Obituary of Harold E. Rudd

HAROLD E. RUDD, P.Eng August 5, 1914 - January 31, 2016 Harold (Hal) Rudd, age 101, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Sunday, January 31, 2016 at Toronto's Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Harold lived a full and independent life up until his final day; the previous day he was working on his computer and solving Sudoku puzzles. The world will miss his keen sense of humour, his witticisms, his amazing energy and his twinkling eyes. He had a great love of reading and continual learning. He enjoyed sharing his knowledge with family and friends who were amazed by his acute memory of things he had read and experienced. Everyone loved him for the gentle, strong and kind person that he was. He always said that his luckiest moment in his life was when June accepted the proposal of a young Canadian Army Officer. Their loving partnership throughout the years inspired all those who knew them. Harold is survived by June, his wife of 70 years, their four children: David ( Marilyn), Janet, Jennifer Amos (Chris), Elizabeth Bauer ( Ralph), grandchildren Michael Rudd, Sarah Hunsberger (Spencer), Annie Rudd (Trevor); Christopher Amos (Angela), Courtney Jones (Patrick), Bethany Amos; David Bauer (Ashley), Steven Bauer (Liz) and five great-grandchildren. He was very proud of his children and grandchildren, taking special delight in the newest generation. The family will deeply miss him. He was predeceased by his brothers, Everard, (Eileen) and Douglas (Margaret). Harold was born in 1914 on a farm in Guelph Township. He attended the local one-room public school and Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute (GCVI). Determined to earn enough money to attend university, he worked as a mining labourer at the McIntyre Mine in Timmins, becoming a trained miner. In 1935 he was accepted into the four year course for mining engineering at the University of Toronto. The summers were spent working at MacLeod Cockshutt and Little Long Lac gold mines, Geraldton, Ontario. In 1937, while still an undergraduate university student, he became Chief Underground Surveyor mapping future mine development. In 1939, he worked as a mine surveyor at Steep Rock iron mines searching for a diversionary route to permit the dewatering of Steep Rock Lake to mine the iron ore. In 1940, completing the fourth year of his university course, he graduated as a Mining Engineer from UofT. Also in 1940, he was appointed Underground Shift Boss. In 1942 he joined the Canadian Army and after officer's training at Brockville, he was named range supervisor for the testing and training at the Bren gun range in Petawawa. In 1943, he was selected for overseas assignment in England where he provided engineering support for combat troops, including road construction, development of FIDO (fog dispersal operation) at airfields and the installation of PLUTO, which consisted of gasoline pipe lines that extended under the channel. In the last stages of the war he was charged with the demolition of massive concrete E-boat pens which previous aerial bombing had failed to damage. While in Belgium he met and fell in love with June Bracken, a Royal Navy WREN and coder with Eisenhower's Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF). They were married in 1946 and Harold began his professional mining career in Northern Ontario. June followed from England later as one of the now-legendary war brides who immigrated to Canada. They settled in Geraldton and Harold resumed his career at Macleod Cockshutt Gold Mines. In 1955 Harold was appointed General Manager at McLeod remaining until 1967. He was a key advocate for the development of the new Geraldton and District Hospital and was a member of The Masonic Temple Geraldton, Kenogamisis Lodge # 656, installed as Worshipful Master in both 1958 and 1965. The family had a full and wonderful life during that period. Following the family move to Toronto in 1967, Harold began work for Patino NV Mines with mining operations in Chibougamou, Quebec, serving as President from 1976-1980. After retirement, Harold worked as a mining consultant for Watts, Griffis and McOuat. He and June traveled extensively, spending holidays sailing the Caribbean and renting small cottages throughout England. They joined the Granite Club and made lifelong friends. In 2002, they downsized to a condominium where they made many new and dear friends. Harold was an active volunteer at the Sunnybrook veterans' care facility and was a long- time member of the Canadian Institute of Mining, The Professional Engineers Ontario and the Royal Canadian Legion, Fort York Branch. The family wants to express its gratitude to Sunnybrook Hospital and its Emergency Department staff, particularly Drs. Morgan Hillier and Steinberg and Sarah, RN, for their caring, empathy and professionalism in helping our wonderful father with his last hours. Our gratitude also to Dr. Del Giudice and her staff at the Family Practice Unit for their ongoing care and support. The family will receive friends at the HUMPHREY FUNERAL HOME A.W. MILES - NEWBIGGING CHAPEL, 1403 Bayview Avenue (south of Davisville Avenue) on Tuesday, February 9th at 1:00 p.m., followed by a reception. Private family interment to follow. In lieu of flowers, if you wish, donations to a charity of your choice would be appreciated. Condolences and memories may be forwarded through www.humphreymilesnewbigging.com.