Robert Kirkpatrick
1931-2019
At the Falls Villa (Grand
Falls Manor), February 25, 2019, Mr. Robert Kirkpatrick of New Denmark
passed away at the age of 87 years. He was married to the
former Helen Hannaford. Born at New Glasgow, NS in 1931, he
was a son of the late Ralph Ernest and Susan Mae (McKay)
Kirkpatrick. From the age of 4, he was raised by his
grandparents, Dr. Clarence Avon and Hattie Marie (Wheeler) Kirkpatrick
of Grand Falls.
He is survived by his wife
of 56 years, Helen, resident of Tobique Valley Manor, Plaster Rock,
three children, Ralph James of St. John’s, NL, Robert Clarence Avon of
Milton, ON and Susan Grace of Miramichi, six grandchildren, James,
Emily, Nicolas, Katelyn, Katherine and Courtney, one great grandson on
the way, a brother Lloyd of Brampton, ON, nieces of
nephews.
Resting at O’Regan’s
Funeral Home, 515 Everard Daigle Blvd., Grand Falls with visiting
hours on Friday March 1st from 7 to 9 p.m. and Saturday March 2nd at
the church from 10 to 11 a.m.
His funeral service will
be held Saturday March 2nd at 11 a.m. from St. Peter’s Lutheran
Church, New Denmark with Pastor Ralph Weigold officiating.
Interment will be in Union Cemetery, Grand Falls at a later
date.
For those who wish,
donations to St. Peter’s Lutheran Church or Boy Scouts Canada would be
appreciated by the family.
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*
Bob graduated in 1948 at
the Grand Falls Composite School now John Caldwell School. He studied
at Mt. Allison, UNB Fredericton and the University of Miami, Florida
where he worked as a life guard and aspired in the study of geology
and drafting. He began his career as an Instrumentman for the Town of
Grand Falls and worked utilities construction at Camp Gagetown and
D.E.W line. From 1955-1959 he was senior instrumentman for the Iron
Ore Company of Canada promoted to Acting Supervisor for the Town of
Schefferville, Knob Lake, Labrador. In 1960 he worked for Quebec
Cartier Mining and from 61-64 he was chief instrumentman of Sandy
Brook Hydro Development. NFLD. In 1964-69 he was the Chief
Instrumentman constructing a dam, powerhouse and general civil works
with Baie D’Espoir Hydro Project, NFLD. In 1970 he went to
Fort Smith Northwest Territories for a feasibility survey of Taltson
River Hydroelectric project. From 1970-72 he worked at the
Stephenville pulp mill and then traveled to Alberta where from 72-73
he was Party Chief at the Bighorn Hydroelectric Project and from 73-75
at the Sundance Thermal Generating Plant. In ’76 he was
Chief Surveyor, Gull Island Power Development, Labrador. 76-79 brought
him to Holyrood where he was Chief Surveyor for the Steam Plant. In
1979-81 he was survey Party Chief, Jebba Hydro-electric Project in
Nigeria, Africa. Responsible for the supervision and on-site training
of local survey teams. 81-85 brought him back to NFLD where he was
Chief Surveyor supervising the layout and construction of transmission
lines from Corner Brook to Cat Arm. In 1985 he took up residence in
New Denmark where he cared for his father and aunt Grace for 3 years.
He returned to work for the Town of Grand Falls as Cartographer and
Acting Engineer until his retirement in 2003. He was carrying on work
started by his father in the early
1950’s.
Raised by his grandparents
on Church St., he took piano lessons from the Catholic Nuns, and
played baseball on the flat. A big fan of the New York Yankees. His
school mates called him Bobby Kirk and because his grandfather owned
one of the first cars in town, he became quite popular with the girls
at school. He had a love of photography, developed his own pictures,
providing many projector reels of slides to help remember his early
days. He was an avid hunter and fisherman and brought his boys on many
an outing.
“Once a scout always
a scout.” He was involved in the Boy Scouts, in the late
1940’s, like his father before him and attended Jamborees
throughout Canada until 1986 when he lead the
1st New Denmark Scouts in handmade Viking
pontoon
canoes down the Saint John River to Woolastook. Most notably, in 1976
he appeared in the Montreal Engineering News, a company he worked for,
for 19 years, “Robert put on his scout uniform and walked down
the main street in Jebba. Almost everyone wearing a uniform
– and in Jebba there are quite a number owing to nearby
detachments of state and federal soldiers – saluted him.
Within days he was invested into the Nigerian Boy Scout Association as
Honorary Scoutmaster of Jebba district.”…”He is probably
the most popular person in Jebba” commented Austin Knowlton,
‘and has contributed a great deal towards the excellent
relationship MECo enjoys in Nigeria.”In 1981, the local
gov’t honoured his services to the economic development of
the country with a chieftaincy title in Ogun State Chief Iwajowa of
Iperu. Fondly remembered as Chief Bob.
Bob loved to play golf.
During his retirement he built the Windmill Miniature Golf course in
New Denmark. He volunteered at St. Peter’s Lutheran church,
where he could be found washing dishes and he always brought his own
butter and cream to the church suppers. He was treasurer at the ND Rec
Centre. He loved to have a hand of cards and was also know to be a
member of the ND liars club. He designed signs like the one that
identifies the Valhalla Restaurant and created tourist maps for the
town of Drummond.
Bob loved sitting back
with his pipe listening to classical music, reading and watching
movies. He was especially a fan of James Bond. He volunteered as a
softball coach and umpire. He developed a love of trains through his
father and Uncle Elder Kirkpatrick who were both employees with CNR.
He traveled often by train along with his grandfather and with him
began a lifelong love of and collection of model trains. In his
retirement he created a train room in his home where he designed and
handmade replicas of buildings and landmarks in his hometown assisted
by Harry Boone, who was honoured with his own miniature of
Boone’s Electric.
Bob’s Aunt Grace
started a study of the Kirkpatrick genealogy, which he continued
during retirement, working in such great detail he developed his own
classification system in which he would have been known as K18311. A
proud Scotsman, he will be buried in his family tartan kilt.
“The record of
humankind indicates a desire to make order from chaos. This desire to
arrange things in a meaningful order, including the knowledge of our
past, has compelled man through the ages of
time.”
www.oregans.ca
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Robert Kirkpatrick 19312019..
Décès pour la Ville: Grand-Falls, Province: Nouveau-Brunswick