CME Family Last Post

We regret to advise of the death of Petty Officer 2^nd Class William Ross “Rosco” Beebe, CD (Ret’d) of Chilliwack  BC, on 17 March 2024 at age 72 years.

Rosco served 28 years in the Canadian Armed Forces. Starting with the Royal Canadian Navy, he spent ten years at sea, including five years on a submarine. He joined the Canadian Military Engineers when he remustered to Construction Procedures Technician and, eventually, became an Administrative Clerk. During his military career, Rosco served in Canada’s Arctic at Canadian Forces Station Alert on four different occasions, and he also served with NATO forces in Geilenkirchen, Germany. Rosco retired from the Canadian Forces in 1996 from Canadian Forces Base Chilliwack.

In his retirement, Rosco was the first Educational Advisor in the British Columbia Hockey League. He was an industry pioneer in developing the BCHL Educational Programs that saw so many of their players continue their educations while seeking success on the ice. He oversaw all educational activities the players participated in, whether applying for post-secondary schools or aligning the high school-aged players with the local secondary school. Ross was also an NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Policy Advisor to all college-bound Student Athletes searching for an NCAA Scholarship. When not at the rink, Rosco was passionate about golf. He could regularly be found on the course or in his garage building clubs. He owned a custom club company, Chimo Golf.

The Chilliwack Chiefs hockey team will celebrate Rosco during the game at the Chilliwack Coliseum on 6 April.

At Ross’s request, there will be no funeral services. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the St Paul's Cardiac Services or the BC Heart and Stroke Foundation in his memory. Online condolences can be sent to the funeral home.

We regret to advise of the death of Master Warrant Office Paul Frank Van Altena, CD (Ret’d) on 16 March 2024 at Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre in Barrie ON in his 81^st year.

Paul served a full career as a Combat Engineer with the Canadian Military Engineers in postings that included 1 Field Squadron/2 CER, 3 Field Squadron/1 CER, 4 Field Squadron/4 CER and 2 Field Engineer Regiment in Toronto.

Friends paid their respects at the Steven R. Brldge Funeral Home { 207 Mill Street in Angus} on 22 March. Funeral service took take place in the chapel on 23 March 2024. 

Donations to the Canadian Cancer Society or the Kidney Foundation would be appreciated by the family. Online condolences can be sent to the funeral home.

We regret to advise of the death of Corporal Wilbert Gary Armstrong (Ret'd) of Ladysmith BC on 14 March 2024 at age 84.

Gary was born in Peterborough ON, and lived there until the age of 16, when he joined the Royal Canadian Engineers with the Fifth Intake of the Sapper Apprentice Program in 1956. After his two-year training program at the Royal Canadian School of Military Engineering at Chilliwack BC, Gary started a  20-year career with the Canadian Military Engineers, first as a Field Engineer and then as an Electrician.

Gary’s postings were far and wide across Canada and on international peacekeeping duties. In addition to serving at Canadian Forces Bases Chilliwack, Borden, and Calgary, Gary served at Canadian Forces Station in Alert. Gary was also deployed on United Nations peacekeeping duties in Egypt and Cyprus.

After serving as an Electrician, Gary branched out into Occupational Health and Safety for a second career and worked for another 20 years with Canada Post. This career started in Calgary and, after several years, he was promoted and moved to Edmonton with responsibilities for the province of Alberta.

Gary enjoyed many interests and loved to travel and see new places. While in Germany, there were trips to explore the surrounding countries; this love of travel took him and his wife on many vacations in the following decades. Vacations included camping trips, road trips, cruises, an exploration of Australia, and many places in between. His collections of stamps and coins were extensive. He was a dedicated birdwatcher and also enjoyed his aquariums of fish he had bred. Sketching and painted folk art exhibited his artistic bent and he enjoyed decorating his home with pictures and art collected from around the world.

A memorial Service was held on Wednesday 10 April 2024 at the United Church in Chemainus BC. Online Condolences can be sent to the funeral home. 

We regret to advise of the death of Colonel David Williamson, OMM, CD (Ret’d) of Kingston ON  on 3 August 2024  at the age of 85 years. 

Early in his Canadian Military Engineer career, Dave was stationed at Royal Canadian Air Force Station London ON,  After completing the Technical Construction Engineering Officer course at RCAF Station Centralia in 1961, Dave was posted to RCAF Station  Barrington NS as the Station Constrution Engineering Officer. Dave had a full and varied career with the Canadian Military Engineers. He earned his Parachutist wings at Rivers MB and he was one of the early RCAF instructors at the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering in Chilliwack BC. 

On promotion to Major, Dave was posted to National Defence Headquarters with the operations element in the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff branch. His next promotion saw him in the Deputy Chief of Staff of Military Engineering at Air Command Headquarters in Winnipeg MB as SSO Works for some five years. Following his AIRCOM HQ tour, Dave was assigned to the Supreme Headquarters Allied Command Headquarters ( SHAPE) in Belgium in 1982 as Staff Officer AIR/NAV. Returning to Canada, Dave became  Director Construction Engineering Requirements 2 within Directorate General Quartering. Upon promotion to Colonel,, he became the Director of Military Engineer Operations. Dave's final posting was to Halifax NS in 1990 as Deputy Chief of Staff of Military Engineering at Maritime Command Headquarters. 

Dave returned to London upon his retirement from the Canadian Forces. He later moved to Kingston, living on Howe Island before moving to downtown Kingston. Funeral services were private. Donations in memory of David made to the Alzheimer Society of Canada would be appreciated by his family. Online condolences can be sent to the funeral home.

We regret to advise of the death of Firefighter Corporal Pierre Peter Allain (Ret’d) of Dieppe NB, peacefully at the Dr. Georges L. Dumont University Hospital Centre in Moncton on 2 March 2024 at age 77 years.

Born in Arichat NS, Peter had a combined firefighting career of 37 years in the Canadian Forces and as a civilian firefighter. He joined the Canadian Forces in 1965 and served for five years as a Firefighter and as a crew member in Aircraft Crash Rescue before joining the Gloucester Fire Department. He rose through the ranks with them from Firefighter to Lieutenant Inspector, Chief Inspector, Deputy Fire Chief, and eventually to Fire Chief before joining the City of Ottawa Fire Services in 2001. Peter was the Deputy Fire Chief Prevention and Education and retired in 2002.

There will be no visitation or funeral service. The family invites you to sign the online book of condolences at the funeral home.

We regret to advise of the death of Captain James “Jamie” Betts, CD (Ret’d) of Petawawa ON at age 64 on 26 February 2024. Jamie served for nearly 32 years with the Canadian Forces. 

Jamie enrolled in the Canadian Forces in 1978 as an Infantryman and joined the Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR) in London ON, for his first posting. His company was transferred overseas the next year to Germany to join 3 RCR in Baden-Solingen. 

After four years in the Infantry, Jamie joined the Canadian Military Engineers in 1982 when he remustered to the Draftsman-Surveyor trade. This was a high school dream. After completing his trades training at the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering (CFSME) in Chilliwack BC, he was posted to the Base Construction Engineering (BCE) Section in Kingston ON.

Jamie was next posted to Calgary AB in 1989, where he was employed as the PMQ Service Centre Supervisor. Three years later, he was posted to CFSME as an Instructor, Standards Representative, D&S cell Warrant Officer and a Doctrine Technical Writer. Promotion to Warrant Officer in 1999 led to a posting to 1 Construction Engineer Unit in Moncton NB. At that time he had become a Construction Technician as the Draftsman-Surveyor trade was eliminated in 1999.

Jamie deployed with 1 CEU in 2002 on a tasking to the Middle East as part of a Force Protection Study. The short study became a year-long deployment to Israeli-occupied Syria, and he was promoted to Master Warrant Officer that summer. Jamie became the first Task Force Engineer Sergeant Major on Operation DANACA. On his return to Canada in 2003, he was posted to BCE in Petawawa. 

Jamie returned to Afghanistan in 2006 as the Task Force Engineer/Engineer Support Unit Sergeant Major. He considered this assignment to be the pinnacle of his career. Jamie was promoted to Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) in 2007 upon his return from Afghanistan and was posted to Edmonton as the Engineering Services Company CWO. Jamie was commissioned in 2008 at the rank of Captain and became the Facility Manager at BCE in Petawawa.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, 30 March 2024 from 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM at the Murphy Funeral Home {296 Isabella St, Pembroke, ON}. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, 30 March 2024 at 11:00 AM at the same location. In memory of Jamie, donations to the Ottawa Heart Institute would be appreciated. Online condolences can be sent to the funeral home.

We regret to advise of the death of Captain William Allan Stinson, CD (Ret’d) on 25 February 2024 at the Veterans Care Program at Parkwood Institute in London ON, at the age of 82 years. 

Bill was born in Woodstock ON. He had a long career in uniform as a Cadet, in the Reserves, and in the Regular Force with the Canadian Military Engineers as a Field Engineer. Bill had postings across Canada and in Germany. Bill also deployed to Canadian Forces Station Alert NU and to Cyprus on two peacekeeping tours. Bill was the Commanding Officer of No. 7 and No. 2884 Royal Canadian Army Cadets Corps.

Bill was a Regular Member of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #41 in St. Thomas and was Sergeant at Arms for the Legion Branch #41 Colour Guard.

Visitation will be held at the Shawn Jackson Funeral Home {31 Elgin Street, St. Thomas} 28 February  2024 from 2:00 - 4:00 and 7:00 - 9:00 pm. The funeral service will be held in the chapel on 29 February 2024 at 1:00 p.m., with a Legion Service to follow immediately afterward. Interment in South Park Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #41 Building Fund, or the Parkwood Veterans Care Program would be appreciated. Online condolences to the family can be sent to the funeral home.

We regret to advise of the death of Corporal James "Marty" Squires (Ret'd) of St John's NL on 24 February  2024 at the Dr. Leonard A. Miller Centre at the age of 66 years.

Marty was born and lived in St John's NL. He served as a Field Engineer in the Primary Reserve, with 56 Fd Engr Sqn, during the period 1973-1977.  In civilian life, he was a Corrections Officer and worked at several correctional facilities in Newfoundland including His Majesty's Penitentiary in St. John's, from where he retired. After retiring from his career as a Correctional Officer, Marty enjoyed working with the Association of New Canadians, where he met, helped out and made many special friends. 

Visitation took take place at Carnell's Funeral Home { 329 Freshwater Road } from 12-4:00 p.m. and 5-9:00 p.m. Sunday, 3 March. Donations may be made to the Dr. H. Bliss Murphy Cancer Center. Online condolences can be sent to the funeral home.

Nous avons le regret de vous annoncer le décès de l'Adjudant Dave Boudreault, CD (à la retraite) à son domicile de Shannon QC le 22 février 2024, à l'âge de 44 ans.

Dave est né à Baie-Comeau dans la région de la Côte-Nord au Québec et s'est joint aux Forces canadiennes en 2000 en tant que sapeur de combat. Une grande partie de sa carrière s'est déroulée au sein du 5e Régiment du génie de combat.
En plus de sa formation en génie de combat, Dave a complété divers cours dont : le cours avancé en montagne, le cours de maître en insertion d'hélicoptère, le cours élémentaire de parachutisme et le cours de conseiller arctique. Fort de ces qualifications, il est affecté au Centre d'instruction avancée de l'Armée canadienne où il a pu transmettre ses connaissances en enseignant le parachutisme militaire, les opérations en montagne et des cours avancés de guerre hivernale.

Dave a participé à l'opération ATHENA en Afghanistan en 2007-2008 et est revenu en tant que commandant de section lors de la rotation 2010-2011. Dave a également participé à l'opération UNIFY en 2016 en tant qu'adjudant de troupe. Dave a pris sa retraite des Forces canadiennes en 2021 après plus de vingt ans de service.

Ceux qui ont partagé de bons moments avec Dave sont invités à partager son souvenir avec la famille le 6 mars 2024 au Centre Funéraire Saint-Charles {1420 Bd Wilfrid-Hamel, Québec, QC}  Condoléances : 13h00 à 16h00 Cérémonie : 16h00-16h45 et Réception : 16h45-18h45. Au lieu de fleurs, des dons peuvent être faits au Centre de prévention du suicide de Québec et/ou Deuil-Jeunesse. Les condoléances en ligne peuvent être envoyées au salon funéraire.

We regret to advise of the death of Corporal James Kent Sutherland, CD (Ret’d) at Chilliwack General Hospital on 22 February 2024 at the age of 87 years.

Kent was born in Truro NS and joined the Royal Canadian Engineers in 1952 with the 1^st Intake of the Sapper Apprentice Program. He served a full career as a Field Engineer and worked with Federal Corrections Canada for his second career after retiring from the Canadian Forces.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Condolences can be sent to the Chilliwack Progress.