Clara & Roy Galway
Clara MacLaughlin (Starratt) Galway, of Listowel, passed away at Grand River Hospital, Kitchener on Thursday, March 12, 2020, at the age of 97 years.
Her loving and devoted, Roy Lane Galway, passed away at Listowel Memorial Hospital, on Saturday, April 18, 2020, at the age of 99 years.
They were married September 15, 1947.
Parents of Jim Galway & Meg Shuebrook of St. Clements, Mi (Margaret) & Roddy Faulkner of Bass River, NS, and Peter Galway & Janice Hodder of Listowel. Grandparents of Dan Galway & Angie Vaughan, Abe Galway & Tanya Lee, Jason & Tessa Faulkner, Jodi Faulkner, and Megan & Dustin Eberle, and great-grandmother of Alexander, Kalen, Addy, Amaya, Alivia, and Leo.
Roy was born in Pittsburgh Township, Ontario, to parents James and Edith (Lane) Galway of Gananoque, and was the second oldest of four children.
Clara was one of 4 daughters born and brought up in Bass River, Nova Scotia by her parents James and Jenny (MacLaughlin) Starratt. She attended NSAC where she was the only female in her class, and later went on to MacDonald college (McGill) where she received a BSc in horticulture. It was there she met her future husband Roy.
Roy was a teacher before the war, When Roy joined the RCAF, his aptitude tests steered him towards radar sciences. In 1941 he was deployed overseas for five years, serving with the 405-pathfinder squadron as flight sergeant, and became an expert in the proper functionality of his Squadron’s radar equipment which was vital technology used at the time to navigate the treacherous skies over Germany.
At war’s end, Galway would return home to Ontario, earning an agricultural engineering degree from the Macdonald campus of McGill University in the town of Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue near Montreal. This is where he met his future wife of 72 years Clara. Roy worked for the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario (later renamed Ontario Hydro in 1974) for 35 years, retiring in 1983. He and Clara made Listowel their home in 1958, living in the same Churchill Drive house for nearly the entire time raising three children there.
Clara was a stay at home mom until she initiated a garden center at the co-op and worked there as the manager for 25 years, giving out much sought-after advice. She also taught many courses and seminars in gardening and landscaping over the years. Clara loved her family, grandchildren and great grandchildren dearly and they meant the world to her. Roy and Clara loved life and always treated people with respect, dignity and caring.
They were extremely Committed members of Trinity United Church, Listowel. Roy was very involved with the church, volunteering for almost every activity, and serving on the board in many different capacities. Clara was very involved with the UCW, also volunteering for many activities, church dinners and funerals. She served on the board in many different capacities, one of her many accomplishments is the beautiful Christmas backdrop she built for the church sanctuary around 1958, and it still adorns the church today. Clara was very active in Scouting Canada for 25 plus years serving as a Cub leader and attending many conferences and seminars. Also, an enthusiastic curler, Clara was still curling at the age of 95. At that time, she was recognized as the oldest active curler in Ontario. As a skip, she led her teams to many victories over the years. Through curling she made many friends and helped many beginners get started in the sport.
Roy was a proud member of the Listowel Legion. He helped to establish the 2nd Listowel Scouts in 1963, and was dedicated to Scouting Canada for 36 plus years serving as group committee chairman. Also, he was instrumental in the Listowel scout’s participation in an Atlantic Canada Centennial trip which culminated with a Jamboree in P.E.I. Also, an enthusiastic curler, he curled well into his later years and volunteered for many duties at the curling club. He believed in volunteerism, he helped to form the Electric Service League, he worked on the building committee for both the local school board and the church.
Roy loved all games, card games, golf games, board games, backyard games it was here that his playful and competitive spirit really shone through. He was also a dedicated Blue Jay fan and also a big fan of the Montreal Canadiens, probably from the time he spent in Montreal.
Music was a very large part of Clara’s life. She sang in the church choir up until recently, and also sang in the church choir in Bass River with her mother and three sisters until her mother’s death. She and her sisters continued on singing, becoming well known up and down the Cobequid Bay as “ The Starratt Sisters”. Clara also was a member of both the Concert Singers and the Bell handchoir at her church.
They spent summers at the cottage in Little Bass River, where many activities took place, many family suppers and nightly card games, and also doing things with Clara’s sister Barb and her husband Jim.
A Celebration of Roy and Clara’s life and love will be held at Trinity United Church, Listowel, on Wednesday, November 17, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. Rev. Beth Kerr officiating. Reception to follow at Listowel Legion. You must have proof of vaccination and identification to attend the recepton.
Interment in Riverside United Cemetery, Colchester County, Nova Scotia.
Memorial donations to Trinity United Church, Listowel, or Riverside United Church, Bass River, would be appreciated.
Online condolences may be left at www.eatonfuneralhome.ca
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Saturday April 18th 2020
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Clara & Roy Galway Saturday April 18th 2020..
Décès pour la Ville:Listowel, Province: Ontario