| To respect the wishes of family, it is asked that members who wish to provide an obituary provide the following information:
1. Your BNAPS number
2. The BNAPS number of the deceased
3. Your assurance that the family of the deceased has given approval for the memorial on the web site
Memorials have been provided for the following (alphabetical order) - please click on the name. They are posted with the most recent at the top: Charles W. Arnold, William Bailey, Jim Brown, Lola Caron, Robert V. C. Carr, David Allan Cooper Sr., Lionel Gillam, Horace Harrison, Jim Hennok, Paul Hughes, Harry Lussey, John James MacDonald, Herbert McNaught, Randall Martin, William Maresch, John Powell, Dorothy Sanderson, Harry Sutherland, Maureen Toop, Alec Unwin, Norm Wagner, Ed Whiting, Don Wilson.
William (Bill) H. P. Maresch
 Bill Maresch passed away peacefully on June 13, 2008 in his 82nd year. He was the beloved husband of Rose-Marie, loving father of Tony and Peter Maresch and their wives Trudy and Melanie, and dear grandfather of Ashley and Michael.
Bill was one of the pre-eminent figures in Canadian philately. He was a long-time member of BNAPS and was a familiar sight at most conventions for over 50 years. He also attended many international shows and conventions throughout the years, starting as a child at WIPA in 1933. He was a founding member and past-president of the Canadian Stamp Dealers Association, and was one of the authors of its original code of ethics. He was also a member of most other major BNA philatelic organizations such as the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada, the Postal History Society of Canada and the Canadian Philatelic Society of Great Britain, as well as being a long-time member of the Collectors Club of New York, the American Philatelic Society, the American Stamp Dealers Association, the Germany Philatelic Society and the Philatelic Specialists Society of Canada.
After having attempted a number of other professions in his younger years, Bill’s love of stamps drew him back to philately. In the 1950s he joined the family stamp business, originally founded by his father in Vienna in 1924, working tirelessly to turn it from a small retail store into Canada’s premier auction house. He retired seven years ago; his sons Tony and Peter now carry on the tradition as the third generation of the family to run the firm. Along the way Bill authored and published, with Arthur Leggett, the original Canada Specialized catalogue which for many years, up until the early 1990s, was the only comprehensive and specialized catalogue for the material of Canada and the Provinces before Confederation. Bill had a keen philatelic mind and was an acknowledged expert on BNA stamps and covers. He served on the expert committee of the Vincent G. Greene Foundation for many years and was an accredited member for BNA material of the International Experts Association (AIEP) based in Switzerland.
Bill formed several personal collections over the years, his favourites being Austrian Postal History, the ‘Tiny Covers’ of Canada and the rest of the world, and the Postal History of Meaford, where the family farm is located. Bill was also an avid and accomplished bridge player and enjoyed nature and bird watching. He found that a creative way to not compete with his customers was to collect various artifacts related to stamps such as Postal Seals, Postal Scales, Stamp Boxes, and a few original Post Office windows. These are all still on display at the firm’s offices.
Bill was a decided presence in any room, and will be missed by everyone who knew him. A mentor and font of philatelic information to anyone who asked, he was willing to assist all collectors, whether advanced and specialized or just starting out. He helped guide many great philatelists in their efforts to form medal winning collections, and was always available for consultation and advice. Bill loved philately and philatelists and will be sorely missed.
Rick Sheryer |
Herbert Louis McNaught
 It is with great love and deep affection that his family announces the passing of Herbert on June 18, 2008 at the York Central Hospital with his family at his side; sons Bill, Tom and John, daughter Heather, daughters-in-law Bernice, Cheryl and Lee, son-in-law Bill; grandsons Jason, Brian (Cori) and James; his brother, Reverend R.J. McNaught, and his cousins from Boston, Paul and Ruby. Herb also enjoyed many years with his other grandchildren, Leonard, Robbie, Timothy (predeceased), Jason and Johnathan (Melanie) and his great-grandchildren, Sienna, Sebastian and Chloe. Beloved brother-in-law of Mrs. Patricia Hay and Catharine and Joel Mazer. Lovingly remembered as ‘Uncle Herbie’ by his many nieces and nephews and numerous cousins throughout Canada, the United States and Scotland.
Herb was born in Harwood, Ontario on August 12, 1919, the second son of Reverend Thomas McNaught of Auchencairn, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland and Martha (Ball) NcNaught of Vennachar, Ontario. He and his three brothers, R.J., James (predeceased) and Earle (predeceased) were raised in the villages of White Lake, Balderson and Russell. Herb entered Ottawa Normal School in 1939 and left for his first teaching assignment in 1940 in the Skye Elementary School near Dunvegan. During the war, Herb joined the Twenty-third Field Ambulance Corps (Reserve) and was slated to mobilize to Europe in 1946. In 1945, he joined the Kingston Public School System as a teacher, progressing to Vice Principal and Principal. In 1946, he married Winifred (Peggy) Hay with whom he had his four children. Peggy died in 1969. Herb joined the Ontario Ministry of Education as Inspector in the audio-visual department where he remained until his retirement in 1977. During his thirty-one years of retirement, he travelled with his second wife, Lola (Knowles). When Lola died in 1998, Herb renewed his friendship with Elsie Jupp (Urquart), who resides in Los Angeles. Recently Herb and Elsie celebrated ten years together.
Passions in his life included his stamp collecting, which he began in 1934, and the exhibiting of his three gold medal collections - the Half Cent Small Queen, the 1897 Diamond Jubilee and the 1908 Quebec Tercentenary issues (each of these collections has been published by the British North America Philatelic Society*), his travels to Europe, Australia and New Zealand and his strong faith at Queen Street United Church (Kingston), Willowdale United Church and Asbury and West United Church. Herb will be remembered for his kindness and generosity to all who knew him and his wonderful story telling, some of which he recorded in his memoir, ‘The White Lake Years’, and for his enthusiasm for philately and his wonderful friends at the Philatelic Specialists Society of Toronto. He felt blessed for all the joys in his life.
- The McNaught Family
Herb McNaught joined BNAPS in 1992. He first exhibited at a BNAPEX in 1994 at Burlington, VT and followed this with exhibits in 1995, 1998, 2003 and 2005-2007. He enjoyed all the BNAPEX conventions he attended, some with Elsie, and was well liked by all BNAPS members who knew or met him. *Herb’s Quebec Tercentenary exhibit will be displayed for the last time at BNAPEX 2008 in Halifax and, with his enthusiastic prior agreement, published as part of the BNAPS Exhibit Series of books as soon as arrangements can be made.
Additional notes and photo – Mike Street
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John M. Hillmer
 John M. Hillmer, a long-standing member of BNAPS and the Elizabethan II Study Group, passed away in the spring of 2008 in Toronto, ON.
John specialized in and studied the Caricature and Landscape Definitives issued by Canada from 1972 to 1976. His spectacular exhibits, a separate one for each issue, were entered at major philatelic exhibitions across Canada and Western United States, and earned high national level medals and respect. He exhibited at BNAPEX 1999 in Vernon, BC and BNAPEX 2002 in Spokane, WA. In 2005 John's Caricature and Landscape Definitives exhibits both received vermeil awards at STAMPEX in Toronto.
John retired from the Ontario Provincial Police with the rank of Staff Superintendent after a distinguished thirty-year career.
A passionate philatelist, John will be remembered for his enduring contributions to the hobby.
Our heartfelt condolences to Marion, his love.
- Text and photo courtesy of Andrew Chung |
Michael Painter
Michael Painter died on February 15, 2008, at the age of 80. One of the Vancouver area’s leading philatelists, he was a member of the British North America Philatelic Society and its Pacific Northwest Regional Group, Vancouver’s 21 Club, and several aerophilately societies. Mike was raised in Okanagan Mission, British Columbia and studied and wrote about the history of the Okanagan. In World War II, at the age of 15, he served in the Rocky Mountain Rangers—seconded from the Boy Scouts as a flag signal man, using skills learned while scouting. Mike collected material related to the postal history of the Okanagan, as well as early picture post cards of the Okanagan Valley. As recently as December 2007, he gave a talk on these cards at the 21 Club. Mike formed an excellent collection of the Centennial issue of stamps. He was a forest engineer, and worked all over British Columbia. In his work, he flew with bush pilots. This led to another of his philatelic collections: Canadian air mails. He was especially interested in the Junkers aircraft used in Canada. He built a strong collection of the semi-official air mail stamps and covers of Canada, a topic related to the flights made by bush pilots. Mike leaves behind his wife Mary, his youngest daughter Adrienne Painter in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia and Sarah and Jason Farris and two grandchildren Jane and Owen in West Vancouver. Our hobby has lost a gentle, thorough collector—a close friend and colleague who will be sorely missed.
- Bill Liaskas and Gray Scrimgeour
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Stan Lum
 Stan Lum was an Emeritus member of BNAPS, having joined the society in late 1954. He was a prolific philatelic author, particularly for the Canadian Philatelic Society of Great Britain, and recently celebrated having articles in 100 consecutive issues of their journal 'Maple Leaves' under his nom de plume, 'The Yellow Peril'. He was a Fellow of the CPS of GB. Stan also wrote for 'BNA Topics', most recently in the mid 1990s as co-author with Mel Baron of the 12 instalment 'First Day Covers of the Classic Issues of Canada'. He was co-author with the late Elsie Drury of 'Postage Due Stamps of Canada 1906 – 1928', a handbook published just last September by BNAPS.
Stan's funeral notice from the 30 January 2008 Toronto Star follows:
LUM, Stanley 'Stan, The Yellow Peril' Peacefully on Saturday,
January 26th, 2008.
Stan beloved husband of Betty. Cherished father of Rose-Marie, Roberta, Ocean, Stanley Jr., and Arthur. Devoted 'Gung' of Aimee, Chloe, Taison, Spirit and Lauren. Funeral Mass on Thursday morning in Annunication Church (Victoria Park south of Ellesmere) at 10 a.m. Interment Pine Hills Cemetery. Arrangements entrusted to the PAUL O'CONNOR FUNERAL HOME, 416-751-7890. In lieu of flowers, donations made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation would be appreciated. |
Randall (Randy) Martin
BNAPS member, Randall Martin (#5544)
passed away on Sunday, May 6, 2007, in Rockland, Massachusetts, at the age of
83. He will be missed by many. Randall was an Army Air Force officer in World
War II, retired president of Fifield Companies, and a dedicated collector of the
postal history of Newfoundland and the Maritime Provinces of Canada. Raised in
Cambridge, Massachusetts, he was a 1941 graduate of Cambridge High School and a
1948 graduate of Northeastern University. Besides BNAPS, Randall was also a
member of the Royal Philatelic Society and American Philatelic Society. He
exhibited at several BNAPEX shows and also at APS national shows. At ROPEX
2003 in Webster, New York, his exhibits won four gold awards - for
Newfoundland Surface Mail as well as the pre-confederated stamped mail of New
Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.He was a close friend of a number of
BNAPS members. Examples of his generous support of philately were donations to
the John Butt scholarship of the St. John’s Philatelic Society and to help pay
for the publication of Sammy Whaley’s Pratt-award winning book. Newfoundland
1865-1879, The New York Printings. Sammy says that Randall also sent him a
number of covers for his research. BNA postal historian, Doug Hannan,
says he met Randall at BNAPEX2001 in Ottawa and spent an evening discussing
Newfoundland covers. “I still to this day use a photo copy of the domestic rates
of Newfoundland from 1865-1949 which he developed with the help of John Butt.”
Hannan says Randall was very interested in contributing books to the Grenfell
Association and its museum. My wife, Brigitte and I, enjoyed
eating dinner with Randall and wife Shirley at BNAPEX99 in Vernon - a very
gracious couple. He and I also spent many hours on the telephone over the years
discussing Newfoundland philately. John Walsh says that Randall had
many relatives living in Newfoundland and that Randall and he went to at least
six exhibits together. “He had a ball beating the ‘judges’ with a feather to
get them to see his point of view. A funny guy and a good friend. A nice
person.” He is survived by his wife, Shirley
L. (Leupold) Martin; three sons, Ed Martin of Norwell, Bob Martin of Medfield
and David Martin of Hingham; a daughter, Nancy Goldberg of Kennebunk (Maine);
nine grandchildren, and two great-grandsons.
-Bob Dyer |
David Allan Cooper Sr.
 COOPER, David Allan Sr. - 69, Porter's Lake, passed away April 24, 2007, at home. Born in Fort Erie, Ont., he was a son of the late Robert and Kathleen (House) Cooper. He was employed with Livingston International (Border Brokers Inc. ) for over 45 years. He was a philatelist, and was a member of NSSC, BCCNS, F of P, RPSC, AMC, and GBCC. David edited the newsletter for the BCCNS and F of P. He was an accredited regional judge and was an apprentice national judge. He was also a member of the Archeology Association of Nova Scotia. He enjoyed gardening, canoeing and taking his grandchildren on day trips throughout Nova Scotia. He is survived by his wife of 43 years, the former Jane Rogers; daughters, Elizabeth Cooper (Derrick Gray), Truro; Kimberley (Glenn) Thomas, Windsor Junction; Rebecca Cooper (Kevin Bruce), Lake Echo; son, David Allan Jr. (Jennifer Arnold), Dartmouth; brother, Paul (Fran) Cooper, Fort Erie, Ont.; sisters, Judy Bent, Patti (Russell) VanPlew, Carole (Patrick) Ferriday, Fort Erie, Ont.; grandchildren, Christopher and Alexander Faulkner, Kassidy, Kathleen and Courtney Bruce, Olivia, Amanda and Sarah Thomas, Zachary and Brandon Gray; many nieces and nephews.
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Lola Caron 1911-2006
 It is with sadness that we report the death of Lola Caron on October 10th, 2006. This last January, Lola Caron (BNAPS #2765) turned 95, making her one of the oldest members of the Society.
In 1972, she became a member of BNAPS. Many will remember her faithful presence at BNAPEX conventions across the years. Diminutive in size but expansive in personality, she was always friendly and ready to talk - a pleasure to know.
Her full name was Noella Giasson-Caron; but most members will remember her simply as Lola Caron. She was born in Edmonton, Alberta in 1911, but has made Quebec City her home since the 1930's. Her first job was as a teacher, but she later became a civil servant. In 1942, she married Major Lionel J. Caron, who was a philatelist. She soon became a collector too. Her husband died in 1962. The loss of her husband did not remove her from the hobby - she was by then a true philatelist, and her interests were many and varied.
Her greatest interest was originally in the stampless folded letters of the 1840 era. But her interests were eclectic. Her extensive study of Magdalen Islands postmarks was published by the Académie Québécoise d'Etudes Philatéliques (AQEP) in 1985, which was later expanded in BNA Topics to include the past as well as the current post offices of that tiny Quebec archipelago, for which she was awarded the Vincent G. Greene Award. Other studies she has undertaken are of the 2¢ Canadian postage stamp issued for the Royal Visit Series in 1939, and a study of mail retrieved from the Empress of Ireland. She also had an extensive collection of mail relating to the travels of Pope John Paul II, as well as other things of interest to her.
Lola is well-known in many societies, where she contributed of herself and her time. She was a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada, and was the chief organizer for their 1975 and 1985 conventions, held in Quebec City. From 1974-1976, she served as President of the Société Philatélique de Québec. From 1982-1984, she was President of the Société d'Histoire Postale du Québec. She was a founding member of the AQEP and a contributor to their regular publication Les Cahiers. She was always an active contributor and a willing participant in every society of which she was a member.
More recently, she donated her long-time accumulation of research material and papers to the Philatelic Collections of the Library and Archives Canada. The Fonds Lola Caron is now available to researchers and includes 85 cm of correspondence and research papers, more than 6,000 postal covers (mostly Quebec City during WWII period) and 1,300 photographs representing social aspects of our hobby for the last 35 years. In 2002, Lola received The Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal for her contribution to philately.
An accident at home in Quebec City a few years ago had forced her to give up her independent way of life, and she moved into an assisted living facility. She kept her sharp wit and quick mind until near the end. A long time friend of Canadian philately, she will be missed by many.
- Jean Walton and Cimon Morin
- photo courtesy of Cimon Morin |
Edward Joseph Whiting
Edward J. Whiting, long time collector active in the
British North America Philatelic Society (BNAPS) and Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania area philately, died June 22, 2006 at the age of 85. He
was member 61 of BNAPS and was named an emeritus member in 1989. He
served the society as Secretary (1974-1982), First Vice-President
(1983-84), President (1985-86) and as a Director (1990-92).
In 1982 Whiting was named Historian of BNAPS and served in
that capacity until 1999. He was an Associate Editor of BNA Topics
from 1947-1958 and also wrote articles on and exhibited Canadian
material. He served on the host committee of several BNAPS
conventions, notably the one held in Philadelphia in 1950.
In 1976 Ed was elected to the Order of the Beaver, the Fellowship of
the British North America Philatelic Society, which honours members
who have met established criteria in the categories of: Distinguished
service to BNAPS; Service to organized philately in general;
Contributing freely of his/her philatelic knowledge; and regular
attendance and participation at the annual BNAPEX conventions. In 1995
Ed was also named to the BNAPS Hall of Fame for his contribution as
Historian. Except when prevented by illness Ed and Ernestine Whiting
attended most BNAPS conventions from 1946 to 2000. They last attended
BNAPEX 2004 in Baltimore.
Ed was a Director and Treasurer of INTERPHIL 76, the
international exhibition held in Philadelphia in 1976, where he also
served on the exhibit frames committee. He was active on the show
committee of SEPAD, now the Philadelphia National Stamp Exhibition,
and was Treasurer for over ten years. He received the SEPAD local
merit award in 1973.
For many years he was also active in the Springfield
(Delaware County PA) Stamp Club and produced its newsletter. He served
in WW II and retired from the U.S. Army as a Master Sergeant after 30
years. Later he retired as an underwriter for State Farm Insurance
Company. Ed Whiting is survived by his wife of 58 years Ernestine
Rowland Whiting, his daughter Laura, and two grandsons.
- Alan Warren, with notes from Mike Street
- photo courtesy of Jean Walton |
SUTHERLAND, Harry QC, RDP
 Harry Sutherland QC, RDP. In Toronto on February 14, 2006 in his 76th year following a brief illness. He is survived by his cousin John Sutherland of Halifax N.S. Harry will be greatly missed by his many friends.
He attended Upper Canada College and Osgoode Hall Law School. He was a senior corporate partner in the law firm Fraser & Beatty until his retirement. Harry was Canada's pre- eminent Philatelist. He signed the Role of Distinguished Philatelists: he was Chairman of the Vincent Graves Greene Philatelic Research Foundation. He was the longest serving President and thereafter Secretary of the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada and was an International Judge under F.I.P. He was a longtime member of the Commanderie de Bordeaux. He was a member of The York Club, The Toronto Club, The National Club and Rosedale Golf Club.
Interment will be in New Glasgow N.S. A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, March 7, 2006 at 2.00 p.m. in Calvin Presbyterian Church, 26 Delisle Ave. Toronto. In lieu of flowers, a donation to the Greene Foundation, 10 Summerhill Ave. Toronto M4T 1A8 or a charity of your choice would be much appreciated.
[To view the tributes on the RPSC website.......... click here].
- Toronto Globe and Mail
- photo courtesy of The Vincent Graves Greene Philatelic Research Foundation |
Dorothy Sanderson, 1926 - 2006
 It is with sadness and deep regret that I have to inform you that Dorothy Sanderson died on 26th January 2006 after a stroke. She had no family in the United Kingdom, only cousins living in Canada and New Zealand, but she had made many friends through her work and her multitude of diverse interests. She will be missed by all.
A feature of Dorothy’s life was that her career had drawn her away from her native Yorkshire, so few who knew her in her later years have any knowledge of her as a young woman. She tended also to compartmentalise her life - General Practitioner, Steward of Romsey Abbey, member of the Soroptimists, philatelist and postal historian, lover of the theatre, music, arts and travel - most of her friends knew little more than a small part of her life. Fewer still were fully aware of how much she had achieved and how many hurdles she had had to overcome to succeed in her chosen profession in the years following the Second World War.
Dorothy was born on the 5th March 1929 in Halifax, the only daughter of Harold Sanderson, a policeman, and Doris Sanderson, a nurse and midwife. She excelled at school but despite the encouragement of her parents was faced with the then common attitude that it was quite unnecessary for any girl to aspire to higher education. Despite this she earned a State Scholarship to London University, Westminster College of Medicine and graduated in 1953, having against the odds collected four prizes on the way. She practised as a General Practitioner in Coventry (and must remain one of the few lady doctors called onto the pitch at Coventry City to attend to an injured player). She moved to Hampshire, specialising in gynaecology and lectured at the University of Southampton. Dorothy was and remained passionate about her profession, and it is a reflection of the difficulties that she had to overcome that she has made provision to assist students of the future.
While our knowledge of Dorothy may have been hindered by a tendency to keep her varied interests separate, some of her characteristics will be recognised by all. She travelled widely, loved long cruises and only recently had to be dissuaded from signing on for a trans-Pacific voyage to Japan and China. She had a thirst for knowledge and an amazing memory for detail - there can be few who are able to identify every species of British wildflower purely by a process of elimination. After retiring she studied for and was awarded two Bachelor of Arts Degrees (with Honours), studying subjects as diverse as the Anglo-Saxon Church, Ethics, Henry VII, the history of art and the theatre. She could name actors and actresses, directors and producers, both theatre and cinema, in profusion. She was equally knowledgeable of classical music and she read profusely. Her delight in accumulating books, particularly about art, but also history, biography and every kind of fiction, gives a clue to another side of her nature. Dorothy was a collector.
A clue to the depth of this last passion lies in an admission she once made that, as a small girl, she would recover handbills and fliers from her neighbours’ letter-boxes - from such simple beginnings she graduated to stamps, postal history, brochures from country houses, postcards and tour guides from her travels. But for many of us it will be for her stamp and postal history collections, her presentations and competition entries, that Dorothy was most famous and will be best remembered. A member of many philatelic societies amongst which were the Royal, the Postal History Society, the Society of Postal Historians, the Disinfected Mail Study Group, the Canadian Philatelic Society of Great Britain and, in Canada, the Canadian Postal History Society and the British North American Philatelic Society. Dorothy attended meetings regularly and usually displayed parts of her many collections: Medicine on Stamps, Hampshire Postal History, Canadian Stamps and, most famously, the postal history of Canada, the Maritime Provinces, Cross-Border and trans-Atlantic mails. Dorothy won any number of awards for her collections not only in this country, but from all around the world: Canada, the United States, Denmark, Norway, Italy, France, Bangkok and many more.
Dorothy Sanderson was a very accomplished woman who will be remembered for a long time.
- Malcolm Montgomery |
Dr. John Martin Powell, FRPSC, 1933 - 2005
Professionally John was a botanist and a geographer, but in a major part of his personal life, he was a stamp collector. Stamp collecting was a passion for him throughout his life, a hobby he inherited from his father, who was a renowned collector of the King Edward VII issues of Great Britain. He collected throughout his adult life, always subscribing to new issues of Canada and Great Britain through a standing order service.
While raising his family of Helen, Elizabeth, and Ruth, he set aside many of his interests and instead selflessly encouraged them to become collectors, and they became experienced exhibitors in their own right as youths. When John retired in June 1991, he spent the next 14 years fully engaged in all levels of his hobby. Particularly until Margaret retired four years after him, his hobby became his full-time job, keeping him fully engaged throughout the days while she was still working.
Over the years, he joined a wide variety of specialist societies, eventually holding membership in 25 different societies and specialist groups as diverse as the India Study Circle, the American Revenue Society, the Polar Postal History Society of Great Britain, and the British North America Philatelic Society. As a member of the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada, he eventually was elected to fellowship in the society, and served as one of its Directors at the time of his passing.
He began to seriously specialize in a number of diverse collecting areas, and to form his exhibits which included:
- British Seapost to India
- Revenue Stamps of Iraq (he also co-authored a recent handbook on this topic)
- Postal Markings of Baghdad
- London Squared Circles
- Lake Hazen Mail during the IGY of 1957-58 (where he worked as a recent PhD)
- Hampton Court Palace and Gardens
He won many medals for these exhibits at the National and International levels.
He became an accredited National level judge, one of about forty in Canada, and one of only three in Edmonton. As a judge, he would adjudicate other people’s exhibits entered in open competitions at stamp shows across Canada and the United States. He eventually became the Judging Coordinator for the RPSC, where he approved the accreditation and continuing competency of all judges.
He served as President of the Edmonton Stamp Club for a period in the 1990’s, as the exhibits coordinator each year for our Edmonton Stamp Show, and also attended all the junior stamp club meetings each month at the old Southgate Library, encouraging the youth in our hobby. He has become the doyen for youth philately in Canada. Some of the members of the stamp club are in the audience, including other past presidents, and the current president.
In honor of his passion for all aspects of the hobby, the family has requested, in lieu of flowers, donations to the Edmonton Stamp Club to be used for establishing a memorial award in honor of his long years of service.
Our hobby will miss your dedication and enthusiasm, John.
- taken from a eulogy prepared by David Piercey
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John James MacDonald, FRPSC, 1925 - 2005
J.J.MacDonald, JJ, passed away on July 7, 2005 in his eightieth year. He entered St. Francis Xavier University as an exceptional 15 year old, and graduated in Chemistry. He completed his studies with a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Toronto. In 1949 he returned to his Alma Mater as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry, and there he remained for his entire career, retiring as Academic Vice-President. He was involved in a wide range of scientific, educational and community activities, such as Chairman of the Board of St. Martha's Hospital, Antigonish, during a major renovation, and spearheaded the re-design of the Antigonish Golf and Country Club, a major endeavour. St. Francis Xavier University honoured him with a Doctor of Laws honoris causa.
He was active in the affairs of numerous philatelic societies, including the RPSC, of which he was a long-time director. He was elected a Fellow 1987 in recognition of his contributions to stamp collecting in Canada. His collecting interests included the stamps and postal history of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. After having collected Nova Scotia stamps and proofs, he turned to the covers of Nova Scotia, and their postmarks. The culmination of this was his definitive book, The Nova Scotia Post: Its Offices, Masters and Marks, 1700-1867 published 1985. This was recognized with medals at Ameripex '86, Chicago and CAPEX '87, Toronto. The numbering system he developed for the identification of Pre-Confederation Nova Scotia postmarks is now the standard reference. He was awarded the Geldert Medal in 2001, for his article "Charles Connell and His Stamps - The Stamp's Survival", Canadian Philatelist, 51 [2000], 211-2 & 256-9. Intrigued by the notoriety of Postmaster Charles Connell of New Brunswick, who substituted his own portrait for that of Queen Victoria on the 5 cent stamp of 1860 (Scott #5), J.J. sought out and indeed acquired a remarkable number of specimens, which had somehow been circulated despite the fact that the stamp had never been officially issued. In course of time, he became one of the leading authorities on the subject of this controversial rarity. His exhibit The Connell Stamps of New Brunswick received the Best Exhibit Award at the 1987 BNAPS Convention. He received the Frank W. Campbell Award of the Postal History Society of Canada for major contribution to the study of BNA postal history.
He served as editor of The Canadian Philatelist 1997-1999, during its transition to the current format. He was an honorary co-chairman of Royal*2004*Royale.
His last exhibit, One Hundred Years over the Waters, Mail by Ship in and around Nova Scotia from Mid-18th to Mid-19th Century which was awarded a Gold at BNAPS '97 and Novapex '97, will be in the Court of Honour at Novapex '05.
JJ leaves his wife, Jane Gordon; sons, John James, Ronald, Alan; daughters, Nancy, Anne Louise, Jana, Margaret; stepchildren, Jeremy, Rachel and eight grandchildren. He was predeceased by his first wife, Mary Lou.
- Michael Peach |
HENNOK, Jim. A. - 67, passed away Monday, May 9, 2005, at St.
Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario. Born in Talinn, Estonia, son of the
late Hellen and Harry Hennok. He came to Canada with his parents in 1949.
They lived briefly in Rapides-des-Joachims (Swisha), Quebec before settling
permanently in Toronto. Following secondary school, Jim attended Technical
School, studying photography. He worked briefly for the Toronto Star
Newspaper before joining the RCAF as a photographer. Later he became an
instructor at the Photography School in Camp Borden. While in the RCAF he
took an active role in competitive shooting. Jim held a unique distinction.
He was the only competitor to make every Bisley Team for which he tried.
From 1960 to 1970 inclusive, he made every team in the top 18 of the Bisley
Aggregate, except for 1968 when he chose to shoot in the match rifle class
which was not eligible to qualify for Bisley. Jim was second in the Canadian
Fullbore Rifle Championship once, was runner-up in the Grand Aggregate once
and second in the Governor General's Prize three times. He was Champion of
the Decade for the 1960's and is an inductee in the Dominion of Canada Rifle
Association Hall of Fame. At Bisley, he made five Queen's Prize Finals and
was in the Top 50 of the Grand Aggregate three times. In addition to these
accomplishments, Jim won Silver and Bronze Medals at the Pan American Games
in the smallbore rifles events. As a teenager, Jim took an interest in
philately. First, he was a collector, then a student and finally a merchant.
He produced his first ''List of Stamps for Sale'' while still in high
school. Today, more than 50 years later, the firm of Jim A. Hennok Ltd.
still operates in Toronto as one of Canada's Premier Auction Houses
specializing in postage stamps and postal history. Jim earned recognition as
a National Philatelic Judge and served on the Vincent G. Greene Philatelic
Research Foundation Expertizing Committee for many years. His foremost
passion later in life, was collecting Canadian art. An avid collector and
fierce competitor, in less than 25 years, he amassed an extensive collection
of oils, watercolours and works on paper. Between 1989 and 2003 he conducted
21 art auctions under the name Jim Hennok Fine Arts. His passion for art
never waned, even while in declining health, he could be observed at
previews, getting around with great difficulty. At his death, beside his
hospital bed, lay a group of art auction catalogues which had recently
arrived for the upcoming spring sales he so dearly wished to attend. In lieu
of flowers, donations may be made to St. Michael's Hospital Palliative Care
Unit. A memorial service will be held at a later date.
 WILSON, James Donald, D. Eng., P. Eng., FEIC, FRPSC, OTB, N.S. Tech.
48-49.
Passed away Sunday May 1, 2005 in St. John's NL, 80, from
idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a lung disease of which there is no known
cause or cure. Survived by loving wife Jean Drury Young Wilson, daughters:
Joan Wilson Pike (Greg), Corner Brook, NL., Nancy Wilson Voegeli (Fred),
Shad Bay, N.S., sons: James Wilson (Michele), Windsor, N.S., George Wilson
(Joyce), Perth, Australia, 12 grandchildren, sister: Rosamund Sangwine,
Walnut Creek, C.A., sister-in-law: Jean Wilson, Bellevue, WA., three
nieces and four nephews. Don was a very, very generous sharer of his
knowledge, experience, time and wealth for the good of all. His company,
Avalon Construction & Eng. Ltd., did work all over Newfoundland and
Labrador for 40 years. As a young man, he was a very competitive skuller
and canoeist in Dartmouth, N.S. He was a highly respected philatelist in
Canada. A world traveler. Cremation has taken place; interment at a later
date. A memorial service will be held at the West End Baptist Church
Tuesday, May 3 at 2 p.m. No flowers please, but donations may be made to a
charity of one's choice. (St. John's Telegram)
The following was added by a few of Don's BNAPS friends:
Members of BNAPS were saddened to learn of the death on May 1, 2005 of J.
Donald Wilson of St. John's, Newfoundland at the age of 80. Don had a long
'career' with the British North America Philatelic Society, serving as a
member of the Board of Directors from 1989 to 1994, Chairman of the Board
from 1995 -1998, and again as a Director from 2000 until he passed away.
He also served as Chairman of the BNAPS Ethics Committee from 1989 through
1994, and was Chairman of the tremendously successful BNAPEX 1997 in St.
John's. Don was elected a member of the Order of the Beaver the same year.
He was also a very active member and Fellow of the Royal Philatelic
Society of Canada, and a member of the Postal History Society of Canada
and the Canadian Philatelic Society of Great Britain. In addition, he
served as President of the St. John's Philatelic Society.
A fervent collector of the stamps and postal history of Canada and
Newfoundland, Don also collected Newfoundland revenues. He was Chairman of
the BNAPS Newfoundland Study Group in the early 1990's and served for many
years as Distribution Manager of the group's Newfie Newsletter, copying
and collating the editions at his home and then mailing them.
Don was known for his generosity. Stories of him and Jean showing visitors
around St. John's are common. Although very busy with convention duties,
in 1997 he went out of his way to drive a friend all around St. John's
helping him research the elusive spot from which the Vickers-Vimy departed
on its successful transAtlantic flight in 1919.
His willingness to help with answers to specific questions was unlimited,
and he was especially conscious of the importance for collectors who live
hundreds or thousands of miles from their country of interest to have a
contact in that place. Don would often not have the answer himself but
would always reply with those famous words. "Leave it with me for a few
days and I will find out". He had the ability to get things done and the
knack of getting people to assist him with whatever question or task
needed resolving.
Many collectors on both sides of the Atlantic can recall how an envelope
or package would arrive, often unannounced, containing philatelic material
Don knew or thought would be of interest to the recipient. He would also
slip material under a friend's hotel door during the wee hours of the
morning at a stamp convention, and on at least one occasion took a
valuable cover from his pocket and simply gave it to a friend as a gift.
It is little known that Don once flirted with a computer and at least
twice sent emails to philatelic friends. Always preferring the personal
touch, he then telephoned them to ask if the email had arrived! Although
an Engineer by training and vocation, Don did not like the "new fangled
contraption" and said he was going to get rid of it. Needless to say, get
rid of it he did.
Besides his family and philately, Don's other passion was travelling. He
and Jean had visited more than 125 countries in the world, and most
recently travelled to Wales in 2003 for the Canadian Philatelic Society of
Great Britain convention to the Caribbean for a three week cruise in the
fall of 2004.
After being hospitalized in January of this year Don returned home
determined to attend BNAPEX '05 in Edmonton, but it was not to be. A
second illness returned him to the hospital where, although weak and on
oxygen, he continued to talk stamps with friends who telephoned until just
a few days before his passing. Modest to a fault, Don was a true gentleman
and his counsel and friendship will be missed. Our sympathy goes out to
Jean, their four children and twelve grandchildren.
- Bob Dyer, Colin Lewis and Mike Street |
Ritch Toop.
 Philately's great friend, E.R. ‘Ritch’ Toop, O.T.B., F.R.P.S.C., was born August 28, 1923, and raised on his family's farm north of Carleton Place, Ontario. In January 1941 he began a long career with the Royal Canadian Air Force, serving with distinction. He ‘rose through the ranks’ and retired as a Major (Squadron Leader) in 1972.
His retirement was most opportune for Canada's Post Office Department, which acquired Ritch as a Manager in the expanding Philatelic Services Branch, where he worked from 1972 to 1978. He then became an indispensable asset to the National Postal Museum, initially as a Special Projects Officer using his military logistics background to coordinate various aspects of the institution's expansion and relocation from its original site to what was to be a permanent home in downtown Ottawa. His contributions led to a promotion to Philatelic Research Officer in 1980. His career was involuntarily terminated in 1985 when Canada Post dismantled the Postal Museum he helped create.
A popular, regular, and helpful participant at exhibitions and conventions, Ritch also wrote numerous articles on a wide variety of subjects, co-authored six authoritative handbooks concerning Canada's military postal history, and always had work in progress. A stalwart of many philatelic societies, he had a special interest in the BNAPS Military Study Group, of which he was a founding member as well as being an editor, advisor, and regular contributor to its Newsletter. Ritch and his wife Maureen administered the office of the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada and brought the RPSC’s operation into the computer age. He was also a Director of the Postal History Society of Canada and served on their Editorial Committee.
Ritch passed away October 13, 1995 after long, bravely fought battles against several illnesses. He was an inspiration to all who knew him. I am most grateful that I was fortunate to have had him as both a friend and colleague.
- C.R. McGuire |
Maureen Toop, wife of the late Ritch Toop, OTB, passed away Thursday,
April 29, 2005 in Ottawa. Maureen became a member of BNAPS after Ritch's
passing. She initiated and sponsored BNAPS' Ritch Toop Award for the
best article on Canadian Military Postal History published anywhere in the
previous year. Maureen and Ritch were wonderful people and both will now
be missed by their many friends in BNAPS. The obituary follows:
TOOP, Maureen (Clark) Maureen Toop, 78, beloved wife of the late Ewen
Ritchards Toop, on Wednesday, April 27, 2005 at the Ottawa General
Hospital, after a determined battle with cancer. Survived by her brother
Michael Clark (Rosemary), sister Alice McCulloch (Robert), pre-deceased by
sister Frances Carlin (the late Owen) all of Great Britain. Survived by
step-daughter Lynne Kangas, Toop sisters and brothers-in-law, nieces and
nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews and many friends. Mo will be
fondly remembered for her great interest in life, charity, humour and her
"Guid Scot" spirit. Her family would like to thank the staff at the Ottawa
Regional Cancer Centre for their excellent care and extend a special thank
you to her oncologist, Dr. Scott Laurie, for his never ending support,
encouragement and affection. Friends may visit at the Central Chapel of
Hulse, Playfair and McGarry, 315 McLeod Street, Ottawa, on Friday, April
29, 2005 from 7 to 9 p.m. Funeral mass will be held at St. Peter's
Catholic Church, 1640 Heatherington Rd, Ottawa, on Saturday, April 30,
2005 at 10:00 a.m. Private interment. In Memorium donations may be made to
the Canadian Cancer Society or to the charity of your choice.
James A. Brown
Born February 17, 1925, passed away April 11, 2005. He will be lovingly remembered by his family: wife Gwen; children Colin, Barbara
(Greg) and Paul (Dolly); step-children Bill, Doug, and Jennifer (Greg);
sister Patricia; 12 grand-children and long time friends Lorne Tomalty
and
Fred Brewis.
Jim served in the Canadian Navy, graduated from UBC in 1949
and
had a successful career with Chevron until retiring in 1984. Jim then
moved
to Pender Island, where he suffered the loss of his wife Peggy. Jim was
an
avid stamp collector, especially in aviation stamps. Jim also published a
book on the life of Eddie Hubbard, a pioneer in commercial aviation.
We
wish
to thank the many staff of the Sidney Care Home for their special care
and
kindness to Jim (and Gwen) during his brief stay. A memorial service will
be
held on April 21 at 2:00 p.m. at First Memorial, 4725 Falaise Drive,
Victoria. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Diabetes Society, Kidney
Foundation or Salvation Army would be appreciated.
- Published in the Victoria Times-Colonist on 4/15/2005.
Charles Whidden Arnold - 1931-2005
Charles Arnold - "Chuck" or "Charles" to family and neighbours and "Charlie" to us philatelists - died March 30, 2005 as a result of a highway accident. At the time of the accident, Charlie and his wife Betty were near Golden, BC on the way to the Edmonton Spring Stamp Show, where Charlie was to judge. There was an empty chair at the show's critique in honour of Charlie.
After operating Arnold's Bakery for many years, Charlie was a real estate salesman with Henderson Realty. He retired in 1993, and devoted his time to stamps, gardening, bridge and solitaire, and the Arnold family. For many years, he was an usher at his church and also a motor-cycle rider.
Charlie was a member of both the Vancouver Island Philatelic Society and the Greater Victoria Philatelic Society, and had been president of both clubs. He was a regular attendee at the weekly Muffin Break meetings. He collected British Empire and Commonwealth stamps. He specialized in cancels and postmarks, and in separation of printing shades. Amongst his favourites were the stamps of early New Zealand and Canada's Large Queens, and Canadian socked-on-the-nose town postmarks. Charlie was a judge who learned at every show, and happily discussed exhibits with exhibitors-trying to help them with their collections and presentations.
Charlie was both a student and a teacher of philately. "Inquisitive" has been used to describe him generally, and that word surely applied to his stamp collecting life. He was a true enthusiast, and very positive. All his stamp friends have remarked on his enthusiasm. His response to explanations and news was always a cheery, positive "Yes!"
Charlie is survived by his wife Elizabeth, daughter Sandra and sons Gary, Don, and Craig-their spouses and seven grandchildren, and his brothers Bruce and William. Predeceased by his brother Hugh. We extend our sympathy to Charlie's entire, loving family.
- Gray Scrimgeour and friends |
Paul Hughes - 1912-2005
John Paul Hughes of Sidney, BC passed away peacefully on January 22, 2005. Paul was predeceased by his previous wife Helen and his daughter Paula, and is survived by his wife Norine, three sons-Henk, Ross, and John, 9 grandchildren, and 25 great-grandchildren. Paul was born in Edmonton. He was a member of the Alberta Mounted Rifles, becoming a First Lieutenant in 1931. He went overseas in World War II with the B.C. Dragoons, and was Captain of his Tank Corp. After returning to Canada in 1946, he worked for Muttarts Lumber Company on prefabricated homes. He and Helen moved to the Sidney area in 1967, and Paul then worked at B.C. Ferries for over 7 years. He was a member of BNAPS and its Northwest Regional Group and the Postal History Society of Canada.
He and Fred Keane gathered an award-winning collection of the Centennial Issue and wrote Canada, the 1967-73 Definitive Issue. Paul told me that for years he made the trip from Sidney to Victoria two or three times a week to converse with Fred and to visit post offices looking for new varieties of these definitive stamps. Their exhibit was requested by Australian collectors for a display there.
Starting in the 1970s, Paul, Ferd Belanger, and I cooperated on a project to list all of the broken circle postmarks of Canada. Paul sought opening and closing dates for the post offices, primarily using the Postmaster Generals' Reports available at the Legislative Library in Victoria. Ferd photocopied proof material available at the National Philatelic Library. We shared the data from our own collections, and gathered much from other collectors. I accumulated the information and prepared most of the lists. The Keewatin, NWT, and Yukon lists were published. The information for Ontario was given to Bruce Graham, who greatly expanded it. Walter Bileski circulated our Prairie lists. Our Newfoundland data were shared with Palmer Moffat.
After disposing of his collections (including squared circles of Canada and the Centennials), Paul focused on collecting ships on stamps and organizing the proof strikes of Canadian postmarks. Cimon Morin of the National Archives supplied Paul with a photocopied set of all of the available proof impressions. Paul spent years clipping and sorting the individual strikes. When each type of postmark had been sorted and mounted, the resulting pages were published by Bob Lee. This resulted in some three dozen reference books.
I'll always remember my many pleasant visits with Paul; BNA philatelists will remember him for his major publications.
- Gray Scrimgeour
Robert V. C. Carr - 1919-2004
Dr. Robert V.C. Carr, OTB
1919-2004
Past President - BNAPS
It with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dr. Robert V. C. Carr, OTB. Bob was born in New Castle, PA in 1919 and passed away in October 2004 at age 85.
Bob started collecting stamps as a young boy and, unlike some of us, remained active in the hobby throughout his life. He built outstanding award winning collections of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and British Columbia, exhibited frequently, served on BNAPEX juries, wrote for BNA Topics and other journals, served on committees for BNAPS and other philatelic organizations, was elected President of BNAPS, and wrote a wonderfully received book on express covers.
His first exhibit at a BNAPS convention was in Philadelphia in 1957 (one year after he joined). He won a gold for his display of the Maritime Provinces. Over the next 48 years he exhibited at more than 25 BNAPEXs winning gold at least eight times, the Grand Award four times and the Meyerson award twice. In 1999 he published his award winning book, British Columbia Express Covers, 1858-1900.
His expertise did BNAPS well as he served as a BNAPEX judge on at least three occasions in 1964, 1976 and as jury chair in 1987.
In 1961 he started writing for BNA Topics and continued to contribute to that publication for the next 31 years writing more than 166 articles. In 1966 he re-started a column that had been begun by Vinnie Greene – Sketches. These were short biographical pieces on BNAPS members. For the next 26 years he wrote more than 138 of them introducing all of us to the accomplishments of other Society members.
Bob began serving BNAPS in an official capacity in 1961 as a member of the Convention Committee becoming its chair from 1971 to 1978. In 1962 he was elected to the Board of Directors and served from 1962 to 1967 and again from 1993 to 2000. From 1966 to 1970 he was the associate editor of BNA Topics. He gave of his talents on the Editorial Board from 1981 to 1991. From 1975 to 1979 he served on the Nominations Committee.
BNAPS was fortunate to have his services as President in 1969 and 1970 during which time he served with distinction.
In 1986 Bob was recognized for his long service to BNAPS and his philatelic expertise with his induction into the BNAPS honor group, the Order of the Beaver.
Bob graduated from Western Reserve University Dental School in 1942. During World War II he served in the U.S. Army. Having learned fluent Chinese while at Yale he went over the Burma Road to China where he served as the Commanding Officer of a 14 bed hospital. After the war he returned home to Youngstown, Ohio where he established a thriving dental practice.
In addition to being a member of BNAPS he has served as President of the Mahoning Valley Stamp Club, was a member of the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada, the Canadian Philatelic Society of Great Britain, the Postal History Society of Canada and the Philatelic Foundation. Bob also had great interests outside philately. The U.S. Civil War fascinated him and he became an active member of the Mahoning Valley Civil War Round Table. He was a charter member of the South-side Lions Club of Youngstown Ohio and was an active member for over 50 year.
Those who came in contact with Bob knew of his generosity. He shared not only his enthusiasm for the hobby but his knowledge as well. If you had a philatelic problem Bob was willing to sit with you and work it through.
Bob Carr will be missed not only for his philatelic contributions but for the humor and enthusiasm he brought to the Society – and we’ll also miss the “stamp jacket” (pictured above) he so often wore to our conventions.
- P. Charles Livermore
|
Norman E. Wagner - 1935-2004
Dr. Norman Wagner passed away peacefully in Calgary on Friday, December 10, 2004, after a six-year battle with cancer. Norm organized Auxano Philatelic Services and brought modern publication technology to our hobby. Auxano operated the BNAPS Book Department until October 2004, and published many of the BNAPS exhibit books-some in full colour. He and Don Thompson authored the monograph Emerging Saskatchewan, the award-winning book on the postal history of Assiniboia. He was Secretary-Treasurer of the Postal History Society of Canada. Norm's Canadian BNA philatelic collections included precancels, squared circle postmarks, and the postal history of the District of Assiniboia.
Norm was a professor and academic administrator, obtaining his B.A. and Master of Divinity degrees at the University of Saskatchewan, and an M.A. and Ph.D. at the University of Toronto. He taught Near Eastern Languages, Literature and Archaeology at Wilfred Laurier University from 1962, and was Dean of Graduate Studies and Research there from 1974 to 1978. Norm next was President of the University of Calgary for 10 years. He served on the boards of many scientific and community councils and foundations, and was Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of the Alberta Natural Gas Co. Ltd. until 1994. Norm's honours include being named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1989.
Norm and I often discussed the publication of philatelic information, something we both wholeheartedly support. He and his family established Auxano Philatelic Services to distribute and publish books about BNA philately. The quality they sought and achieved with accurate, full-colour reproduction of covers and stamps proved costly in our limited market. However, the Auxano publications set a very high standard and provide us with many excellent references. They are a lasting memorial to Norm.
We extend our sympathy to Cathy and the rest of the Wagner family. Norm's enthusiasm and effort will be sorely missed.
- Gray Scrimgeour |
Lionel F. Gillam, F.C.P.S. - 1914-2004
It is with regret that we report the passing of Lionel F. Gillam, F.C.P.S., in his 90th year.
Lionel joined the Canadian Philatelic Society of Great Britain towards the end of 1951. He established a Railway and Travelling Post Office Study Circle and his first letter to the Editor, along with a three page article suggesting how an RPO collection might be written up, was published within his first year of membership. Clearly, a young man with a mission.
The February 1957 issue of Maple Leaves included 'Early Canadian Railway Post Offices,
Part 1'. A series of 48 instalments concluded in 1967, at which time Lionel published the combined series of articles, with supplementary information, under the title 'A History of Canadian RPOs'. The privately published limited edition of 500 hard-back copies was followed by two reprints in paperback form by the American Philatelic Society.
Further books followed, 'Canadian Mail By Rail 1836-1867' in 1985 and 'Just a Few Lines' in 1993, each containing a wealth of well researched historical information about people, places and events, spun into a fascinating narrative in Lionel's lucid and idiosyncratic prose.
Lionel was the Editor of Maple Leaves from 1963 to 1984, being responsible for 112 issues in total. He was made a Fellow of the Society in 1965 and served as President in 1971-72.
In addition to the many articles penned for publication in Maple Leaves, his final article appearing in the October 2004 issue, Lionel was also an active member of the Canadian Railroad Historical Association and a Life Member of the British North America Philatelic Society's RPO Study Group where his contribution was recognised recently by The Order of the Beaver Lifetime Achievement Award.
Lionel was a modest man with a prodigious memory, a keen wit and an eloquent literary style. Above all, he was generous with his friendship. He will be greatly missed by his many friends, also by his sons, Michael and Geoffrey, and his sister, Edna, to whom he was very close.
- Brian T Stalker
[see also the Order of the Beaver pages)
[ webmaster's note: I owe Mr. Gillam a great deal personally, as his book is never far from my reach when I enjoy my RPO collection.] |
LIEUTENANT-COLONEL WILLIAM J. BAILEY, C.St.J., CD, FRPSC, FRPSL -
1921-2003
Bill was born in Vancouver, B.C., April 14, 1927, attended Kitsilano High School, and the University of British
Columbia, graduating with a B.A. in 1950. His father was a distinguished veteran of World War I, who had been
awarded both the Distinguished Service Order and the Military Cross for deeds of exceptional courage in France,
served for many years in the Militia, commanded the British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own Rifles)
between the wars, and took them overseas during World War 2. Bill decided on a military career also - enrolled as
a member of the Regular Officer Training Plan at university, and joined the Canadian Regular Army on graduation.
In this capacity he served as an officer of the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment of Canada) with NATO in
Germany, with the U.N. Truce Supervisory Force on Cyprus, with the United Nations Emergency Force in Egypt
and Israel, and with the Canadian Army Training Mission to Ghana - rising to the rank of Major, and receiving the
Canadian Forces Decoration and Clasp. He then served as a staff officer at National Defence Headquarters,
Ottawa until retirement in 1980, when he and his family (wife Jane, daughter Ann, and son Michael) returned
to Vancouver.
During this military career, his interest in stamp collecting continued, and he built award-winning collections of the
Canadian Centennial issue, and Canadian military mail. While in Ottawa, he was an active member of the Ottawa
Philatelic Society, and the Civil Service Recreational Society Stamp Club, joined the Royal Philatelic Society of
Canada, and the British North America Philatelic Society, and assisted with several ORAPEX shows. During this
time he formed a firm friendship with Major E. Ritch Toop, and published the first edition of his listing of Canadian
Military Post Offices and their markings.
On his return to Vancouver, he was asked to become the Commanding Officer of the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada,
with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, serving with distinction in that appointment for three years. He also became active
with the St.John Ambulance Brigade as their full-time Provincial Training Officer, and later Deputy Provincial
Commissioner. For this work he became an Officer, and later a Commander of the Order of St.John, and
received the St. John's Long Service Award.
He became increasingly active in philately in later life - serving as a Director of the RPSC from 1992 to 1997. He
served as Secretary-Treasurer and Chairman of the BNAPS Military Mail Study Group, and Chaired the Pacific
Northwest Regional Group of BNAPS for some years. He wrote further editions of his MPO listing, and
collaborating with Ritch Toop in a three-volume work on the Canadian Military Posts, edited by Edward B.
Proud in Great Britain. He found time to qualify as a National Level philatelic and Literature judge of the RPSC,
and served as Judge or Chief Judge at numerous Canadian Exhibitions. He was honoured as a Fellow of the RPSC
in 1997. He was also writing a history of the Order of St. John as told in stamps.
His last and greatest work was a two-volume listing of Canadian Military Postal Markings started in collaboration with
Ritch Toop, and completed following Ritch's death. This massive work received Large Vermeil International awards at
several World Exhibitions, culminating at LONDON 2000. In 2001 he was made a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic
Society, London, in recognition of his contributions to philately.
He died May 1, 2003, following a short illness, and will long be remembered for his great pioneering work in the
field of Canadian Military philately.
- W.G.Robinson, May 2003
Harry Lussey - 1906-2003
Harry Whittaker Lussey of Atlantis, Florida and, until recently, Waynesboro, North Carolina, aged 96, passed away
on April, 2003 after a long illness. Born in Everett, Massachusetts on July 18, 1906, he was raised in Canada and
received his education at St. Lamberts in Quebec. He had a long career in banking and investment banking from
1924 until his retirement in 1980. He served in Montreal with the Royal Bank of Canada, and in New York City
with the Manufacturers Trust Company and the Wm. E. Pollock Company in the capacity of Senior Vice-President
and Economist.
He was a life-long philatelist specializing in British North America and his collections earned him numerous dominion,
national and international awards. He served on the Board of Governors of the British North American Philatelic
Society (BNAPS), and was a past president of that Society. Mr. Lussey was a regular contributor of researched
articles to philatelic publications. He was co-author of Canada's Registered Mail 1802-1909: From Money Letters
Through Insurance for a Fee (2002) published in both French and English. He was inducted in 1974 as a Fellow in
the Order of the Beaver of BNAPS, and was the 1975 recipient of the Dube award presented by the Philatelic
Specialists Society of Canada for the best article published that year. He also held memberships in the Royal
Philatelic Society of London, the Canadian Philatelic Society of Great Britain, the Philatelic Specialist Society,
The Collectors Club (New York), and the Toronto Stamp Collectors Club. He was a life member of the RPSC.
Mr. Lussey also was an avid and life-long athlete, participating in ice hockey, war canoes, sculls, skiing, bowling,
sport fishing and golf. He played amateur hockey in Canada and the United States, and was a member of the US
National AAA Championship teams in 1931 and 1932. He continued in amateur hockey through his early years in
banking, playing on the Boston Bruins and the New York Athletic Club Crescents. He also medaled as a member
of the Manufacturers Trust ski team at North Conway, NH. He was a charter member of the Atlantis Golf Club.
He won numerous amateur golf events, and was awarded Gold Digest Magazine's special "Age Shooter Certificate"
when he played the Laurel Ridge Country Club course in 84 strokes at the age of 85.
He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Helen Shane Lussey of Atlantis, his daughters, Susan Lussey of Highland Lakes,
New Jersey, and Carol MacMillan, and her husband, Bill, of Birmingham, Alabama, and a step-daughter, Sandra
Shane-DuBow, and her husband, Chip Hay, of Evanston, Illinois; his grandchildren, Collin MacMillan, and his wife
Kellie, and Tracey MacMillan Runnion, and her husband, John; two step-grandchildren, Sura and Shane DuBow;
and three great grandsons, Quinn, Cole and Tucker Runnion.
His family will receive their friends on Friday, April 11, 2003, at 11:00 a.m. at Dorsey-E Earl Smith Memory Gardens
Funeral Home, 3041 Kirk Road, Lake Worth where his memorial service will be celebrated. In lieu of flowers,
donations to Hospice of Palm Beach County, 5200 East Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33407 in his memory
would be appreciated. |
Horace Harrison - 1921-2002
Horace and wife Kitty |
Horace White Harrison
1921 - 2002 |
Horace, speaking as President of BNAPS at the Chicago convention, 2000. |
Horace Harrison ("El Supremo") passed away October 3rd, 2002. His long association with BNAPS can partly
be found in the BNAPS Archives. Jim Hansen provided an obituary from a Baltimore newspaper:
Horace White Harrison, a noted Baltimore stamp collector, jazz enthusiast and retired insurance executive, died of
pancreatic cancer Friday at his Ruxton home. He was 81. Born and raised in Garrison, Mr. Harrison attended
McDonogh School and graduated from St. Andrews School in Middletown, Del., in 1939.
Mr. Harrison, who began collecting stamps in his youth, sold his assortment of stamps from the Philippines to
finance his freshman year at Princeton University and his U.S. collection to help pay for his sophomore and junior years.
He also worked during his college years as a bartender, a university public relations specialist, meter repairman
for Baltimore
Gas and Electric Co. and sportswriter for the Newark (N.J.) Evening News.
After earning a bachelor's degree in history in 1943 from Princeton, he enlisted in the Navy. He served as executive
officer and navigator aboard the USS Burrows, a destroyer and convoy escort that patrolled the Atlantic,
Mediterranean and Pacific. After his discharge in 1946, he became an active reservist and was discharged
with the rank of commander in 1967.
In 1947, after an apprenticeship at Continental Insurance Co. in New York City, he joined Hall & Harrison, an
insurance agency founded by his father, Robert B. Harrison, in Reisterstown in 1903.
In 1952, he bought the firm with his brother and operated Horace W. Harrison & Associates in Stevenson until
selling his business and retiring in 1984.
In addition to his general insurance brokerage, Mr. Harrison operated two sideline businesses. He combined
an interest in stamps with his expertise in insurance to help dealers and collectors insure their coins and stamps.
"Harrison did much to reform the way the insurance industry deals with stamp collectors," said Jesse Glasgow,
retired Sun business editor and stamp columnist.
"He was quite an imaginative guy and really was the 'Father of Stamp Insurance.' He helped persuade insurers that
stamps and coins are not equally risky. Today, the industry quotes a much lower rate to insure stamps than it does
for coins," he said.
A member of the Baltimore Philatelic Society, Mr. Harrison's collecting interests included the Canadian registry system
and postal stationery, of which he wrote a detailed history.
"His first love in stamps was British North American material and he was a world authority on the Canadian registration
system, routes and rates," said Mr. Glasgow, who lives in Roland Park . "He has been honored many times for his
research in this field, and, in fact, has a revised -- that is, updated -- edition of his major study of the Canadian
registry system coming out this month."
Mr. Harrison was also a swing, blues and Dixieland aficionado who collected thousands of recordings from the
1930s through the 1980s.
"It is one of the finest collections on the Eastern Seaboard, and a lot of drive, effort and dollars went into it. He just had
everything," said Louis G. Hecht of Pikesville, a boyhood friend since the 1930s who shared the same musical interests.
Mr. Harrison also liked collecting offbeat recordings, such as a Danish band playing Dixieland.
Mr. Harrison shared his musical archive with others, holding a monthly listening session for 20 or so
like-minded enthusiasts in the club cellar of his Indian Head Road home.
"It was a lot of stuff that we had never heard. He had lived through the era and really had the collection," said Edward
R. Goldstein, musical director of the Baltimore Jazz Orchestra and Peabody Ragtime Ensemble.
Mr. Goldstein will perform at the funeral service at 11 a.m. tomorrow at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 232 St.
Thomas Lane, Garrison, where Mr. Harrison was a communicant.
Mr. Harrison's first wife, the former Elizabeth Harris, died in 1983.
He is survived by his wife of 17 years, the former Catherine Hunt France, and a daughter, Dr. Ellen Spears Harrison
of Annapolis.
- Copyright © 2002, The Baltimore Sun
Alec Unwin 1929-2000
Alec Unwin died on January 24th, at the age of 70. He was the serving Secretary of BNAPS at
the time of death and was very well known to fellow members of this and other philatelic societies.
I met Alec only twice, which was my loss, because he and I communicated at least weekly and often on a daily
basis by email and I have often wished I could have known him longer. He was the strongest supporter
we had for the development of the BNAPS websites and he was always the one with whom I tested ideas.
He was a solid presence, but quiet and civilized about every issue that arose.
Bob Dyer provides the following: "Alec was a very dedicated BNAPS officer, and very active in other philatelic
organizations. He won national and international awards with his exhibit on TRANSPACIFIC MAIL
"VIA VANCOUVER" CANADIAN PACIFIC STEAMSHIPS LTD. AND CANADIAN AUSTRALIAN LINE.
He also won an Apfelbaum award for best article of the year in the AMERICAN PHILATELIST,
for 1996 - "Canada's Pacific Maritime Mails," May, 1996. He lectured on the
maritime mails at PACIFIC 97 and for the Collectors Club of New York, among
other venues. He always found time to always make a prompt response to
inquiries, even though busy with all his philatelic endeavors. My wife and I
stayed with him and wife, Joan en route to BNAPEX 99. He was an excellent
host, also. I will miss him."
Carol Edholm, a dedicated advocate of philately with young collectors, wrote: " I think in whatever he did,
he did it with his heart and soul. He was Chair of NWFSC and an important figure in Boeing
Employees Stamp Club. He also donated all his new US stamps he received on his
mail to the youth."
The family's obituary, provided by Gray Scrimgeour, contained the following: "Mr. Unwin
was born March 15, 1929 in Prague, Czechoslovakia.
He was raised in
England and moved to Canada in 1947 where he earned a Master's of Science
degree in physics from the University of British Columbia.
He worked for Northern Electric in Montreal, Quebec until 1958 when he moved to
Bellevue to accept a position with The Boeing Company. Mr. Unwin retired from
Boeing in 1995 after 37 years as a professional engineer.
Mr. Unwin was actively involved in politics, including a run for Washington
State Legislature, 48th District, in 1972. In his leisure time he enjoyed
postal history, travel and spending time with his family. Mr. Unwin was a
member of many philatelic organizations, including past president of the Boeing
Employees' Stamp Club and secretary of BNAPS. He won numerous awards, most
notably the Frank W. Campbell Award for 1996 by the Postal History Society of
Canada.
Mr. Unwin is survived by his loving wife of forty-five years, Joan Unwin of
Bellevue; his daughter Judy Unwin of Bellevue; his sons, John Unwin of New York
City, David Unwin of Bellevue; his brothers, John West of Toronto, Canada and
Tom Unwin of Somerset, England.
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