101-year-old World War II vet, Goward Heath, remembered after passing
Heath joined the Royal Navy in 1940
A man believed to be the oldest surviving Second World War veteran in Newfoundland and Labrador is being remembered Thursday at the St. John's nursing home where he lived until his death last week.
Goward Heath was 101 when he passed away on Feb. 2 at Tiffany Village retirement residence, which organized a service of remembrance, for 2:15 p.m. Thursday.
Heath was born in Lewisporte Oct. 22, 1915 and was buried there on Monday.
He joined the Royal Navy in 1940 when he was 24, and served until several months after the war ended, working as a gunner on a minesweeper.
Active in the Royal Canadian Legion, Heath was also involved with Civil Defence and the Canadian Rangers and received several awards, including the province's Senior of Distinction in 2015 and the Palm Leaf, the highest honour from the Legion's Dominion Command.
He volunteered for several years with the cadet movement in Newfoundland and Labrador as well.
Heath had a talent for woodworking, and his creations — which he continued to turn out well into his 90s — were sold to raise money for charities.
Staff at Tiffany Village wrote on Twitter that he was well enough to dress up as Santa in Dec. 2016, and donated a gift to the MacMorran Community Centre.
101 yr old Goward Heath just getting a rest before his Santa duties at <a href="https://twitter.com/TiffanyVillage">@TiffanyVillage</a> this afternoon!! <a href="https://t.co/nsDUawjgRz">pic.twitter.com/nsDUawjgRz</a>
—@brendaarmstrongDonations in his memory are being made to the Janeway Children's Wish Foundation.