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In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar
SHUCKBURGH, Trevor Cole - was the fourth son, seventh child of eight children of William Coles and Dorothy Diana Lowry Shuckburgh of Stettler, Alberta. Trevor was the last of his generation of both Canadian and English Shuckburghs. Trevor grew up on the family farm in Stettler, Alberta. His particular interest in school was the learning of poetry, an interest that became an unceasing, life-long pleasure. Even unto his last months of life he would amaze family and friends with off-the-cuff recitations of poems he felt appropriate to the mood of the moment. Any gathering that included Trevor was likely to be treated to one or more poems with skill in accuracy and expression from the depth of his being. Growing up on the farm, Trevor had a great love of horses. Reading and music were his most important connections with his parents, his mother being an accomplished pianist and violinist and a voracious reader, his father, who had a good singing voice and spoke several languages, was an enthusiastic opera lover. On 15 July 1940 Trevor was accepted into the Royal Canadian Navy as a Boy Seaman at seventeen years of age. Following basic training at HMCS NADEN he was assigned to the armed Merchant Cruiser HMCS PRINCE HENRY where he was introduced to the rigors of naval life as PRINCE HENRY proceeded to the Northwest Coast of South America to participate in the Naval blockade of shipping. Trevor specialised in Gunnery. He had reached the rank of Petty Officer by 1944 setting him up for a post-war career in the Royal Canadian Navy. During the D-Day invasion he was aboard HMCS TEME, hunting submarines in the English Channel. Four days later TEME was almost cut in two during a night-time chase. The ship was towed into Cardiff, Wales for major repairs. Whilst there he met and fell in love with Doris, whom he married in 1947 and brought to Canada with their first child; Doris died in 1970. After the War, Trevor embarked on a series of trans-Atlantic assignments culminating in his attendance at the Royal Naval College at Greenwich, receiving his appointment as a Commissioned Gunner on 15 December 1953. His Naval career included being Gunnery Officer of HMCS MAGNIFICENT and HMCS ONTARIO; Executive Officer of HMCS STE THERESE and HMCS OTTAWA, as well as the last Executive Officer of HMCS BONAVENTURE, and as Captain of HMCS SUSSEXVALE and HMCS COLUMBIA .He became the commander of the Fourth Canadian Training Squadron out of Esquimalt, BC, a position he held until his retirement on 17 March 1972, concluding thirty-two years of service. From 1962 to 1965 Trevor was Naval Aide-de-Camp to Major-General George R. Pearkes, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. In 1962 he had the honour as Captain of Columbia of carrying the remains of the revered Kwakwa'wakw Chief and renowned artist Mungo Martin to his final resting place at Alert Bay. In 1970 Trevor married Twila Jack Hicks of Honolulu. In 1971 he was selected to be the Department of Defence Co-ordinator for the Royal Visit to British Columbia which culminated in Trevor being presented to the Queen. In 1974 Trevor became the Administrator at James Bay Lodge in Victoria. Thriving on the positive relations with residents he worked tirelessly to resolve and up-grade components associated with this burgeoning new service. Growing interaction with Provincial health care regulations prompted him to seek support and consensus from independent operators in BC which resulted in him initiating and heading the first association of Independent Care Home Operators which led to meaningful interaction and upgrading of management practices in the field. He continued in the health care field into his 80's. After 38 years together Trevor lost Twila in 2008 after several years of home care followed by institutional care. The experience reinforced his goal to remain at home and independent. His goal was achieved through determination, planning and with the great help of the Home Care Workers of Vancouver Island Heath Care and family members. In 2018 Trevor was designated a "Hometown Hero" by Parks Canada in conjunction with the 75th. anniversary of the Invasion of Normandy - "D-Day". 6 June 1944. He was recognised for his wartime service by the Lieutenant Governor, the Premier, the Admiral and a host of well-wishers, family and friends. Trevor died peacefully in his sleep in the early morning of 10 October 2020 at his home in Victoria, BC. Trevor had reached 98 years, one week and one day. He wanted everyone to know that he had lived "a good, good life!" Trevor is survived by two sons and two step-daughters. (Victoria Times Colonist 19 Dec 2020)
Ships served in: HMCS TEME - Served in TEME 29 Feb 1944 - 03 May 1945 HMCS OTTAWA - 5th Commanding Officer HMCS BONAVENTURE - Served in BONAVENTURE 1966-1968 as Cdr, RCN, XO HMCS SUSSEXVALE - 9th Commanding Officer HMCS COLUMBIA - 7th Commanding Officer
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