Walter Frederick WEIR

WALTER WEIR After a long and fulfilling life, and a very short illness, Walter Weir has died on June 15, 2023. He was 90 years old. Walter was brilliant, eccentric, serious and silly, adventurous, curious, open-minded, tolerant, and very kind. He was unfailingly ethical and responsible, and was beloved by all. Walter was born in Regina, Saskatchewan on October 17, 1932, the first child of Elizabeth (Beth) Tully Speirs Weir and Jack Wilson Weir, both of Winnipeg. Jack passed away leaving Beth with three young children, Walter (10), John (7) and Stephen (2). The family moved back to Winnipeg to live with Beth's mother and invalid father, and with her sisters whose husbands were fighting in the war. Walter was always fascinated with flight, and as a young teenager he and his friend George Foster would hang around the airport waiting for pilots to take them up in the air. A front-page story in the Winnipeg Tribune reported that a 10-foot box kite they made themselves and flew at night with lights attached was mistaken for a flying saucer. It was also interfering with the airline flight plans: Walter received a stern letter from the Canadian Ministry of Transport advising him to adhere to regulations. Soon Walt learned to fly glider planes, and was widely admired as a champion glider pilot throughout North America. Walter was also widely recognized as a brilliant mechanical engineer, who designed satellite antennas with Andrew Antenna. When the designers of the Toronto CN tower had a problem, they came to him. His genius idea – the 'donut' used to encase and protect the communication antennas – is still clearly visible. With his wife, Ellie (Eleanor Allison), he spent many happy years raising five children in Whitby, Ontario, and later spent many happy years travelling to gliding clubs around North America with his second wife, Barbara (McKay). He was a beloved and devoted husband and father. He leaves his wife, Barbara; and his children Allison, Michael, Greg, Carolyn, and Tom; their partners, Nikolas, Roberta, Louise, David, and Tara; and grandchildren, Ben, Daniel, Rosie, David, Angela, Alexa, Kaelen, and Jesse. (Ellie died in 2012.) Fondly remembered by brothers, John and Stephen; and their partners, Betty and Janet (who passed away in 2021). He leaves also his devoted step-daughter, Jeanie McKay and her family. For memorial and condolences please see Walter's site at Eirene.ca: https://memorials.eirene.ca/memorials/page/Walter-Weir-ZHbarR.