E. Owen Haley

Edward Owen Haley was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy and traditional in his approach to his life and in his relationships. He was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was also a man who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything he undertook. Realistic about life, he was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

      Owen was born on November 6, 1921 in Chatham, New Brunswick. His parents were Michael and Christine Haley. Owen was raised in Chatham, New Brunswick and was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

      Growing up in the Haley household was a bit different than most homes. There were good times to be had, but just as often there was a fair share of challenges as well. However, Owen was able to work through the usual family problems when they appeared, and he was the one person in the family who seemed able to keep the stress at bay. Owen was raised with four siblings. He had one sister, Eileen and three brothers, Michael, Wallace and Kenny. Owen was constantly involved in activities with his brothers and sisters. Owen and his siblings may have had the typical rivalries while growing up but Edward was always consistently loyal to his family.

      As a young child, Owen was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. He wasn’t pushy and never forced his way into games or other activities. Owen developed a variety of interests, though, and the things he enjoyed doing he did well. He was always curious about the world around him and was often eager to explore it. In his spare time he liked reading, writing and poetry.

      On May 20, 1946 Owen exchanged wedding vows with Katherine Anne Brennan at the St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church of Oshawa, Ontario. Compassionate and devoted to Katherine, Owen held endearing, traditional values about marriage and family life. He took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it his total commitment. He was a source of strength to Katherine and using his gifts at nurturing one-on-one relationships, he worked hard to make his new family happy.

      Owen brought the same traditional values in his marriage to bear on how he raised his children. He was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in his dealings. He would always listen carefully and think things through before he acted, even when it was an adverse situation. Owen was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. Owen was blessed with seven children, Mary, Kaitlyn, Paul, Kenny, Sharon, Owenie and Pat.

      Owen greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a hard worker who expected the same in return from his co-workers. He was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. Owen enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Owen was excellent at meeting deadlines. He was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. His primary occupation was as a labourer. He was employed for 27 years. Owen worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

      Owen was a WWII Air Force veteran. He was stationed at the post office in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia. He received praise for his valor, including being awarded three medals. A literal thinker who possessed a calm exterior, Owen seemed to enjoy the routines set forth by the military. His results-oriented approach to things made him committed to the job, and he understood well his role in serving his country.

      Owen liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into his hobbies, where he was very methodical in how he organized his activities and categorized things. Since he enjoyed his private time, Owen always tried to allocate a specific time for working on his hobbies. His favourite pursuits were poetry, writing, golf and bowling. Owen was content to enjoy his hobbies alone but was also willing to share his interests with others.

      Owen found pleasure in sports. Being a person who was comfortable making win/lose decisions throughout life, he could appreciate that athletes made those types of decisions in sports. He applauded those who won, and he enjoyed the statistical data and sports facts and could find himself wrapped up in those details. In high school, Owed played golf and bowling. He would watch his favourite sporting events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were football, hockey, golf and baseball.

      Many organizations were grateful to have Owen as a member, since he always brought with him a “stick to it” attitude and a high degree of common sense. Using straightforward methods to successfully complete the job, Owen was a great planner who was incredibly well organized. It seemed that he was able to schedule any event or activity with ease. He always seemed to know exactly what needed to be done. Throughout his later years, Owen was an active member of the Boy Scouts and the Canadian Legion.

      As a man who always showed great commitment to the things he believed in, it’s little wonder that Owen was so active in his community. Being practical and mentally disciplined, Owen preferred to base his decisions on first-hand experiences. Owen was never afraid to roll up his sleeves and dig right in. Owen was a member of several community groups, including serving on the committee for the Veteran's Day Parade.

      Owen was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith. He was a member of St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church for many years. He was a sympathetic man who valued his beliefs and was willing to work tirelessly for them.

      Owen enjoyed travelling and taking vacations. Since he was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, travelling with Owen appeared effortless. He enjoyed researching all of his examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where he travelled, Owen always had a back up plan at the ready, just in case. Favourite vacations included Florida and trips back home to New Brunswick.

      When Owen’s retirement finally arrived in 1975, he was well prepared. He always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things he knew, so he was very confident in planning his retirement. He had begun the process early and had his retirement all laid out well in advance. In retirement, he found new pleasure in playing cards and going to the race track. Even in retirement, Owen continued to stay in touch with his old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. He was active in his new community and felt fulfilled.

      Edward Owen Haley passed away from kidney failure on August 12, 2012 at Lakeridge Health in Oshawa, Ontario. He is survived by all of his children. Services were held at Oshawa Funeral Home. Owen was laid to rest in New Brunswick.

      Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Edward Owen Haley. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved.

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HALEY, E. Owen

Passed away peacefully at Lakeridge Health – Oshawa, on Sunday, August 12th, 2012 in his 91st year, with his family by his side. Beloved husband of the late Katherine (nee Brennan). Loving father of Mary (the late Patrick) Rivers, Kaitlyn Haley, Paul (Cathy) Haley, Ken (Carol) Haley, Sharon (John) Fedyniak, Edward Owen Jr. (Owenie) Haley and Patrick (Linda) Haley. He will be sadly missed by his many grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren. Dear brother of Eileen, Ken, Wallace and the late Michael and their families. Visitation will be held at the OSHAWA FUNERAL HOME, 847 King Street West (905-721-1234) on Thursday, August 16th, 2012 from 12:00 p.m. until time of Memorial Service in the Chapel at 1:00 p.m. Memorial donations to the Kidney Foundation or Canadian Cancer Society would be appreciated.