Stewart Robertson Halley

On Thursday, March 6th, at the age of 88, Stewart Robertson Halley, a proud Scotsman, left us to join so many friends and family who had gone before him. He passed away at the Riverview Health Centre after a courageous battle with cancer. At last he is free of pain and is at peace.

Stewart will be lovingly remembered by Julie, his wife of over 65 years, his sons Scot (Jen) and Steve (Cadance), as well as his grandchildren Kennedy, Nixon, Marin and Gracyn. He leaves behind his little sister Jean and a large extended family in Scotland.

Stewart was born on January 11, 1937 in Knightswood, Glasgow, Scotland. His early years were defined by the Second World War and he often recounted his memories of surviving the Clydebank Blitz and being evacuated to a rural farm to escape the air raids.

He received his education at Bankhead Primary School and Jordanhill College School, then followed in his father’s footsteps by serving a five-year apprenticeship as a Scientific Instrument Maker at Barr and Stroud, beginning in 1952.

In 1955, his apprenticeship was interrupted by two years of National Service in the British Forces.

During his military service, Stewart was deployed to active duty in Cyprus during the Cyprus Emergency, for which he was awarded a military medal, and in Egypt during the Suez Canal Crisis.

Upon his return to Scotland in 1957, Stewart completed his apprenticeship and married his childhood sweetheart Julie on December 5th, 1959.

Stewart worked for Barr and Stroud, then Singer Manufacturing in Glasgow, before taking a position with the British Admiralty. Here he worked on a sea-going trials team, testing and developing weapons for nuclear submarines which were just coming into service with the Royal Navy. After five years at sea, Stewart (or Julie rather), decided it was time to work closer to home and he returned to Barr and Stroud where he took a position in a new department that was responsible for manufacturing emerging technologies, including lasers, fiber-optic and infra-red instruments.

In 1967, Stewart and Julie made the difficult decision to leave family and friends behind in their beloved Scotland and moved to Canada for a better life. They arrived in Winnipeg in August, 1967, where they both found work at the University of Manitoba. That first year in Canada presented many challenges but their very first Winnipeg landlords, Alex and Beth Ritchie, welcomed them with open arms and helped them to adjust to their new home and the harsh Canadian climate. They became lifelong friends.

In 1968, they moved to Pinawa, Manitoba, where Stewart began working for Atomic Energy of Canada in their Research and Development Machine Shop. Here, they found the perfect place to raise a family and had two sons within 13 months of each other.

For the next 51 years, they made Pinawa their home. They formed a large network of friends, many of whom had made similar journeys from the UK to find their place in this beautiful little town on the edge of the rugged Canadian Shield.

Over the years, Stewart volunteered his time with many community organizations, including the volunteer Fire Department, the Library Board, the Lions Club, the Ski Club, the Tennis Club, the Golf Club, Citizens on Patrol and the Eastern Manitoba Concert Association.

In 1994, Stewart retired from Atomic Energy after 27 years and began a new chapter of life which included travel to Florida, Arizona and Texas to escape the winter.

In 2019, Stewart and Julie made the difficult decision to leave Pinawa and moved to Winnipeg to be closer to family.

Stewart was predeceased by his parents Alexander and Esther, his brother Alexander, and his big sister Betty.

The family would like to thank the staff of CancerCare, Palliative Care, Riverview Health Centre and the Seine River Retirement Residence for their professionalism, kindness, support and care over the past year and a half.

As per Stewart’s wishes, no formal service will be held. A private family internment in Pinawa will follow at a later date.

The wee birdies sing and the wild flowers spring,

And in sunshine the waters are sleeping.

But the broken heart it kens nae second spring again,

Though the waeful may cease frae their grieving.

www.soberingfuneralchapel.com