Deaths

Edward Lypchuk RRMC RMC 1959

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Edward Robert Lypchuk of Brockville, Ontario on March 16, 2026, at age 89.

Edward (Ed), husband, father, grandfather, Captain, engineer, teacher, and an ever-proud Canadian who as a young navigator in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) flew through the Arctic night guided only by the stars in the sky and a collection of paper charts.

Ed was born in the small Ukrainian village of Yellow Creek Saskatchewan to John and Elizabeth (Posnick) Lypchuk. His first language was Ukrainian and he learned English at age six when he started school. His father John, orphaned at age six, was a gifted mechanic, and he and Elizabeth were able to purchase land to farm in Tisdale, Saskatchewan. They raised Ed and his three sisters there, originally living in a two-room dirt-floor shack before building a small house with a basement cistern. Ed pulled tree roots from the ground as a young boy to prepare the land for farming wheat and canola.

Ed married his high school sweetheart, Camellia (Newman), whom he met on a school bus, and they were together for 71 years. Ed was an enthusiastic supporter of Camellia’s passion for painting and sculpting, and together they raised three daughters, Donna, Tanya, and Andrea in Brockville.

Edward received the Governor General’s Award for academic excellence upon graduating Tisdale High School, and much to his father’s dismay, chose to leave the farm to earn his engineering degree at The Royal Roads Military College and the University of Saskatchewan. He then joined the RCAF where he rose to the rank of Captain as a navigator.

In the early 1960’s, during the Cold War, Ed was stationed in Winnipeg and was regularly deployed to fly over the Arctic in a propellor powered Lancaster aircraft. Mixed in with their baby photos, his daughters found photos of their father building an igloo and laughing as he sat inside it with his crew mates. The RCAF had required him to undergo Arctic survival training. He navigated by dead reckoning in the day and by the stars at night as part of a crew of three (compasses were ineffective near the North Pole). One of his proudest professional achievements was reworking and greatly simplifying the use of paper star charts for navigation. In his later years he animatedly spoke of this adventurous time patrolling Canada’s Arctic, wishing he could do it all again.

Ed retired from the RCAF in 1970 and settled in Brockville. Ed was a gifted teacher and taught engineering for over two decades at St. Lawrence College. He was passionate about teaching and was proud of creating a new program that married business together with engineering. His impact on education and the lives of countless students and colleagues will not be forgotten.

Ed and Camellia fulfilled a lifelong dream upon Ed’s retirement from the college. They built a bright airy cottage on Charleston Lake that was filled with golden light on sunny mornings. They happily spent the next two decades swimming in the deep, spring-fed waters of Charleston Lake, marveling at the call of the loons, advocating for protection of the habitat on the shoreline, and volunteering to monitor the nests of endangered falcons on nearby cliffs.

The cottage was a place for friends and family to gather. Ed and Camellia loved board games, especially Crokinole, Scrabble, and Yahtzee. Ed would often swim alone in the mornings, and would swim again, later, as the day warmed. The family enjoyed long conversations and silliness in water as they swam to the point together.

Ed loved to write, and made frequent humorous editorial contributions to Brockville’s local newspaper.

Ed dedicated the last 10 years of his life to caring for Camellia as she lived with Alzheimer’s disease. He fiercely protected her at home in isolation during the COVID pandemic, and in 2022 Camellia moved to St. Lawrence Lodge, as she needed long-term healthcare. Ed visited Camellia every day for as long as he was able. In 2023 he sold the house they’d shared for 53 years and moved to a nearby retirement residence. In 2025 after three years apart, they were reunited at St. Lawrence Lodge. Their rooms were across the hall from one another, and Ed was able to spend his last days and hours with Camellia, his love of 71 years.

Edward Lypchuk was a man of integrity. He was loyal, dutiful, cautious, and deliberate, but he was also very social and had a sharp sense of humour. He found tremendous joy in his everyday interactions with people; his air force crew mates, his students and colleagues, the construction and trade workers who built the cottage, the local pharmacist he called his friend, and the local butchers with meat so fresh you want to slap it.

Ed passed peacefully with his daughters Tanya and Andrea by his side.

Edward is survived by his wife Camellia; daughters, Tanya (Tony) and Andrea (Jeff); grandchildren Nathanael, Theodore, Owen, Ryan, Zack, Curtis; and great-grandchildren Noah, Jack and Lillian. Predeceased by his eldest daughter Donna (2025).

Ed’s family expresses heartfelt gratitude to the vast array of dedicated medical professionals, whose incredible kindness and expertise provided comfort and care over the years: St. Lawrence Lodge, Chartwell Rosedale Retirement Residence, and the Brockville General Hospital.

There will be a private family ceremony at the Brockville Cemetery when the weather warms. In honour of Ed’s memory, donations may be made to The Charleston Lake Environmental Association (CLEA) or a charity of your choice.

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John Adam Duncan

John Adam Duncan Holbrook was born in Solihull, near Birmingham, England. He leaves behind his beloved wife of 58 years, Mariana Holbrook; three children, Miranda, Rosamund, and Colburn; and six grandchildren, Maev, Isla, Margot, and Oscar, Leo, and Nicki. He also leaves behind his sister, Jane. He immigrated to Canada with his mother, Frances Mary Holbrook, in 1947 to join his father, George William Holbrook, who worked at the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario. Adam’s siblings, Peter and Jane, were born while the family lived in Kingston. Adam started school in Kingston and transferred on a scholarship to Trinity College School in Port Hope, Ontario, on a scholarship. The family moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1960. He received a B.Sc. with honours in physics from Dalhousie University, an M.Sc. in physics from the University of Western Ontario, and completed a B.A.Sc. with honours in Electrical Engineering from the University of Ottawa. Early in his career, he worked at Telesat Canada on the Anik A1 geosynchronous telecommunications satellite. Later, he worked for the Federal Government of Canada in the Treasury Board Secretariat and with Industry Canada. Finally, during his retirement in British Columbia, he was an Associate Director for the Centre for Policy Research on Science and Technology at Simon Fraser University. He was active in the community on Bowen Island, where he rekindled his love of sailing. When he and his wife, Mariana, moved to North Vancouver, he volunteered his time with St. Agnes Church. He died in the North Vancouver Hospice on January 24, 2026, due to complications from a fall. He was a good man who was loved deeply by his friends, family, and colleagues. He will be sorely missed by them all.

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Joy Fehr

Serge Sirois CMR 1971

Entouré des siens, le 21 mars 2026, Serge Sirois s’est éteint paisiblement à l’âge de 78 ans. Il était le conjoint de Ginette Séguin avec qui il a partagé les 25 dernières années. Après une carrière au sein des Forces armées canadiennes, il a su profiter de sa retraite dès 1998 en s’impliquant activement au Club de curling de Boucherville. Pour lui, à chaque problème, il y avait une solution. Il laissera le souvenir d’un homme présent, fidèle et généreux.

Outre sa conjointe, il laisse dans le deuil ses enfants, Mélanie (Yannick) et Jonathan, ainsi que ses petits-enfants Jaëlle, Maïté, Éloi, Elliott et Nolan, qui ont été une grande source de fierté et de bonheur pour lui. Il laisse également dans le deuil la famille de sa conjointe: ses enfants, Frédéric et Chantal, ses petits-enfants, Alys, Adrien et Alexandra (Nicolas), ainsi que ses arrière-petits-enfants Esteban, Félix, Anna-Rose, Gabrielle et Théodore, qu’il accueillait avec affection dans sa grande famille.

Il laisse aussi derrière lui la mère de ses enfants, Francyne, ses sœurs Ginette (Jacques), Diane, Danielle (Michel) et Carole (Carole), ainsi que plusieurs neveux, nièces, parents et amis.

La famille recevra vos condoléances le samedi 11 avril 2026 de 10 h à 13 h  au : Complexe Funéraire Pierre Tétreault inc. 549, Samuel-De Champlain Boucherville (Québec) J4B 6B6 [email protected]

Tél. : (450) 655-6036 Téléc. : (450) 655-0941 Une cérémonie à sa mémoire débutera à 13 h au même endroit. La famille tient à exprimer sa profonde gratitude envers le personnel des soins intensifs du Centre hospitalier Pierre-Boucher pour leur humanité et les soins prodigués.