Wellsford Gordon Yetman

Buster was born in 1929 and grew up in Woodside, Nova Scotia. He was the son of the late Gladys (Bone) Yetman of Newcastle-on-Tyne, England and James Yetman of Harbour Grace, Newfoundland.

He was predeceased by sisters Lorna, Audrey (John) Romkey, Sheilah (John) MacLeod, and Avis (Neil) Wentzell all of Dartmouth as well as his brother Gerald of North Sydney.

Buster is survived by his wife, June (Leck) Cole Harbour, his sons Wayne (Deborah) of Ottawa, Richard (April) of BC, Gordon of Dartmouth, his daughter Flora of Cole Harbour, grandchildren Dene (Bobbi), Darran, Natasha, Alexandria, Hannah and Josiah, as well as his great-granddaughter Jorja. He has 1 surviving sibling Robert Yetman of Eastern Passage.

At the age of 15, Buster joined the Merchant Navy and went to sea for the first time on an Imperial Oil tanker the S.S. Sarnolite. As a young man, between 1944 and 1950, he sailed with the Merchant Navy on various tankers and passenger ships back and forth to Europe, the Great Lakes, the Mediterranean, the West Indies, South America and Africa. In 1951, he served as a member of the UN Special Force in the PPCLI during the Korean conflict and he returned to Korea in 1953, this time with the 3rd Regiment, RCHA for a second tour.

Buster returned to Canada and served out his remaining 20 years of military service at various postings across Canada including the Yukon, Quebec, Ontario and Summerside and then retired in 1979 and moved his family back to Nova Scotia.

He worked as a commissionaire at Hermès Electronics for 2 years and then permanently retired in 1983. He and June spent their retirement years travelling and enjoying their children and grandchildren. In his retirement, he picked up the guitar again after many years and would often head to his lair with a glass of whiskey where he could be heard belting out his favourite tunes. Buster loved the sea though and eventually returned to sailing with his sister Avis and brother-in-law Neil on their sailboat the Avilou. They spent many summers sailing around the coast of Nova Scotia and on the Bras D’or Lakes.

In his 80th year, he returned to Korea with his sons Wayne and Richard, both Canadian Armed Forces veterans, in commemoration of the 50 year anniversary of the Korean War where he received the Ambassador for Peace medal from the Korean Veteran’s Association. This trip was one of the highlights of his life.

Buster was a wonderful storyteller and he often regaled his children and grandchildren with countless tales of wonder and danger from his sailing years. His grandchildren adored him and would always run off to the rec room to listen to grampie’s stories while helping to count his loonies and toonies going home with pockets jingling with change. He taught them all the value of a dollar and instilled the importance of having a future plan. Buster lived a full and rich life enjoying every moment. His generosity and kindness left an imprint on everyone he encountered, and it is these things that are his legacy.

Buster lived a long and healthy life and was often seen walking his typical route through Cole Harbour into his 90’s. Special admiration is given to his loving wife June and his son Gordon who was his father’s constant sidekick in his last few years.

Buster was a proud Merchant Mariner who fought hard for official recognition by the federal government. It was not until 1992, that those who sailed during the Battle of the Atlantic and the “men who saved the world” were finally recognized as veterans and given official status. Buster helped many of these veterans navigate this difficult process of obtaining their long overdue benefits. He stood firm in his convictions. His children and grandchildren are extremely proud of this and acknowledge and appreciate the difficult times he endured to ensure the freedoms that Canadians hold so dear. His contributions will never be forgotten. He is dearly missed.

Visitation with refreshments will take place at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 216 School Street in Dartmouth on Sunday, December 3 from 1 - 2:30 pm. A memorial service will follow at 2:30 pm. All are welcome

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.mattatallfuneralhome.com for the Yetman family.