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Earl Vawter
October 26, 1918 - April 11, 2013
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<div itemprop="description">Earl Vawter <br />October 26, 1918 &ndash; April 11, 2013 <br />Flying Officer (Bomb Aimer) - Royal Canadian Air Force <br />Distinguished Flying Cross <br />Air Bomber&rsquo;s Badge <br />Canadian Volunteer Service Medal and Maple Leaf <br />1939-1945 Star <br />France and Germany Star <br />Defence Medal <br /> <br />Earl Vawter passed away peacefully in his sleep at St. Paul&rsquo;s Hospital at the age of 94. He was a kind, gentle, humble man. He was a pillar of unwavering support and unconditional love for his family. Precious memories remain with his surviving brothers, Lloyd (Joan) and Grant (Dianne) and sisters, Julia (Reuben), Dorothy, Lillian and Freda. He was blessed with many generations of nieces and nephews and prided himself in knowing each one&rsquo;s name and the branch of the family tree to which he/she belonged. Grandpa was predeceased by his wife, Erna (nee Welker), his parents, Jennie and Lloyd, his son, Lloyd Anders, his brothers, Kelly and Virgil and sisters, Muriel and Ruth. <br /> <br />Earl will be lovingly remembered by his daughters, Joyce (Marv) Sproule and Dorothy Banjac (Bud) and his grandchildren, Dwayne (Shannon) Sproule, Pennie (Gord) Pelly, Charmaine (Kurt) Wintermute, Charlene Banjac, Mladen Banjac, Cheryl (Gord) Heltman, Johnathen Anders, James Anders and Trevor Anders. He was especially fond of his great-grandchildren, Brittney Sproule, Logan Sproule, Abby Wintermute and Kade Wintermute. <br /> <br />Grandpa was born in South Allan, Saskatchewan. He was the second oldest of eleven children. He and his older brother, Virgil, worked on the farm in Allan for many years. Grandpa Earl enjoyed sports and played hockey, softball, baseball and curling. In May, 1942, Grandpa joined the fight for a free and just world in World War II. After training on the ground, he quickly realized &ldquo;being in the air seemed a whole lot better&rdquo;. Grandpa diligently mapped out each of his 22 air missions, proudly showed pictures of his crew and quietly and humbly spoke about his efforts and achievements in the RCAF. As young children we sat around him, in awe, holding our breath, as he shared a story or two about being a Bomb Aimer. He never offered a story - it was not in his nature. We would gently ask and he would gently oblige. If we were lucky, he would talk about one fateful night aboard &ldquo;George&rdquo;, a Halifax III bomber on June 17, 1944. On this night, his 425 Alouette Squadron was attacked while on a V-1 mission over France and the pilot was shot and killed. The pilot was Harold Romuld. After being attacked the entire crew reacted quickly and resourcefully. Although untrained as a pilot, Grandpa took the controls and pulled George out of a dive and flew the bomber, unprotected, for two hours back to England. With help from the ground, and after three attempts, Grandpa safely landed George. Grandpa received the Distinguished Flying Cross for his efforts and bravery. He would let us hold his medals and we would stare at them &ndash; holding our breath &ndash; imagining a plane full of brave young men. We would gently hand back the medals and thank Grandpa for our freedom. After discharge from the RCAF, Grandpa returned to Allan to work on the farm. It was on the farm that he met our Grandmother, Erna Welker. Grandma was working on the farm helping Grandpa&rsquo;s mother, Jennie, in the house. At that time, Grandpa was in his 50&rsquo;s and a bachelor. Grandma was also in her 50&rsquo;s and had three grown children and nine very young grandchildren. Earl Vawter, a bachelor from Allan, married Grandma, moved to Saskatoon and took on our brood in his mid-50&rsquo;s. Grandpa continued to demonstrate bravery with his new family, particularly the grandchildren. He handed out Christmas presents, let us style his hair, lent us his car, gave us money, boosted our cars, dished out ice cream, listened to our teenage woes, played Canasta with us until 3:00 a.m. and drove us on numerous family trips &ndash; always with patience and never judging. With Grandma, he played in The Boom Boom Band for over 15 years, entertaining young and old at dances and parades. He amazed us with his ability to recite every word of every poem and song ever written. He was prepared with a suitable poem for every occasion. In Saskatoon, he was employed by The Canadian Corps of Commissionaires. He was married to Grandma for 26 years, until her passing in 2001. He loved to dance with Grandma. We loved to watch them. They must be dancing now. We hold our breath and imagine them together once again. We love you, Grandpa, and will continue to honour you and make you proud. <br /> <br />A Funeral Service will be held on Friday, April 19 at 11:00 a.m. at Park Funeral Chapel, 311 Third Avenue North, Saskatoon, SK - Pastor George Hind officiating. Interment will follow in Allan Protestant Cemetery, Allan, SK. In lieu of flowers, donations in Grandpa&rsquo;s memory can be made to The Royal Canadian Legion &ndash; Saskatchewan Command in Regina, SK. <br /> <br />I would like to thank the following people who were instrumental in providing Grandpa, EARL VAWTER, with quality of life and quality care during the last few years: <br />Dr. Joseph Balaton, Dr. Tymchak, Dr. Pylypchuk, Dr. Stuglin, Dr. Jones, Dr. Strelioff, Gerard Marcoux and Val at Satisfaction Hearing, Cheryl, Mark and Annette from Department of Veteran Affairs, the nurses at St. Paul&rsquo;s Hospital, Jennifer Downing (CPAS), the owners and residents of Warm and Cozy Care Home; and the caring angels at Veterans&rsquo; Village, where Grandpa lived for the last two months. You treated Grandpa with respect and were an essential part of my care team. Many sincere thanks to each of you. In appreciation from Charmaine Wintermute (Earl Vawter&rsquo;s Granddaughter) <br /> <br />To sign the online book of condolences visit www.parkfuneral.ca &ldquo;Obituaries &amp; Tributes&rdquo;. Arrangements entrusted to Greg Lalach, Park Funeral Chapel, 306.244.2103. <br /></div>