IRVING ALLAN (AL) NATTRESS

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IRVING ALLAN (AL) NATTRESS Irving Allan (Al) Nattress, of Esquimault, British Columbia, died in hospital in Victoria on Saturday, November 5, 2011 after a short illness. The family thank the many nurses and physicians who cared so compassionately for Al. Born in Toronto, Ontario on July 9, 1930, Al is survived by his daughters, Cynthia Anne Parmentier and Michelle Lynne Nattress; his sons, Gregory Brock, Craig Ian and Graham Robert (Gillian) Nattress; grandchildren Kyle Parmentier (Winnipeg), Jacqueline and Kelly Nattress (Bowen Island) and Bridget and Theo Nattress (Winnipeg); his sister Betty Josephine Nelson (Langley), as well as nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, David Irving Nattress and Mildred Ruth Bradley Nattress, and his sister E. Ruth R. Grunau. Al graduated from the University of Manitoba with a degree in electrical engineering. He began his career with the C.N.R., where he worked out of Winnipeg and Montreal. After retiring from the C.N., Al worked as a consulting engineer. He worked on a variety of projects, including those funded by the International Monetary Fund in the area of rail transportation. His projects took him across the globe. He worked in Tanzania, the Sudan, Bangladesh, Vietnam and other countries. One of Al's many interests included swimming, starting with his children's swim teams. Al acted as a referee at many swim meets and represented Canada as a swim official in the 1976 Montreal Olympics. He was a fan of many sports and teams, including the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Saskatchewan Roughriders and Toronto Blue Jays. Al loved the sweet things in life including good conversations with women, small dogs with big characters, raisins and cherries, peanuts and beer, and black forest cake. After retirement, Al's interest in rail transportation continued with his hobby of model trains. He was an avid supporter of fellow enthusiasts, particularly his nephew, James Nelson. Al belonged to model rail clubs, designed layouts and was a regular attendee at the annual model rail show in Burnaby, BC. As well, he was an active member of the Newcomers Club of Victoria; the C.N. Pensioners Association, Victoria Branch; and the Sunday morning brunch group from First+Met United Church in Victoria, where Al regularly attended and often assisted at the Sunday chapel service. A memorial service for Al will be held on Saturday, January 14, 2012 at 2:00 p.m., at First+Met United Church, 932 Balmoral Road, Victoria, British Columbia, V8T 1A8. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Canadian Diabetes Association (1400 - 522 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2R5) or First+Met United Church would be gratefully appreciated.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Nov 26, 2011