Edward S. Coombes
Edward (“Ted”) S. Coombes born 5 November 1915 in Rawalpindi, India (now Pakistan) to Captain Horace Percival Coombes, Royal Artillery and Lilly (Baillie) Coombes, an only child.
He moved with his parents to Jersey, Channel Islands in 1920 and to Vernon B.C. in 1926, completing high school in Vernon and Vancouver.
He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1936, and married Doris Eva Boden in 1941 in Vancouver. Ted was stationed in Patricia Bay and Bella Bella in Coastal Command, with various short term postings during the war, serving as a armament officer, later electronics and radar in the late 1940s and 1950s.
In the mid 1950s he was seconded to the Royal Air Force as a guidance and battle systems engineer becoming a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society.
Upon retirement in 1962, Ted became a teacher in Chemainus, retiring from teaching in Ladysmith.
Dad was a founder and life member of the Salt Spring Amateur Radio Society. Ted and Doris were members and Callers with the Salty Wheels Square Dance Club for over 20 years, holding many dances in their basement. He was an active horseman until his late 80s. Ted and Doris were avid RV’ers taking their Toyota-Chinook all over the west and various square dance, ham radio and other events throughout the west. Ted was also an active member of the Salt Spring Lions and contributor to the Guide Dogs of Canada via the Lions Foundation. He was predeceased by Doris his wife of 62 years.
Ted leaves son Alan; daughter-in-law Mary, two granddaughters Robin and Margaret; and four great grand children Alexandra and Edward (Robin) and Rohan and Rishi (Margaret) and grand sons-in-law Robert Schiefele and Raman Kapil.
A memorial will be held at Meaden Hall, Royal Canadian Legion at 2:00 pm, Sunday, October 6th, 2013.
Funeral arrangements by Patrick Beattie of Hayward’s Funeral Homes, Ganges. In lieu of flowers donations to the Guide Dogs of Canada would be appreciated via the Salt Spring Island Lions Club.