Obituary of KENNETH STERLING MASKELL

KENNETH STERLING MASKELL It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Kenneth Sterling Maskell who passed away quietly with his family by his side on Monday, June 16, 2014 after a courageous battle with cancer. He is survived by his sons Craig (Suzanne) of Ottawa, Mike (Sue) of Winnipeg and two grandchildren Natalie and Christopher, and sister June of Hamilton, He was pre-deceased by his wife Anne, brother Earle, sisters Joan and Marion and parents Cecil and Isabelle. Kenneth, or Ken as he was known to his family and friends, was born on October 5 1930, in Halifax and grew up in Pictou Nova Scotia. Ken often spoke fondly of his childhood, of his friends of unique caliber and character, and of sailing his small sailboat on the high seas of Pictou Harbor. He recounted many adventures as a young Sea Cadet, especially the story of learning how to drop depth charges off the stern of one of the Canadian Navy’s frigates. He hired on with the Nova Scotia Telephone System in the late 1940’s and worked as a lineman, servicing and installing various items and equipment. There were many times that we heard the story from Dad about working outside in a blizzard repairing downed telephone lines. Such was his level of commitment to the job. In 1951 Dad enlisted with the Royal Canadian Air Force and was stationed at Centralia, Ontario and Winnipeg, Manitoba. His personal flight-crew logbook outlines the many “flips” that he went on and in some instances his personal accounts revealed some of the technical difficulties encountered while flying throughout Canada. In 1957 Dad married and moved to Vancouver Island where his two sons were born. In 1961 they moved to the small town of Comox, where Dad was stationed with 409 Squadron working on the newly acquired CF100 Canuck aircraft. Shortly after the arrival of the latest in the RCAF arsenal of all weather interceptors, the CF101 Voodoo, Dad was then transferred to 416 Squadron at CFB Chatham, New Brunswick in 1966, a move that would see the entire family loaded into a 1957 Ford to complete a nine day trip of momentous proportions seeing the entire country from coast to coast. Dad continued to serve with the RCAF until his retirement in 1978 and a final move to Winnipeg to bring Mom closer to her parents. Dad continued to work however, initially with Beaver Lumber in Garden City and several more enjoyable years as a Security Guard and later a general handyman at the Manitoba Centennial Concert Hall. His official retirement was in 1989. The ensuing years allowed Mom and Dad to enjoy their bountiful garden, do a little fishing, take a few trips, most notably to Ottawa to visit their two growing grandchildren and to enjoy a variety of other activities such as antique furniture refinishing, cat and dog sitting for his neighbors and his daily Jumble puzzle and crib games at the kitchen table. The local neighborhood also enjoyed Dad and his ever helpful ways, be it checking in and chatting with the neighbors or picking up mail for those away on holidays. Ken was the un-official Captain of his own personal Neighborhood Watch program and not too much got by him. Dad had a huge heart and was always there for anyone who needed assistance. Dad was also a long time member of the Royal Canadian Legion, West Kildonan Branch #30. Dad taught us many things over the years from ice cake hopping on the Miramichi River to being very competent and skilled at renovations and repairs. His pride in a job well done will live on with us forever. As his health began to present various challenges in his later years, Dad rose to meet them head on with a quiet resolve and dignified approach. The family would like to thank the medical staff on the 3rd and 5th floor of the Seven Oaks General Hospital for their excellent care and compassion. Additional thanks to neighbors Darci Michaels, Darlene Kolody, Paul and Diane Bychuk and Ernie and Lorraine Reinfort for their friendship and concern throughout the many years. A Memorial Service will be held at Cropo Funeral Chapel, 1442 Main Street on Saturday, June 21, 2014 at 2:00 p.m. In respect of Kenneth’s wish a private interment will take place at a later date in Pictou Nova Scotia. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Seven Oaks General Hospital Foundation would be appreciated.