Obituary of Ernest Hamilton Pinnell

Ernest died peacefully at Clair Hills Retirement Community on Friday, August 10, 2018 at the age of 98.  Beloved husband of Marjorie (McArthur), his dear wife for 71 years, 4 months.  Predeceased by Marjorie in 2014, by his father Ernest, his mother Ethel, and his brother Charles.   Loving father of Richard (Elizabeth), Christopher (Leigh), and Jennifer.  Cherished grandfather of Andrew, Patrick, Stephen, Ian (Kristie), Robert, James, Malcolm, and their children Malachi, Eliana, Nathaniel, and Joshua.  Sorely missed by his niece Sandra and nephew Barry (Carol) and their children Charles, Maggie, Kenneth, and Christie.

Ernest was born and raised in Charleswood, Manitoba near Winnipeg.  Employed by Imperial Oil Limited as a clerk-typist in 1937 and eventually as an auditor, he retired in 1984 after a long career that was interrupted only by the war years.  He Joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1941 and was sent to England later that year as a radar mechanic.  At Sennen, Cornwall he met and fell in love with Marjorie, a member of the WAAF; in April 1943 he married his English bride.  Ernest returned to Canada for navigator training and came back to England later that year as Pilot Officer, subsequently promoted to Flying Officer.   He spent most of his flying time sitting in the cockpit of Mosquito night intruders.

Ernest and his growing family lived in Winnipeg, Kenora, Port Arthur, and finally Toronto.  While living in Manitoba and northwestern Ontario, the family enjoyed many happy summers at the cottage on Moose Lake in southern Manitoba.  Always a beloved cat or dog in the family home: Shufti, Snowflakes, Daisy, and Brandy, to mention but a few.   Very fond of “good music,” which meant music and lyrics one could sing: Richard Crooks, Richard Tauber, and many others.  Ernest had an amazing memory and could recite lines of poetry he learned in school and song lyrics from the early 1900s; he was particularly fond of the Romantic poets.  He also excelled at math puzzles, published in the local newspaper; he didn’t even need to jot down subtotals during the calculations.  As a Prairie boy, Ernest had a special place in his heart for locomotives and especially steam engines.   His collection of train books was impressively large. 

Later in life Ernest and Marjorie left their adopted Toronto for Waterloo to be closer to two of their children.  

Friends are invited to share their memories of Ernest with his family during the memorial visitation at the Erb & Good Family Funeral Home, 171 King St S, Waterloo, on Thursday, August 16 from 7 – 9 p.m.   The funeral service will be held at the Church of the Holy Saviour, 33 Allen St E, Waterloo on Friday, August 17 at 2 p.m.   Private interment at Calvary United Church Cemetery at a later date.   Donations, in lieu of flowers, to CNIB or Covenant House would be appreciated by the family and may be arranged by contacting the funeral home at www.erbgood.com or 519-745-8445.