For Posterity's Sake         

A Royal Canadian Navy Historical Project

 

In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar 

 

John Patrick Heddle (J.P) Morton, O.M.

 

Lieutenant-Commander, O-53704, RCN

 

Born: 16 Feb 1919, London, England

 

Died: 29 Oct 2016, Ottawa, Ontario

 

MORTON, John Patrick Heddle (J.P.) - 87, son of Dr. John E. C. Morton and Dorothy F. Heddle, born in London, England on February 16, 1929 died suddenly in Ottawa, Canada on October 29, 2016. Predeceased by his wife Margaret "Peggy" Louise Cullens (March 3, 1932 - May 1, 2010) of South Cove, Nova Scotia. Survived by brothers Chris in Geeveston, Tasmania, and Michael of Newton, Kansas and sister Sylvia (McCue) of Plano, Texas; by his son John, daughter Ann (Parsons) and her daughters Diane Randall and Erika Randall, all in Ottawa, and by his grandson Patrick Randall of Vancouver, B.C. His family left London for Kingston, Jamaica in 1933. In 1939 they moved to Canada, living in Toronto, Linden and Waterford, Ontario before moving to Brandon, Manitoba in 1946 and settling in Halstead, Kansas in 1959. In 1946 Pat entered Royal Roads Naval College, Esquimalt, British Columbia. During the Korean War he saw action aboard HMCS Haida and was the chief gunnery officer when his ship set a record for hitting enemy trains. This feat led to an introduction to Lord Mountbatten and an offer to become his aide which he diplomatically declined, preferring to pursue his naval career. Pat married Peggy on September 11, 1954 in a Naval ceremony aboard HMCS Micmac in Halifax, Nova Scotia with his only son being born in 1955. In the late 1950s he and his family moved to London so he could attend the Royal Naval College, Greenwich. He was also posted to Portsmouth and Weymouth where his only daughter was born in 1958. In 1959 he and his family left England for Ottawa where he and Peggy bought land and hand-built their cottage on the Rideau Canal. Pat spent most of his Naval career in Halifax or Ottawa and as an Exchange Officer specializing in anti- submarine warfare, was posted to the US Navy in Norfolk, Virginia. While in Norfolk he built his first colour TV, raising an interest in electronics in the 1970s that led him to experiment with and build several computers from scratch. After retiring from the Navy Pat joined the Department of Supply and Services where he used his experience with the emerging technology of personal computers to pioneer their use within the department. After fully retiring in the early 1990s he remained in Ottawa for the rest of his life. Genealogy became his great passion and he particularly enjoyed the challenge of resolving inconsistencies in old family records. For many years he and Peggy spent spring to autumn at their cottage where he could always find a new project. During winter he worked on genealogy, read non-fiction and enjoyed the more complex versions of solitaire and strategic computer games. Both Pat and Peggy enjoyed travel - highlights being trips to Australia, China, the Orkney and Hebrides Islands, Ireland, Jamaica, Barbados and several other Caribbean islands. Acceding to his often expressed wishes, he was cremated and a public ceremony will not be held. Interment of Pat and Peggy's remains is planned for the Union Cemetery of Barrie, Ontario and will occur at a later date. In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to the Alzheimer Society. (The Ottawa Citizen 11 Nov 2016)

 

Ships served in:

HMCS ROYAL ROADS - Junior Class (28 Aug 1946) as a Cadet, RCN,  (Navy List Oct 1946)

ROYAL NAVY (Training with) - as a Midshipman, RCN (Navy List Jul 1948). Appointed A/SLt, RCN (seniority 15 Nov 1949) Navy List Jul 1950

HMCS PORTAGE - Appointed to Portage 19 Nov 1951 as a SLt, RCN (Navy List Apr 1952)

RCN BARRACKS HALIFAX, Staff Atlantic Reserve Training Commander - Appointed to RCN Barracks Halifax 10 Apr 1952 as a SLt, RCN (Navy List Jul 1952)

HMCS HAIDA - Appointed to Haida 22 Sep 1952 as A/Lt, RCN.  (Navy List Jan 1953). Appointed Lt, RCN (seniority 30 Mar 1952) (Navy List Jul 1953). Served in Haida during the Korean War as Gunnery Officer

RCN BARRACKS HALIFAX - Appointed to RCN Barracks Halifax 04 Aug 1953 as a Lt, RCN, Add'l (Navy List Oct 1953)

HMCS MICMAC - Appointed to Micmac 14 Sep 1953 as a Lt, RCN (Navy List Jan 1954)

HMCS NIOBE for Imperial Defence College, TAS Qualifying Course - Appointed to Niobe 23 Dec 1955 as a Lt, RCN (Navy List Jul 1956)

RCN BARRACKS HALIFAX for Staff Pre Commissioning Courses - Appointed to RCN Barracks Halifax 02 Jun 1958 as a Lt (TAS), RCN (Navy List Jul 1958)

HMCS ST CROIX - Appointed to St Croix 04 Oct 1958 as a Lt (TAS), RCN, TAS Officer (Navy List Jul 1959). Appointed LCdr (TAS), RCN (seniority 30 Mar 1960) (Navy List Jul 1960)

NAVAL HEADQUARTERS, Staff Assistant Chief of Naval Staff - Air Warfare - Appointed to Naval Headquarters, ACNS AW as a LCdr (TAS), RCN (Navy List Jan 1961).  Appointed to Naval Headquarters, Staff Director of Naval Firefighting Equipment Requirements (DN FER) 01 Aug 1960 as LCdr (TAS), RCN (Navy List Oct 1962).  Appointed to Naval Headquarters, Staff of Chief of Naval Personnel, Director of Naval Training 09 Oct 1962 as a LCdr (TAS), RCN (Navy List Oct 1963)

HMCS ATHABASKAN - Appointed to Athabaskan 20 Jul 1964 as a LCdr (TAS), RCN, XO (Navy List Oct 1964)

HMCS CRESCENT - Appointed to Crescent 11 Jan 1965 as LCdr (TAS), RCN (Navy List Apr 1965)

HMCS TERRA NOVA - Appointed to Terra Nova 05 Jul 1965 as LCdr (TAS), RCN, XO (Navy List Oct 1965)

 

Engagement announcement for Margaret Louise Cullen to Lt John Patrick Morton, RCN

The Halifax Chronicle Herald, Saturday, 07 Aug 1964

Researched by / Courtesy of George Newbury

 


 

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