Obituary of Eldridge Arthur Dillon

Eldridge (Eldie) Arthur Dillon Passed away peacefully on September 30, 2011 at Queen’s General Hospital, Liverpool, NS. Born January 17, 1915 at Round Island, Cape Breton, Eldie was a son of the late Arthur and Janie (Philips) Dillon. Eldie graduated in 1939 from Acadia University with a B.Sc. and an Engineering Certificate. At Acadia he was awarded the Mounce Medal which was given yearly to the engineering student with the highest aggregate in related subjects. He graduated in 1941 from the Technical University of Nova Scotia (TUNS) with a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering. At TUNS he was awarded the medal for the graduating student who was outstanding in Leadership, Scholarship and Personality. In 1941 Eldie married Marjorie (Midge) Watts, a Mount Allison music graduate and moved to Toronto to accept a position with the CGE as a test engineer. In 1943 he joined the RCNVR following which he was appointed to oversee the manufacturing and testing of electrical apparatus for the RCN and the RN. After he was demobilized in 1945 Eldie joined the English Electric Company as assistant engineer in their Transformer Design Division. In 1952 he joined Pioneer Electric who chose him to build and manage a division in Alberta. In 1960, when the company was bought by Federal Electric, U.S.A. he was transferred to the Head Office in Winnipeg where he became Chief Engineer of the Western Divisions. In 1964 he was made Director of Research and Development and later Coordinator of Inter-plant Engineering. Eldie was a member of the EIC, the AIEE and the Fort Gary Rotary Club of which he was president for 1968/69. In 1977 Eldie retired, moved from Winnipeg to Bridgewater, and married Ethel MacDonald, a former social worker and friend from pre-university days. They joined the Bridgewater United Church where Eldie served on the Board of Stewarts. Always an active volunteer, Eldie was a founding member of the Bluenose Golden Kiwanis Club. He had many interests and was a barber-shopper, ukulele player, curler and golfer. He was a member of the “Fabulous Foursome”, a group of senior golfers said to be the oldest active players in Canada. Eldie is survived by his wife, Ethel; stepchildren Susan MacDonald and her husband Vaughn Perrin, Dartmouth, James MacDonald and his wife Moira, Lunenburg; grandchildren Leah and Ceilagh; sisters, Ethel Nicol of Glace Bay and Kathleen Mikkelsen of Marion Bridge and numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his first wife Midge, son Ronald, daughter Norma, sisters, Anne, Bertha, Jean and brothers Wilfred, Louie, Leslie and Ira. A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, October 4 at 2:00 p.m. at the Bridgewater United Church with Reverend Ivan Norton officiating. In Eldie’s memory, donations may be made to the Arthritis Society, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Bridgewater United Church or the charity of your choice. Family flowers only please. Online condolences may be made by visiting www.sweenysfuneralhome.com.