RAYMOND STEWART CRAWFORD

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RAYMOND STEWART CRAWFORD Raymond Stewart passed away peacefully on April 4, 2001 at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital at the age of 75 after a courageous four year battle with cancer. He will be deeply missed by his wife and friend of 51 years, Wonetta; his children, Barbara (Donald), Carol (Danny), Lorraine, Stewart, Nancy (Grant) and grandchildren, Bonnie, Ryan, Shannon, Dana and Colin. He is also survived by his sister Merle of Parksville BC; his brother Allan of Calgary, AB and numerous nieces and nephews. His boyhood years in Indian Head, Saskatchewan were shaped by the "Dirty Thirties" and ended at the age of 17 when he enlisted. After proudly serving his country overseas with the Royal Canadian Armed Forces, he obtained his Engineering degree at the University of Saskatchewan. In 1950 he moved to Winnipeg, accompanied by his new bride Wonetta, where he commenced a 32 year career with the Manitoba Telephone System, including a three year stint in Saudi Arabia. Ray and Wonetta resided in Winnipeg for 36 healthy and happy years, raising their family of five and forming lifelong friendships. Those close to Ray were inspired by his youthful outlook and his never-ending pursuit of knowledge and life experiences. Besides having a passion for hunting, fishing, duplicate bridge and history, over the years he also enjoyed archery, bowling, curling, scuba diving, travelling, camping and skiing. He was a lifelong member of the Manitoba Historical Society and collected a vast library of historical data. Because of his love of history, he was inspired to write his autobiography and a memoir of his boyhood days in Saskatchewan. He served the Federation of Canadian Archers as president from 1968 to 1976 and was a driving force in having Archery recognized as an Olympic sport. It was his honour to serve as a representative for the F.C.A. during the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. After his 1983 retirement from MTS, he had a brief real estate career until 1986 when the call of the ocean prompted a relocation to Parksville, BC on Vancouver Island. Countless fishing trips stimulated an interest in the study of navigation, which culminated in his appointment as Commander of the Ballenas Power and Sail Squadron. In Parksville, Ray remained active in the Royal Canadian Legion, swapping war stories and enjoying many a game of darts. Despite his waning energy in his last months, he still pursued his favourite activities as much as possible. A memorial service celebrating Rays life was held on April 7 at Knox United Church in Parksville and was officiated by Reverend Foster Freed. Those who wish to remember Ray in a tangible way are encouraged to consider a memorial gift in his honour to The Canadian Cancer Society, B.C. & Yukon Division, 565 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C. V5Z 4J4.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Apr 10, 2001