The following obituary was published in the Vancouver Sun newspaper (British Columbia, Canada) on 28 October 1995. Every effort has been made to record this info accurately but, if you have a connection to this family, please verify the info in the original source.
Condolences go out to the family for their loss.

STEAD -- Gordon W. (Wilson)
B. Comm (UBC),
B.A. (UBC),
L.L.D. (Hons. Causa) (UBC),
Lieutenant-Commander, RCNVR (WWII),
Commodore (Hon.) Canadian Coast Guard.

Born: February 4th, 1913.
Died: October 19th, 1995.

Gordon's vitality and love of life and its challenges will be missed by many people. His wife of 48 years, Lucy (GORE); his daughter Anne (Lance) of Abbotsford, B.C.; his son Martin (ALLER-STEAD, and wife Gail) of Toronto; as well as grandsons Jay and Jesse, have lived and laughed with Gordon, sought his advice, hiked with him, played together and created a family of diverse talents. We cherish his memory and honour his gifts to us.

His English father, Frank, and Scottish mother, Ethel (RITCHIE) taught him well the virtues of inner strength, curiosity, love of others, attachment to the sea and respect for nature that were optimistic principles guiding his life. Gordon's time was spent in the service of family, community, country and humankind, and his success are celebrated to this day by those who did not know him but who benefit from his work.

Growing up in Vancouver, summering at Redroofs on Half-Moon Bay and sailing at age 15 to Australia on R.M.S. Niagara as a Purser's Writer, and working for Straits Towing prepared him with a life-long love of the sea. Navy service during WWII as a Lieutenant-Commander in the RCNVR on loan to the Royal Navy took him to the Mediterranean and Malta where he commanded a flotilla of motor-launch mine-sweepers as Captain of HMML 126. This part of his life was recounted in "A Leaf Upon The Sea", his award-winning naval memoir published in 1985.

Gordon knew and loved Canada in greater depth and breadth than most ever have the opportunity to, having travelled almost everywhere in it. He was part of the first geodetic survey crew in B.C. in the 1930s.

In civilian life, he married Lucy GORE in 1948, whom he met when both were in graduate schools in California. His professional career took them to Ottawa, where he worked in various Federal Departments and Ministries, guiding the creation of the Canadian Coast Guard and its attendant College along the way. Seconded to U.B.C., he ended his career as a professor in the School of Community and Regional Planning, teaching, advising students and Provincial and Federal governments. A life member of the Canadian Port and Harbour Association and Le Cercle Universitaire d'Ottawa, his involvement in many communities was appreciated and sought. He represented Canada as a member of the first international marine delegation Canada sent to establish liaisons with the U.S.S.R. and he represented Canada in the U.K., Europe and the U.S.A. as a delegation leader to I.M.C.O., a U.N. agency.

And now he is missed by his wife, family and friends whom he spent his last years with, planning, talking, hiking, advising, arguing, enjoying, travelling, loving and being loved well in return. We are all better for having had him with us, and Canada is the poorer for his passing.

At his own request, after cremation, scattering of ashes will be done by family. No flowers or donations of any kind are requested.

The family wishes to thank VanCity Trust Services, especially Mr. John Meyer, and the staffs of Arbutus Manor, South Granville Park Lodge and St. Paul's Hospital for their care and kindness during Gordon's last, brief illness.

A memorial service will be held on November 3rd, 1995, in the Fireside Room of the Unitarian Church of Vancouver (Oak and 49th), at 11:00.

END