Mr. Frederick George Jackson

He is survived by his children, Susan, Cheryl (Greg) and Paul (Corrie), his grandchildren Damien, Jaclyn, Alanna, Nolan, and Amy and his great grandson Jordan. He was predeceased by his beloved wife Joyce in 1999.

Dad was born in Liverpool England in 1924, the second of four sons to Emily and Arthur Jackson.

He had difficulty walking as a little one and claimed to be unable to stand until he was six. At age twelve he ran and much like Forrest Gump, he kept on moving after that. During the early years Dad was trained in the violin and with his brothers Arthur on piano and Bill on the trumpet, their house was filled with music. He was self taught on the piano and the guitar. Playing organ gave him great pleasure in his old age.

Liverpool was hit hard in the Second World War. The Jacksons lost homes to bombs and our dad was one of a handful of people who survived a direct hit on the school where he had sheltered for the night. His memories of the war, the ones he liked to speak of, were colourful and many. He was a dispatch rider in the Royal Signals Corp and travelled throughout Italy and Northern Africa carrying important information. A ride to Lockport on his motorcycle after dinner became a pastime he enjoyed into his early eighties.

On his return to England after the war, he became a journeyman heating engineer, a trade he loved. After immigrating to Canada, he was credited easily with the title of Steamfitter. He worked away from home many years in order to make the kind of living for his family he wanted. He worked hard at what he did and set standards for himself that he expected others to live up to. He taught night classes in Steam fitting and was well known in the trade, often called Hurricane or Flash. Local 254 strong, he enjoyed a drink with the boys at the annual Christmas party and he was thrilled to be accompanied by his son Paul and grandson Damien as he received his years of service pins. He retired from his position as a Plumbing Inspector for the City of Winnipeg on his 65th birthday.

Our dad and mum met at a dance and celebrated 50 years of marriage together. They travelled far and wide, the first move to Canada in 1953. Road trips and airplanes transported them from Victoria BC to Halifax NS in Canada, to Florida, to England and Wales many times, to Spain and their final trip together to Hawaii. A lot of the travels they made involved dancing, round and square. They met and loved so many wonderful people while wearing their dancing shoes.

The expression “a full life” described our dad. He was willing to try anything and usually did. He truly enjoyed life and filled every minute with activities he enjoyed. Years of camping and fishing were followed by many years at his beloved cabin in Pointe du Bois where he fished, swam and water skied into his eighties. His love of reading helped him learn so many interesting hobbies. He attended numerous clubs to practice his new interests, taxidermy, oil and watercolour painting, pottery, wood carving. He took up golf when he retired and his last round was at age 92. He loved the game of bridge and played with a passion.

Dad was able to live in his own home with the help of family, Home Care and generous neighbours until age 97 when he became a resident of Concordia Place, where the care received was appreciated.

Cremation has taken place and no formal service will be held. Dad’s ashes will be interred in Elmwood Cemetery, beside our Mum, at a later date.

We, his family, are grateful for his military service, his hard work, his stories, his enthusiasm for life and his love.