We regret to advise of the death of Warrant Officer Alfred Peter MacLeod (Ret’d)of Hillside Boularderie on Cape Breton Island on 19 May 2015 at age 75 at the Palliative Care Unit 'An Cala.’
Alfred - better known as Al, Alf or Alfie - was born at Florence, Cape Breton Island, NS, in 1939. He completed high school there and enlisted in the Royal Canadian Engineers as a Field Engineer in February 1958. After completing his basic Field Engineer training, Al’s first posting was to the Field Squadron in Germany. Fromhere he remustered to the Topographic Survey trade and was posted to the Army Survey Establishment in Ottawa in September 1966. Career progression saw him promoted to Corporal and completing the Topographic Survey trade selection course as a Group 1 in December. Al passed his Pay Level 4 Course in September 1967 and in March 1968 he achieved his Group 2 qualification.
In February 1970 Al completed his Pay Level 5 Course and was promoted to Sergeant in December 1972. From that point on most of his work was in field survey, though he made the usual rounds of other employment within Mapping and Charting Establishment. Arctic ‘73 was a major task and in 1974 he took part in a big survey task in the Suffield, AB area. Al served in the United Kingdom on exchange posting in 19 Squadron (Air Survey), Royal Engineers. Returning to Canada in August 1979, he was soon promoted to Warrant Officer. He then remained chiefly with Field Survey until his retirement in June 1982.
Al’s service spanned 25 years in British Columbia, Germany, New Brunswick, England and Ottawa. Upon retirement he continued to work for several more years as a commissionaire and then returned home to Florence, built a house and ran a general store for some time. He joined the Reserves and was Squadron Sergeant Major of 45 Field Engineer Squadron.
Visitation will be held Saturday, 23 May 2015, from 1-2 p.m. at St. Matthew Wesley United Church, North Sydney with service to follow at 2 p.m. Donations can be made to the Lung Association of Nova Scotia or to Palliative Care 'An Cala'.
