Obituary of Frank Stoyles

Frank passed away at the age of 86, surrounded by loving family, after being active until close to the end.

He is survived by his beloved wife and best friend Norma, son Craig (Maia) and daughter Jayne (Ian) and grandchildren Matthew, Nathan, Dana, Terena, Cassandra and Alexandra. He is also survived by his sister Jeanne (Larry) and brother Harold (Carol), and is predeceased by his brother George and parents Alice and Harold.

Frank spent 12 years in the Air Force where he completed his Bachelor of Science in Engineering (Physics), and two Master’s degrees in Information and Control Engineering and Aerospace Engineering. He worked at headquarters in Halifax and Ottawa and was seconded to the Defence Research Board in Quebec.  He went on to teach at Algonquin College for over 20 years in Mathematics and Electronics, earning awards for excellence in teaching.

Frank and Norma met at a dance at Queen’s University in Kingston in 1959 and were the closest of companions through their 61 wonderful years of marriage. They had a cottage for 27 years, shared with many family and friends, golfed together regularly, and went to local theatre and for frequent dinners with their wonderful network of friends. Their greatest joy was the time spent with the grandchildren, extended family and friends. In later years they traveled to Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Czechia, Portugal, Estonia, Russia, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Ireland, the UK, France, Italy, Croatia, Montenegro, Australia, and many parts of the US and Canada.

Frank had many additional interests, including in the Ottawa Lapsmith Club, making jewelry and stained glass as gifts, curling, fishing, downhill skiing and tutoring. After retirement he became highly involved in the community as a volunteer with several organizations, and undertook major projects with Knox United Church.

Frank could build or fix anything, and loved helping other people and having a project on the go. He was a wonderful husband and father, and was close to his extended family. His humour, strength and inspiring way of living will live on in all of us.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 2:00 pm on Saturday April 20, 2024 at Knox United Church, 25 Gibbard Avenue in Nepean.  The family kindly requests that in lieu of flowers, a donation be made to a local charity.