Frederick William Lyne

was born 02 May 1941 at the Pilot Mound, Manitoba hospital. He was the second of five children born to Frederick and Mary (Walker) Lyne, a brother to Robert, Joseph, Kenneth and Mervin. The boys were raised on the farm at Snowflake, Manitoba and attended Valley View School for grades 1 to 8. The school was located at SE13-1-9W in what is now the Rural Municipality of Pembina. After grade school they went to Snowflake High School. Bill worked at home on the farm and also for a bridge building company before enlisting.

Bill enlisted in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) in November of 1961 as an Ordinary Seaman (OS). He received his basic training at HMCS (Her Majesties Canadian Ship) Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, the basic training base for the RCN. Upon completion of basic training OS Lyne was drafted (transferred) to the Fleet School at HMCS Stadacona in Halifax, where he trained as a Marine Engineer, a Stoker in Navy slang. HMCS Stadacona is also home port to the RCN’S east coast naval fleet. After completion of his training at the Fleet School 13 November 1962, Bill was drafted to HMCS Micmac, the RCN’s east coast training ship, to continue his training. On 01 May 1963 Bill was promoted to the rank of Able Seaman (AB). He was drafted to HMCS Athabascan from 17 May until 23 November 1962 for further training and then drafted back to HMCS Micmac. On 13 January 1964 AB Lyne received his Auxiliary Machinery Operator Certificate, Level 1. On 30 May he was drafted to HMCS Nipigon and served on her until 02 September when he was drafted back to HMCS Stadacona. AB Lyne had completed his three year commitment to the RCN and was honourably released 31 October 1964.

After his release from the Navy, Bill returned to Manitoba and while at a dance at the Foresters Hall in Pilot Mound he met Colleen Moore and they were married at St. Andrews Anglican Church on the Red River, 02 July 1966. After his release Bill went to work as a guard for the Canadian Penitentiary Service, now known as Correctional Service Canada at Stoney Mountain. Bill and Colleen lived in Winnipeg at this time and Colleen had a position as a grade 7 teacher for the St. James School Board. Bill left the Canadian Penitentiary Service after 3 years and got a position as a salesman for International Harvester at Oak Point Road in Winnipeg. After three years they decided to move to Colleen’s home town, Pilot Mound. Bill bought into a partnership for International Harvester (IH) at Mound Motors in Pilot Mound and Colleen got a teaching position in Crystal City, they stayed for five years. They moved back to Winnipeg where Bill went back to work as a salesman at the Oak Point IH dealership and Colleen returned to the University of Manitoba to finish her degree. In early 1977 Bill and the parts man, Bill Otto, at the IH dealership at Oak Point, made a decision to purchase the Morden International Harvester dealership from John Friesen. It had taken them two years to make the decision. Bill Lyne, Sales Manager and Bill Otto Parts Manager, were the new owners of the IH operation in down town Morden. They built a new building in 1981 on Highway 3, across from the John Deere dealership, 2 km east of Morden and renamed their business Southman Agri Sales. Additionally, they purchased a shop in Altona and operated that as well for a few years but the additional work load, with 2 shops, was too much and they decided to work only out of the Morden location. In 1997 they sold Southman Agri to the Metcalfe in Treherne.

Bill and Colleen enjoyed many years in their winter home in both Arizona and Texas. Their travels took them to New Zealand, Hawaii, Alaska, Ireland, England and many trips to Scotland to visit distant relatives. Bill spent his retirement years in Morden, enjoying their new home, his yard, garden and even a bit of photography. His special coffee groups provided hours of laughter, reminiscing and road worthy wisdom. He was proud of his nieces and nephews and took delight in their accomplishments and dreams. The whole of Bill’s world was Colleen and caregiving, since 1990, made their bond stronger and everlasting. Bill was friendly, outgoing and quickly formed friendships. Ron Nowicki, a recruit who went through basic training with Bill, remembered him as, “The kind of person that could be in your life a mere 4 months and make a lifelong, 60-year, impression.” Traits that were contributing factors to his success as a salesman and business owner. Bill was proud of his service in the Royal Canadian Navy and was a 40 plus year member of the Royal Canadian Legion.

Able Seaman Frederick William Lyne passed away 14 December 2021 and is buried at the Snowflake Cemetery.

Information supplied by Colleen Lyne and Bill’s RCN records.