Bruce Cantley

George William “Bruce” Cantley

            Peacefully, at Lion’s Prairie Manor, on Saturday November 28, 2015, George William “Bruce” Cantley, beloved husband of Elizabeth “Irene” Cantley, passed away at the age of 89 years.

            Viewing will be held at Omega Funeral Home on Sunday afternoon, December 6, 2015 from 3:00 to 4:00 PM.

            Funeral service will be held in Trinity United Church on Monday, December 7, 2015 at 1:30 PM with the Reverend Julie Baker officiating.

            Interment will follow in Hillside Cemetery.

            Bruce was born on April 18, 1926 to Mabel and Bob Cantley, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He was raised on the home farm at Arden Ridge. He attended Sinclairville School to grade 8 then stopped school to help his dad with farm work and took his grade 9 by correspondence. In 1946, Bruce started working at Atkin’s Brothers, in Neepawa,  as a mechanic during the winter and on the farm in the summer. Bruce loved working on the farm but soon found a true passion working on anything with a motor.  He next worked as a mechanic at “Neepawa Co-op Garage” and through them took and received his “Master Mechanic Certificate”.  On June 13, 1951, he married Irene Montgomery who had worked for Atkin’s Brothers as a bookkeeper.  In 1953, they moved with babies Donna, and Gwyn to Portage la Prairie where Bruce worked first at “Garven and Russel”. Then in the spring, he started working for “Brown and Lowry” which later became “Smith Motors”. Here Bruce was promoted to the sales team and began selling cars in 1959.  He worked there until 1977 and then took a job at “Tecza Mercury” first as a salesman and then as Service Man.  He retired from there in 1991.  From his first tractor, that his father and him cut cordwood all winter to buy, to his first car he was always a “Ford” man.  Bruce also loved to fly. He received his private pilots license at “Portage Flying Club” and often told us how he would have loved to fly for a living. 

            He was a school trustee at “Mount Pleasant North” and a member of “B.P.O.E.  #66. He held the chair of “Leading Knight” and “Exalted Ruler”. Both Bruce and Irene were members of the “Elks Social Club”. They both belonged to “Trinity United Church” where Bruce loved to usher on Sunday. They were members of the “West End Community Club”, “Portage Pairs and Squares” and the “MacGregor Old Time Dance Club”. They loved to dance and travelled all over Manitoba where they made many “dancing” friends and had a wonderful time. Later on, they bought a camper and spent many holidays at “East Blue Lake” with family and friends.  In their retirement, and coming full circle, they spent as much time as they could back at the home farm in Arden.  Here they had a summer home where many Attwood and Montgomery reunions were held.

            Predeceased by his wife, Irene, and their infant son Kevin, son-in-law Jim Andrich, and granddaughter Stephanie, Bruce leaves us to mourn his passing and cherish his memory: Donna Andrich and her children Kevin, David, Bruce and Odile (Lyle); Gwyn Burton (Don) and daughter Rhonda (Scott) and their children Hayden, Carter, and Asher; Scott (Lisa) and daughters Sarah and Nicole; Ray (Barb) and daughters Kendra, Justine, and Melissa; Drew and child Vanessa; Kirk (Cheryl) and children Tait, and Shea; and Glenda and her son Kristopher. Also surviving are his sisters-in law Lee Waddell, Shirley Manifold, Doreen Montgomery and brother-in-law Mervyn.

            Should friends so desire, memorial donations may be made to Lions Prairie Manor Foundation Inc., 24 – 9th St S.E., Portage la Prairie, MB, R1N 3V4, Trinity United Church, 15 Tupper St S., Portage la Prairie, MB, R1N 1W7 or to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Manitoba, Portage Office, 103 Wilkinson Crescent, Portage la Prairie, MB, R1N 1A7.

            A tribute DVD in memory of Bruce will be produced by the Omega Funeral Home, condolences may be sent to the family c/o Omega Funeral Home, 83 Royal Road South, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, R1N 1T8, 1-800-303-4621 or friends may leave a message of sympathy on our web site www.omegafuneralhome.com “Dedicated to those we serve”.

 Service Information