We are always on the look out for ex-Cadets to add to our Class Notes section. If you are an ex-Cadet, and you have something interesting going on in your life, we want to hear about it! Whether it’s career related or more in your personal/family life, we want to know to know what’s going on with you. Just send a short write up, and, if you want, a recent JPEG photo of yourself, to s25366@rmc.ca.
6804 Alec Calder, Class of ’66, retired in 2005 from a lifelong career in the helicopter business. He returned to the family home in Elora Ontario where he spends many happy hours tending the gardens and renovating the house. Do not disturb at siesta hour. (acalder1944@hotmail.com)
7188 Donald Gedge, Class of ’67 – After leaving the Navy in 1970, Don worked for Stelco and Sherritt Gordon mines and then migrated to financial services where he became CEO of the Credit Union Central of Nova Scotia followed by Morgan Trust in Toronto. At age 41 he moved on from financial services and founded Deep Sea Clam Company. Deep Sea Clam purchased a Norwegian factory vessel and converted it to dredge,process and package arctic surf clams off the Grand Banks. This new fishery sold the processed clams as hokkigai…a new and now established sushi product. Following these career stints he went on to develop and,in a number of cases, own and operate sports and entertainment facilities. This list includes facilities such as The Ice Gardens at York University, the Sarnia Sports and Entertainment Centre, Kingston’s infamous K’Rock Centre, the Varsity Centre at the University of Toronto (U of T) and the Centre for High Performance Sport, under construction at U of T. He has three sons,one daughter and four grand children. Recently retired he spends his time chasing grand children, with his partner Maureen in Florida (Gasparilla area) and in Europe. Last, but not least, he works very hard to not embarrass himself to badly on the golf course. (dgedge@rogers.com)
8833 John Leggat, Class of ’71 – Since retiring from the Public Service of Canada 7 years ago, John Leggat has been consulting in association with CFN Consultants in Ottawa. In addition, he has been filling his time as a member of the Board of Governors on the Council of Canadian Academies, of the Science Advisory Committee of Natural Resources Canada and of the Standing Selection Committee of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council. In September of last year, he was part of the crew of the Chasse Galerie that paddled from Ottawa to Kingston to raise funds for the Danny McLeod Athletics Endowment Fund. He finds time to golf, play tennis and fish. He and his wife Denise are expecting their first grandchild in October of this year. They are presently summering in the Lower St Lawrence. (jleggat@cfncon.com)
8835 John Litt, Class of ’72, retired 2 years ago as a Captain on Airbus A330 aircraft after 31 years at Air Canada. He also flew DC-9 and Airbus A319, A320, and A321 aircraft. He left the military in 1979 after tours on the CF-5 and CF-104, but came back to the military in 1981 and spent 15 years in the Air Force Reserve flying the CH-136 (Kiowa) helicopter. This year at the reunion he’ll be celebrating 39 years with his KGH bride, Candy. They have 3 daughters, 1 son, and 2 son in laws, and a granddaughter just celebrating her first birthday. He is presently back with Air Canada, teaching and checking in the A320 simulator in Toronto. (rjlitt@rogers.com)
9926 Brian Eatock, Class of ’74, retired in September 2010 after thirty five years with Defence R&D Canada and its predecessor organizations. His final position was as Chief Scientist at DRDC Ottawa. However, he continued to serve DRDC Ottawa part time in an advisory capacity until April 2012. He is now spending time on personal interests such as learning about digital photography, while his wife Judy works at the Library of Parliament, keeping him in the lifestyle to which he has become accustomed. (brijud@rogers.com)
M0082 Jean Thivierge, Class of ’84,has been with Valcom Consulting Group Inc., located in Ottawa, since 1995. In 2008, he was appointed Vice-President at Valcom. Prior to becoming VP, he filled the positions of General Manager, Sales Manager, and IT Manager at Valcom. Jean retired from the military in 1990 at the rank of Captain. From 1990 to 1995, he worked in the IT industry both as an employee and as a consultant. He founded JAT Consulting Inc. in 1992. In 1997, Jean established the UTPM/UTPNCM Association. The Association was created to promote the UT Program and to serve as a networking venue to all current and past members of the Program, both at CMC’s and at civilian Universities. Today, the Association is formally part of the RMC Club of Canada. Jean and Diane are now living in Ottawa. They have two sons, Francois and Stephane. (dijt@rogers.com)
10812 André Chiasson, Classe de ’76, est maintenant à la retraite après presque de 35 ans de carrière dans l’aviation militaire et civile. Il demeure a Laterriere en banlieue de Saguenay (Chicoutimi) Il profite de sa retraite en faisant plein de projets. Ses principaux intérêt sont la rendonnée en montagne, le vélo, un peu de jardinage et principalement de parcourir le monde. Durant les dernières années, il a visité la plupart des pays d’Amérique Latine, les Phillippines, le Myanmar et la Thailande. Un autre projet de voyage est prévu à l’automne. Destination à déterminer. (andre2906@live.ca)
13738 Chris Hadfield, Class of ’82 – Chris and Helene are 4 months from Chris’s third space launch, set for 5 Dec 2012 in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Chris will co-pilot the Soyuz spaceship, flying to dock with the International Space Station, and then stay 6 months in orbit. Onboard work includes ~100 experiments, spacewalks, robotics and general spaceship maintenance. From Mar-May Chris will be Commander of the Space Station, eventually returning to land under parachute 16 May 2013 in Kazakhstan. (Details at: http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/missions/expedition34-35/default.asp)
Their 3 kids live in China, Germany and Ireland, and Helene splits her time between Houston and their Ontario cottage. Life is grand!
19003 Shane Pinder, Class of ’93, has been been appointed head of the Department of Electrical Engineering and head of the Engineering Centre of Excellence at the Manukau Institute of Technology in Auckland, New Zealand. In his new role, he is responsible for 30 faculty and staff and a student base of over 400, as well as significant technology transfer initiatives. (sdpinder@uwaterloo.ca)