughter Elsie Fairfax Altman.
Visitation will be at the Hall of Colors of the Beechwood National Memorial Centre, 280 Beechwood Ave. Ottawa on Saturday October 21 after 12 noon. Funeral Service will be held in the Sacred Space at 2 p.m. followed by interment with military honours and reception.
For those preferring to make a charitable memorial donation in lieu of flowers, please consider making one to the RMC Foundation Truth, Duty, Valour Fund in memory of BGen (Ret’d) Webber either online at www.rmcfoundation.ca, via phone at 613-541-6000 ext. 6807, or to PO Box 17000 STN Forces, Kingston ON K7K 7B4. All memorial donations will be noted in the Book of Remembrance in Currie Hall at RMC in Kingston.



Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Obituary announcement for old comrade Thomas (Tom) Carroll O'Neil



                     
         
   

Thomas "Tom" Carroll O'Neil

Thomas "Tom" Carroll O'Neil
Thomas (Tom) Carroll O’Neil, age 73, New Glasgow, passed away on Sept. 14, 2017 in the Palliative Care Unit at the Aberdeen Hospital surrounded by his loving family.
Born in Mulgrave, he was the son of the late Francis and Anela O’Neil.
Tom retired as a Sgt. After 28 years in the Canadian armed Forces. After his retirement Tom worked for Sobeys (Heather Lanes) for 20 years. He enjoyed fishing, cooking, spending time in his RV and being at the beach; his grandchildren were the joy of his life.
Surviving are his loving wife, Laurine (Vienneau); daughter, Jennifer (Mike James), Ottawa; sons, Tom, Edmonton; Craig (Tammie), Trenton; 11 grandchildren and 5 great-grandsons; siblings, Marlene, Errol (Audrey), Gerald (Mary Jane), David (Laurella), Jo-Anne (John) and Mary (Ken).
Besides his parents, he was predeceased by brothers , Mannie and John, survived by their wives, Judy and Vivian.
Special thanks to Dr. Kwasnik and the Palliative Care Staff, Dr. Peter Lee and the VON for their care of Tom.
Donations in Tom’s memory may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society or the Aberdeen Palliative Care Society.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.

Sunday, October 8, 2017

Obituary announcement for old comrade William Leslie (Les) Wardrop

WILLIAM LESLIE (LES) WARDROP  Obituary pic
WILLIAM LESLIE (LES) WARDROP 1915 - 2017 Peacefully in the early morning of September 19, Les Wardrop passed away at his residence, three months shy of his 102nd birthday. Les is survived by his sons Terry (Sheilagh), Jeff (Janice) and daughter Cindy (Larry) Malazdrewicz, eight grandchildren Jamie (Kari), Robbie, Brenna, Sean (Jeannie), Shannon (Darrell) Hunks, and Scott, Brad (Lauren) and Greg (Lori) Malazdrewicz, and 11 great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his wife Olive (nee McLean), and his parents Mabel (nee Cousins) and David. Being born and raised on the homestead farm in Whitemouth, Manitoba had an enormous impact on the type of life "Spud" would lead. His forefathers set a strong example of hard work for him to emulate ... and he did that in spades. That strong Scottish/Protestant work ethic shone through in everything he accomplished. Dad received his bachelor degrees - both from the University of Manitoba - in Electrical Engineering in 1939 and in Civil Engineering in 1947 following his return from serving overseas with the Army Signals during the Second World War. In 1947, he started his career as a waterworks engineer with the City of Winnipeg Sewage and Waterworks Department and in 1955, he founded W. L. Wardrop & Associates - one of the first Winnipeg-based engineering consulting firms - which later became Wardrop Engineering Inc. With an initial staff of four, the company offered services in public works engineering and housing subdivision servicing. The firm expanded its services to include pulp and paper, solar energy, and nuclear engineering, and launched water projects in West Africa through its International Division. Dad retired from active participation in the Company in 1980 but continued to serve on its Board of Directors for many years. In January 2009, Tetra Tech acquired Wardrop, expanding the Tetra Tech team to more than 10,000 staff. Throughout the years, Dad played a significant role in Canadian engineering activities and participated in numerous community undertakings. He was a past president of the Association of Professional Engineers of Manitoba (1959 to 1961), the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers (1961 to 1962), the Canadian Institute of Pollution Control (1960) and the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce (1970). He was also a past chairman of the Industrial Development Board of Greater Winnipeg (1969), the Salvation Army Advisory Board (1978) campaign chairman for two years and was a director of the Royal Canadian Mint and the Biomass Energy Institute. He was a member of the Board of Misericordia Hospital (1977 to 1983), member and chairman of the Manitoba Enterprise Development Board (1980 to 1985) and campaign chairman of the New Activity Centre, Middlechurch Home of Winnipeg (1980). He served as a principal organizer of the University of Manitoba homecoming events for his two graduation classes and was one of the first volunteers in 1998 to join the unofficial campaign for the new Engineering and Information Technology Centre. In 1977, Dad received a Meritorious Service Award from the Association of Professional Engineers of Manitoba for his extraordinary engineering achievements and community involvement. In 1990, the University of Manitoba's Faculty of Engineering dedicated the "Les Wardrop Reading Room" at its library in his honour. In 2002, the Consulting Engineers of Manitoba paid tribute to him by naming him the first honorary presenter of its prestigious Keystone Award for consulting engineering excellence and awarding him the Lifetime Achievement Award 2002 in recognition of his leadership, achievements and contribution to consulting engineering and the community. The University of Manitoba presented him with an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science at their spring convocation in 2006 and this was one of his proudest moments. Over the years, Dad was a builder, a carpenter and a golfer. In his early teens, he extended the box on the truck used to deliver bricks manufactured in his father's Whitemouth Brickyard. He built a camper trailer painted to match the two-tone 55 Buick the family drove, a garage, two cabins and a boathouse at Moose Lake and a cabin cruiser in the garage on Old Mill Road. In 1964, Dad took over the homestead farm at Whitemouth and set up a cow-calf operation which required the construction of various cattle shelters, hay storage facilities, a machine shed and a house for the hired manager. In 1971, Mom and Dad purchased the McLean family farm at East Selkirk and proceeded to expand and renovate the old brick house and add storage buildings and landscaping. All these projects were done in his "spare time" and mainly by himself ... work was his hobby ... that left arm pounded thousands of nails. In his retirement years, Dad continued to enjoy his golf at the St. Charles Golf and Country Club right up to his early 90s and he spent 20 years researching, writing and publishing a Wardrop family history book which was distributed to many relatives. We, his family, are very proud of our father's contributions to society and the supportive role he played in our lives. We also wish to thank the staff at the Canoe Club who contributed to his comfort over the last several years and the many homecare workers and nurses who assisted him in recent months. A service to celebrate Dad's life will be held at 11:00 a.m., September 30 at Thomson "In the Park" Funeral Home and Cemetery, 1291 McGillivray Blvd. Flowers are gratefully declined. If you so wish, donations in Dad's memory may be made to the Les Wardrop Bursary in Engineering at the University of Manitoba. Gifts may be made online at: umanitoba.ca/giving or sent to the following address: Alumni and Donor Relations, 200-137 Innovation Drive, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg MB R3T 6B6. Cheques made payable to the University of Manitoba. THOMSON "IN THE PARK" 204-925-1120 Condolences may be sent to www.thomsoninthepark.com
Publish Date: Sep 27, 2017