John HAYHURST

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HAYHURST: With sadness the family announce the passing of John Franklin "Frank" Hayhurst at Riverdale Health Centre following a brief but courageous battle with cancer. He was born to Violet (McKenzie) and Thomas Hayhurst in Oak River on August 10, 1932 where he attended school. Frank worked for his dad as a carpenter’s helper and later with a crew building local elevators. He drove gravel truck and worked on the first pipeline between Moosomin and Firdale. He worked at CFB Rivers before starting with the CNR at Cardale in 1963. Through the years he worked the Rapid City and Rossburn subdivisions, the secondary main line at Algar, moving to the main line and covering territory from Portage to St Lazare. He retired from the railway in 1984. Retirement was spent camping and fishing in the summer, trapping and curling in the winter. He spent many hours in his shop, building Purple Martin houses, bird feeders, trapping and skinning accessories. Frank belonged to the Manitoba Trappers Association, Oak River Volunteer Fire Department, Prairie Crocus Good Sam Club, Purple Martin Club, Rivers Lions Club, Rivers Game & Fish Association, and Rivers Train Station Restoration Committee. More recently Frank took to instructing others how to trap and prepare fur for market. He recorded instructional CDs on skinning raccoons, coyotes, and beavers. He collected fur for Fur Harvester Auction at North Bay, Ontario. Frank made a life of harvesting just enough fur to keep the population under control and sustain nature’s balance. Frank enjoyed going for coffee. With his years of working the railway and later collecting furs, he could walk into any coffee shop in western Manitoba and find somebody he knew. On those rare occasions that he didn’t, he would have a new friend before he left. Like all fathers and grandfathers, he revelled in the achievements of his family. You’d find him in the front row at dance recitals and band concerts, or in the bleachers at his grandchildren’s baseball, soccer and curling games. Frank is survived by his wife of 55 years, Marlene, daughter Jocelyn (Dale) Beever, grandchildren Scott & Jill Beever, his black lab Misty, his mother-in-law, brothers- and sisters-in-law and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, four sisters, five brothers, and a baby daughter. Frank will be remembered as a true outdoorsman, an honest, straight-forward, hardworking man with a firm handshake and a big smile. Faced with his own mortality, Frank accepted it was his time, reflected on his life without regret, made peace with God, and on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 peacefully passed with his wife at his side. Funeral service was held Thursday, March 3, 2016 at Rivers United Church with Rev Glenna Beauchamp officiating. Special music by Cliff Paul, accompanied by Denis Rondeau. Donations in Frank’s memory can be made to Rivers Train Restoration Station, Box 952, Rivers, MB R0K 1X0, Brandon Humane Society, or Funds for Furry Friends. Expressions of sympathy may be made at www.memorieschapel.com.

As published in Brandon Sun on Mar 19, 2016