Born November 6, 1946 in Geraldton, Ontario – Died February 9, 2019, Edmonton, Alberta
Bryan passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of February 9th, after being showered with love and adoration by those who held him dearest, his children and grandchildren.
Bryan was the fifth born of ten children of Alice and Jack Benay spending the majority of his youth in Edmonton chasing girls with his brothers, occasionally finding trouble and teasing his sisters.
After being an Air Cadet as a teenager, he joined the Air Force. It was there his career in aviation started. During his air force years in Ontario, he met and married “the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, Maralyn” and they welcomed the arrival of their first daughter, Stephanie.
After the airforce, he joined Pacific Western Airlines (PWA), where he travelled the world with the Hercules Operations group, making lifelong friends. He often referred to it as the best time of his career. His family expanded to include Kristine “Daddy’s girl” and he and Maralyn bought their first home in Fort Saskatchewan. Here they raised their family and spent over 25 years, actively participating in the community through the service clubs and St. George’s Anglican Church.
His career continued with Canadian Airlines and Air Canada as Duty Manager at both the Municipal and International Airports and finally with the Edmonton Airport Authority, where he shared many hours of laughter with his colleagues. People often described him as a fair straight shooter and a good listener, although his daughters wonder about that as he spent many years answering “no” to any question that started with “Dad?”.
He was passionate about golf and would spend hours regaling anyone who would listen with stories about golfing, and the epic “hole in one” he had on the 15th hole at Radium Hot Springs May 8, 1994. If you knew him then, you undoubtedly received a phone call that day excitedly retelling the story. Most importantly, he proudly turned his grandsons into passionate golfers and remained unbeaten by any of them. He reminded them of this all the time.
Bryan’s love of his grandchildren was known by anyone who gave him a few moments of their time. After living in a house full of women, it was a momentous day when his first grandson Matthew was born. That day, he became “Grampie”. With Matthew he had a partner in crime, a kindred spirit, a fellow lover of ice cream and his forever “Bud”. Seven years later, his “boy”tourage expanded with the arrival of namesake twins, Nicholas and Nathan. Eight months later, twins Jackson and Katelin arrived, and he became the proudest Grampie on the face of the earth. Each of them represented a piece of his heart and the love he had for them was limitless. Imagine, how over the moon he was 10 years later, when Stephanie married Cam, and with him came Cam’s twin daughters, Lyndsey and Maysyn.
Bryan was predeceased by his parents; brothers John and Barry (Butch), sisters Jean and Estelle. Also greeting him in heaven are his father and mother-in-law, Melvyn and Evelyn Frost.
He leaves to celebrate his memory his wife of 52 years, Maralyn, daughters Stephanie Benay (Cam Moore), Kristine Benay (Desi Trusty, Brittany and Devon), and grandchildren, Matthew Benay, Nicholas and Nathan Nelson, Katelin and Jackson Dexter, Lyndsey and Maysyn Moore. He also leaves his adored older brother, Larry (Marlene) Laramee and sisters, Pat Kennedy, Sandra Cormier and Shelley Adamowski; brother and sister- in-law, Barclay Frost (Janet) and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was never one for sentiment, but he would want you to know if you were his friend, he expects you to vote in the election and not for that “idiot Trudeau” or “knucklehead Notley”. Also, he is most likely going to continue to send tasteless internet jokes and political nonsense emails from heaven, so check your spam folders (and don’t open at work).
Please join us for a memorial service at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, 4416 50 Street, Leduc on Friday, February 15, 2019 at 1:00pm. Lunch to follow. Bring your stories and memories. We will.
Memorial donations in Bryan’s honour may be made to St. Columba Anglican Church
5703 – 50 Ave, Beaumont, Alberta, T4X 1C4
www.stcolumbaanglican.ca
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Bryan Wayne Bobby Benay February 9 2019..
Décès pour la Ville: Edmonton, Province: Alberta