Brian and Brenda BAMPFIELD

BAMPFIELD, Brian BAMPFIELD, Brenda Remembrance of the Life & Times of Brenda & Brian Brian Bampfield passed away on February 27th, 2019 at the age of 91 and his wife Brenda Marie Bampfield two years later on January 25th, 2021 at the age of 89. It was a happy, interesting & productive life for both of them. Brian was from Mirfield & Huddersfield, Yorkshire and Brenda from Blackburn, Lancashire and London. They married in January 1952 in Huddersfield. Brian apprenticed as an auto mechanic for Rolls and Bentley at Rippon Brothers in Huddersfield and Brenda attended a Catholic school for girls in Croydon then lived in Hemel Hempstead. Although Brenda was evacuated from London during the war she carried frightening memories about the bombing. Even in the last year of her life she mentioned the terrifying V1 bombs. In 1946 Brian served as part of the occupation forces maintaining spitfires for the RAF in Germany. This was a time he recalled giving two turkeys to a German family in return for two beer steins. Brenda worked for Imperial Chemical Industries when she came of age. In 1954 they moved to Worthing on the southern coast of Britain in preparation for Brian's upcoming job as a mechanic in Kenya. He was to maintain the equipment in a fire station. Just before departure, the Mau Mau rebellion intensified, so instead of Kenya they booked a passage from Southampton to Canada with their two children. Brian accepted a mechanic position in Hamilton, Ontario. One year later, Brian joined the RCAF and was stationed to Gander, Newfoundland. Here he began his boat building which turned into a lifetime hobby. Brenda added two more children to the family in 1958 and 1959. In the summer of 1959 Brian was stationed to Bagotville, Quebec where again he built boats, and received an award for a cabin cruiser he completed in 1960. In 1962 Brenda brought the last of their 5 children into the world and in the summer of 1962 they moved to Cold Lake, Alberta. Brain switched from building boats to travel trailers and four years passed happily with many holiday travels before Brian was stationed to Marville, France and although Brian worked in CFB Marville the family actually lived in Belgium 40 km away. One year later the family moved to Lahr in southwestern Germany. From here the family took multiple summer vacation trips to Austria, France, Switzerland, Italy, and Spain. Brenda worked for the Canadian Canex System and began her porcelain collection. Four years after arriving in Lahr, Brain was stationed to Namao in Edmonton and crossed the Atlantic again. A friendly German sparrow, much attached to both Brian and Brenda, also made a trip in the plane safely nestled inside a small cardboard tube. Brenda worked five years for the federal government in Edmonton, and in 1978 Brain worked in the Middle East as part of the United Nations Peacekeeping force before retiring from the military in 1979. Because of their previous holidays on Vancouver Island, they decided to move to Nanaimo. Brain's last work was with BC Ferries, which he enjoyed immensely. Brenda continued to be a homemaker and liked to knit, cook and sew which she did much of until failing eyesight made it difficult. From the seventies onwards there was always multiple pets invariably named Blu or Max and it was in 2001, Brian completed his last boat at age 74. Also at the turn of the century, he received an award from the Red Cross for more than 100 blood donations of his rare blood type and commendations from the Canadian military for his UN Peacekeeping work. Brenda continued to support the Montreal SPCA on a monthly basis until her passing. Brenda & Brian are survived by their five children, six grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren. They will be dearly missed.