Morton Wilbur Lyons, Sgt. Ret’d
Mort Lyons was a long-time resident of Murray Harbour, where
he was known as the local “fix-it” man. There was nothing
that he could not repair. He was the devoted husband of the late Joyce
(Jenkins) Lyons for 64 years, father to five daughters, Grampie to ten
grandchildren and great-grandpa to five.
Mort was born in Yarmouth, NS on March 22, 1930, the fifth
son of the late Wilbur and Consulia “Lula” (McGray) Lyons.
The family would ultimately include seven boys and three girls.
Mort’s father was a fisherman and farmer, and his mother
died when he was seven years old. He was taken in by the Rose and R.J.
Douglas families. He had to work very hard as a child, sometimes
driving cattle before the start of the school day. At 14, as soon as
he had his driver’s licence, he drove the school bus and he
delivered oil after school. While still a teenager, he joined a
ship’s crew for what was supposed to be a summer job, but
the ship didn’t return him to Yarmouth for more than a year.
During this time he saw ports along the Atlantic coast all the way to
the Caribbean.
In 1954 he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force, and during
his 32 years with the RCAF was stationed in Halifax and Shearwater,
NS; Summerside, PEI; St. John’s (Torbay), NF; Lahr and
Baden-Soellingen, Germany; Miramichi (St Margaret’s), NB;
and Greenwood, NS, with missions in Iceland; Gibraltar; Puerto Rico;
Cold Lake, AB; Key West, FL. Images he shot as an RCAF photographer,
were important to mapping of the Canadian high arctic, resolution of
the Cuban Missile Crisis and tracking of satellites for NORAD. He shot
pictures from a wide range of planes, including repurposed Lancaster
bombers and the CF-104, a cutting-edge jet fighter in the 1960s. He
received an award and several letters of recognition for inventions he
devised for aerial photography.
After extended RCAF service, he retired to Murray Harbour
with his wife and younger children in 1986, to help care for aging
in-laws, and he became a central figure at the Murray Harbour Baptist
Church, helped to build and manage the village sewage system, was a
key player in local ceilidhs and Canada Day celebrations, helped an
uncountable number of southern King’s County residents,
taught community school, fished in the crab industry, and eventually
specialized in washer and dryer repair. He won a “Citizen of the
Year” award and several prizes for the floats he constructed that
his children and grandchildren rode for the Northumberland Fisheries
Parades. He dearly loved hunting with his Yarmouth Lyons
clan.
He is mourned by his daughters Heather Brodland (Wayne), Jill
Harris (Wayne), Diana Jenkins (Michael), Deborah Sioen (Gary) and
Becky Byrne (David); grandchildren Kassandra, Ben, Brandan, Blake,
Dana, Kiri, Cam, Shaymus, Gaby and Maggie; and great-grandchildren
Brielle, Jacob, Callie, Stella and Susan. He is survived by a sister
Gretchen, and was predeceased by brothers Robert, Clarence, Oscar,
Ellsworth, Chester, Herbert, and sisters Barbara and
Ethel.
He will be remembered for his resourcefulness and willingness
to help others. Proverbs 11:25 says, “Whoever helps others will
himself be helped.”
Visitation and refreshments will be held on Sunday May 15,
2022 at the Murray Harbour Baptist Church from 3:00 to 3:45 pm with
the Funeral service to follow at 4:00 pm. Video recording available
online later. Interment following at Murray Harbour Cemetery.
Condolences may be made online at www.fergusonlogan.com. Memorial
donations can be made to the Murray Harbour Baptist Church or to
activities at Riverside Manor.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Morton Wilbur Lyons Sgt Ret’d 1930 2022..
ferguson-logan Montague funeral home
Death notice for the town of: Montague, Province: I-P-E