(George Cecil) Irving Tait

Irv passed away suddenly in the early hours of Monday, February 29, 2016 at the age of 76. He is survived by his daughter Beverly (Ron) MacLeod, 2 grandsons, Andrew and Michael Ruffell, brother Alf (Peggy), sisters Rita (Doug), Joan (Allen), Zita (Wayne), Peggy (Raymond) and Inez (Bill), and over 100 extended family members. He is predeceased by his wife Edda (2013), brothers Lawrence (Annetta), Gerald (Agnes), Francis (Minnie), and sister Patricia. Born in Pembroke and raised in Stonecliffe, Ontario, he was the youngest son of 12 children born to Joseph and Florence Tait. He loved to tell tales about his boyhood: climbing forest fire watch-towers, playing hockey on the Ottawa River, and being a hunting guide for the Montreal Canadiens. He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1957 and trained as a teletype technician, eventually achieving the rank of (Acting) Master Sergeant and leading Communications units before retiring from the Canadian Armed Forces in 1986. He met and married Edda Muller at CFB Edgar (Orillia, Ontario) in 1961 and they had one daughter. His military career took his family across Canada and overseas to Lahr, Germany. He was particularly proud of European assignments in Sicily and London.  He also did a six-month peacekeeping tour of duty in Egypt. After leaving the Forces he moved to Kamloops, BC, where he spent 20 years as a security officer at Thompson River University.  He had a strong circle of friends in Kamloops, but made the choice to start again in Regina in 2007 to bring his ailing wife closer to their daughter and grandsons. He was a practical problem solver, applying this skill to repairing cars, small engines, appliances, electronics, and just about anything electrical. He also discovered an aptitude for home renovation.  He loved to make wise-cracks, could make small-talk with anyone, and was willing to lend a hand wherever he could.   In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.  A Celebration of his Life will be held on Sunday, March 6, 2016 at 1:30 pm in Riverside Memorial Cemetery Chapel.