WILLIAM PETER STEADMAN 1923-2008

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WILLIAM PETER STEADMAN 1923-2008 Peter was a loving and much loved husband, father, grandfather, and brother. He is survived by wife Ann, his children Amanda; Dave (Carolyn, Mike and Marney); Mark, (Janice and Jessica); Tim, (Barbro, John and Olivia); Trish (Rob), and his sister Rosemary Lodge in the UK. His brother, Tom, predeceased him. Peter was born on the family dairy farm in mid-Wales, the youngest of David and Mary Steadman's three children. He was educated at schools in England and Wales. In 1941 at the age of 18 he was conscripted into the Royal Engineers of the British Army. On receiving an Officer's Commission, he was immediately posted overseas to take command of a platoon in the North African Theatre of war. Then his platoon took part in the invasion and capture of Sicily; eventually returning to the UK for the June 1944 Normandy invasion (D-Day); which led to the total defeat of Hitler's armies. After a further year with the Armies of Occupation in Germany, his last military assignment was to a British Military Mission seconded to the Danish Army Copenhagen. Two months before the war ended Peter was wounded in action. Among his eight military awards is a Military Cross for bravery and an official Mention-in-dispatch for distinguished service. On leaving the army he took an engineering degree at Cambridge, and in 1949 he joined a London-based partnership of consulting engineers. While with them he spent two years in Gibraltar managing the construction of a military underground storage complex, followed by two years in Karachi, Pakistan. When he returned to the UK in 1955 he met and married Annette (Ann) Walker. Two years later they set sail for Canada with Amanda their first born, where Peter took up an appointment with Acres International, a large consulting firm based in Niagara Falls. During his thirty years with Acres, Peter was almost exclusively engaged in the management of design and construction of large hydro-electric power plants in Canada and overseas, living in Niagara Falls, northern Quebec and Fredericton. For the final stage the family moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba where Peter retired in 1990 (Or thereabouts!). In retirement, Peter and Ann enjoyed many holidays including cruises to the Caribbean, the Panama Canal and Alaska. They also travelled throughout New Zealand and Fiji. Peter had a strong sense of community. Over the years, his involvements included the Manitoba Community Treatment Association, Meals on Wheels, hospital visiting and the Victoria Hospital Foundation Medicine and Miracles fundraising endeavor (as the campaign family.) He was always very involved in his children's activities. This former cricketer, who had never laced on a pair of skates, always looked upon his election to the presidency of the Fort Garry Minor Hockey Association as his proudest achievement. Peter's hobbies included playing bridge, solving crosswords puzzles, writing letters to the editor, sipping sherry with Ann, exercising at the Reh-Fit centre and sharing war stories with the Knights and Lady of the Round Table there. Peter was an active, loved and respected member of St. Paul's Anglican Church, serving the parish in many ways. Among the greatest legacies this most practical, mathematical and organized engineer left his family and friends were the simple stories he shared with us, around the supper table and later in writing. In later years, as an author, Peter published his war memoirs, Platoon Commander and memories of his childhood in Wales, Families and Farming . Peter's family invites you to a memorial service, celebrating his life at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, January 18 in St. Paul's Anglican Church, 830 North Drive. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Victoria Hospital Foundation, St. Paul's Anglican Church or the Movement Centre of Manitoba Inc. THOMSON IN THE PARK FUNERAL HOME AND CEMETERY www.thomsoninthepark.com 925-1120 Life stories may be shared with friends and family across the globe at www.mem.com

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jan 12, 2008