We regret to advise of the death of Colonel Arthur Casebourne Wade, CD (Retd) on 23 June 2012 at the Perley Rideau Veterans' Health Centre.
Born in Medicine Hat, AB in 1932, Art enrolled in the Royal Canadian Navy Reserve and commenced training under the University Navy Training Division at Royal Road Military College, Victoria in 1952. The next year he transferred to the Canadian Army (Regular) with the Royal Canadian Engineers and continued university training under the Regular Officer Training Plan at the Royal Military College, Kingston. He completed his academic training at the University of Toronto - obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering in 1957.
Art’s first posting was to the Royal Canadian School of Military Engineering, Chilliwack, as a troop commander in Recruit Squadron but later that year he joined 1 Airborne Troop, RCE, in Calgary as a Troop Officer. The next year he was posted back to RCSME as Assistant Adjutant. 1959 saw Art Wade posted to 4 Field Squadron, Werl, Germany, as Troop Commander and, later as Battle Adjutant. Following his 4 Field Squadron tour, in 1962 Art became a student at Camberley Staff College in England. Upon completion of this training, he returned to Canada to Headquarters, Eastern Ontario Area, Kingston, as General Staff Officer, Operations and Training. He followed this assignment with an overseas duty as Engineer Training Adviser with the Canadian Armed Forces Advisory and Training Team in Tanzania.
In 1966 Art returned to 4 Field Squadron, Werl, Germany, for a two-year appointment as Commanding Officer. Completion of this tour saw him transferred to HQ, 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group, Soest, Germany, as Deputy Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster General and as Senior Staff Officer, Operations and Administration. In 1969 Art returned to Canada to the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College, Kingston, as a member of the Directing Staff. After this tour he was appointed Commandant, Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering in 1972. Subsequently, he returned, again, to Germany with HQ, Central Army Group, Seckenheim, Germany, as Chief Plans and Operating Branch. Returning to Canada in 1976, Art became the Director Continental Plans Coordination with the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff Branch in NDHQ. The next year he was a student at the National Defence College, Kingston. Art then returned to NDHQ as Director Construction Engineering Control with Chief Construction and Properties.
Art retired from the Canadian Forces in the early 1980s and then started a new career with his Management Consulting Certification. He worked first with Public Works Canada, followed by seven years as a consultant to the Government of Bermuda and a fundraising position back at RMC in Kingston. Art returned to Ottawa in 1999 where he continued to fundraise for RMC. He was also the proud Honorary Lieutenant Colonel of 3 Field Squadron in Ottawa.
In the early 2000s Art was diagnosed with Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) and continued his long courageous journey with this debilitating neurological disease. Art called the Perley Rideau Veterans' Health Centre home for the past three years.
Donations can be made in Art’s memory to the Perley Rideau Veterans' Health Centre or the Ottawa Hospital Foundation Parkinson Research Consortium. A memorial service will be held at Beechwood National Memorial Centre, 280 Beechwood Avenue, Ottawa at 11 a.m. Thursday, 28 June 2012, preceded by a visitation at 10:00 a.m. There will also be a visitation on Wednesday, 27 June from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Beechwood.
