Obituary of Roger Graham Steed

It is with much sadness that the family of Roger Graham Steed announces that he passed away at Loch Lomond Villa in Saint John, NB, on Sunday, March 16, 2014. He had struggled with Primary Progressive Aphasia for seven years. He was born in Corbridge, near Newcastle upon Tyne, in England on April 7, 1941 to Elsie (Holmes) and Graham Percy Steed. His family immigrated to Canada in 1949, when Roger was 8 years old. He graduated from Victoria High School and was selected for a Regular Officer Training Plan scholarship to attend the University of Toronto, where he earned a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. Upon graduation he continued his Naval career with the Royal Canadian Navy on the East Coast, at one point serving in H.M.C.S. Gatineau as Navigator. He obtained the rank of Lieutenant before leaving the Navy in 1966; after which, he became a design engineer in Dupont of Canada’s Maitland Works, near Brockville, ON. During that time, he married his wife Ruth. He then moved on to Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd in Mississauga, ON, in 1969, where he was the Fuel Handling Commissioning Engineer for the Pickering Generating Station project. In 1975, he was invited to join NB Power, and in November of that year became a member of Point Lepreau Generating Station’s commissioning staff, first serving as Fuel Handling Supervisor. He served at Lepreau, until he retired in 2003. Throughout this period and afterwards he made his home in Saint John, NB. Roger had many interests outside work. Notably, he was a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of New Brunswick and the Canadian Nuclear Society. He especially enjoyed playing the bells at Trinity Anglican Church, where he was warden, vestryman, sidesperson, and tenor in its choir. He was also the second oboist in Symphony New Brunswick for 18 years. He loved to travel, visit train yards with his family, and explore hydro dams, and locks along the St Lawrence Seaway. Additionally, he felt it his duty to donate blood to the Red Cross, ultimately being recognized for the significant number of donations he made. He loved to read and authored 5 books of his own which were subsequently published. He is survived by his loving wife of 46 years, Ruth, and his three children: Catherine (Steed) Bishop (David), Geoffrey Steed (Linda) and Andrea (Steed) Fry (Allen), six grand-children: Ashley and Tyler Bishop, Julia and Olivia Steed and Logan and Sierra Fry, his sister Brenda (Steed) Laing (Bill), brother Christopher Steed (Kathy), sister-in-law Mary Rhoades (Wayne), several cousins, nieces, and nephews. He was pre-deceased by his parents and step-father. Arrangements have been entrusted to Brenan’s Funeral Home, 111 Paradise Row (634-7424). Visiting will occur from 2-4PM and 7-9PM Friday March 21, at Trinity Anglican Church (693-8558), 115 Charlotte Street in Saint John. The funeral will be held at 11AM Saturday, March 22, 2014. Interment will take place in the Columbarium of Trinity at a later date. If you wish to make a donation in Roger’s memory, it may be made to Trinity Church, Loch Lomond Villa, the Alzheimer’s Society or a charity of the donor’s choice.