As the sun rose to light the sky on September 7th, 2022, we said good-by to our Dad, Grandad and Great-grandad to join the love of his life Florence Ellen who passed in his loving arms on March 22, 2015.  Also, waiting for him are his daughter Darrell who passed in 2016 and son Robert who passed in 2014.

 

Dad was born in England June 30, 1924 and immigrated with his parents to Welland, Ontario. After finishing school, he worked as a bookkeeper before enlisting in the RCAF in 1942 and graduated as a bomber pilot.  Fortunately for us, they had a sufficient number of pilots so our Dad transferred to the PPCLI and trained as a paratrooper. From there, he served in Korea as a Company Second in Command and was there for 14 months. On return, he requalified as an army pilot and after many hours of training in air and land warfare, became the commanding officer of the of a carrier bound ground liaison unit and spent time on HMCS Bonaventure, Canada’s aircraft carrier. After numerous postings, he was assigned to the United Nations as an observer in various cities in Syria and Israel shortly after the “6 Day War”.  Following 34 years of military service, he proudly retired as Major W. E. Hall.

 

Transition to civilian life was somewhat challenging, but Dad found his niche serving the public in the hotel industry when he was hired by the Westin (Lombard) Hotel in Winnipeg.   He loved his job and the people he worked with and they liked him just as much.  He was always welcomed to stop by and visit the kitchen staff and to enter their area and have many samples of the great cuisine they prepared.  As a result, his suit jackets increased in size a few times before he retired from the Westin. During this time Mom and Dad spent the month of January in Hawaii for many years which he loved.

 

After retiring a second time – life was better than good – it was great!  Mom and Dad built a cottage on Lake Winnipeg and a bought a home in Florida, where they got to enjoy their winters until their early nineties.

 

After Mom passed, Dad decided to move closer to family in Niverville, where he was able to be part of every Sunday brunch, holiday dinner and family get togethers.  It was such a significant day for him to attend both of his great-granddaughter’s graduations.  At 98, he was still living on his own, driving his own vehicle, grocery shopping, on-line shopping, on Face Book, PlayStation, streaming TV, reading books on his kindle and loved wearing the latest “brand name” clothing (the brighter – the better).  A favourite memory was seeing Dad on the back of his grandson Raymond’s ATV going up the hill at the lake (he was 95 at the time). 

 

Forever missed and always loved by his son Richard and wife Sandra, their sons and their wives Michael and Laurie, Raymond and Melanie and great-granddaughters Julia and Avery.   His daughter Melissa and her husband Rich and his granddaughter Stephanie and her husband Greg and his grandson Johsua as well his granddaughter Deborah (daughter of Darrell).

​

Heroes are ordinary people who make themselves extraordinary.

​

Our Dad – Our Hero.