Oswald Riddell Dalzell Obituary

Oswald Riddell Dalzell
On January 22, 2003 at the age of 85, our "Dere Old Dad" left us to join the great love of his life, our mother, Dot.

Dad was born June 29, 1917 in Coatbridge, Scotland, where he lived until he immigrated to Montreal at the age of 10. Growing in Montreal instilled in Dad an everlasting "joie de vivie" which showed in his great love for family, friends, travel and a sense of adventure.

Dad joined the RCAF in 1940, serving overseas during wartime with the 86th Squadron as wireless air gunner, with peacetime, he returned to Montreal to work at War Assets, where he met our mom. Then came an opportunity to move to Marathon, Ontario, where he and Mom were married in 1948. Dad began his career in recreation as director for the town. This was followed by a move to Terrace Bay, Ontario. After six years and two little girls, Dad was the first Parks and Recreation Director and then Commissioner for Scarborough, Ontario, where he stayed for the next nine years. The family then continued the adventure by moving to Morrisburg, Ontario, where Dad became General Manager for the St. Lawrence Seaway Parks Commission and owned his first convertible! How he loved to drive that car, top down, heater on!

Dad then changed gears a bit, by taking a position in Ottawa with a landscape architect firm, just to be involved with Expo 67 in Montreal. It was a time to practice his French and renew his love for a great city!

Then in 1968, one more move to Winnipeg where he became Director of Operations for Manitoba Provincial Parks. He travelled the province extensively, east, west, north and south, particularly enjoying the festivals in The Pas and Flin Flon and bringing home pickerel cheeks for Mom, his #1 girl. Upon his retirement at 65, Dad found he wasn't finished yet, so became a consultant for the ARC authority in Winnipeg, which he continued until he really retired at age 70.

During Dad's lifetime, he was also involved with Kiwanis, Wartime Pilots, the Manitoba Motor League and the Hockey Hall of Fame (Manitoba), all of which gave he and Mom opportunities to travel, entertain and make new friends all over the world, with a particular love for New Zealand.

For the past four years, Dad was Mom's "caregiver extraordinaire." Nobody did it better, Dad! They shared a great life together and are united once again.

"Aren't we the lucky ones!"

 As published in the Winnipeg Free Press on 29 January 2003.