Robert "Bob" Gordon Burgess

Bob was born in Carberry, Manitoba on June 28,1936 to Frederick (Fred) and Grace (nee Orr) Burgess. In 1942 his family moved to Flin Flon, MB where he attended Main School, then graduated high school at Hapnot Collegiate. After high school he completed a machinist apprenticeship program with Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting Company (HBM&S). Bob went on to obtain his private pilot’s license in 1959 soon after and began his lifelong flying career.

After a decade of bachelor life, Bob married Barbara (Barb) May on October 9, 1965. Together they had two daughters and enjoyed life in their home in Flin Flon. In 1986, the family moved to Nipawin, SK until retirement. He and Barb were married 44 years until she sadly passed from a brief illness on March 31, 2010.

Bob is known for his career in aviation however he completed other trades and had a varied career path. While he started at HBM&S as a machinist, he spent his spare time flying. His passion for planes started at age 12 with Air Cadets and became his dream career when he was hired as chief pilot for Parsons Airways, 1960-1965. Next, he was hired by Hudson’s Bay Air Transport (HBAT) from 1965-1984, living a bush pilot’s dream job flying Cessnas to Beavers and Otters and later the DC-3 across the country. After HBAT closed, he briefly took an interim job with Jackson Air Services in 1985 before transitioning to Churchill River Power, then SaskPower (SP). He joked about going back to school later in life, becoming Mechanical Foreman for SP’s various power stations. Even during his employment there, Bob continued to fly professionally from crop spraying to charter flying. Upon retirement from SP in 2000, he worked for various outfitters and remote camps, including many years at Nueltin Lake until he officially retired in 2008.

From 2000, he and Barb settled at Jan Lake and traveled as snowbirds in Canada and the USA. When their adventures were cut short by Barb’s passing, Bob settled in Sweet Home, OR to be closer to his daughter May and family. He was active in the local church and volunteered with their food bank program. He enjoyed his garden and helping neighbors. Bob chose Saskatoon, SK as his final residence, moving back to Canada in 2021 where he spent his final years close to his daughter Heather.

Besides flying, Bob loved spending his free time outdoors. He enjoyed canoeing and fishing and summers at the family cabin at Jan Lake. Winters were spent snowmobiling, ice fishing, cross country skiing and participating in the men’s and mixed curling clubs in Flin Flon.

Bob was known as “Mr. Fixit” by his family, always tinkering with projects to fix or maintain. He was known for his quiet and kind demeanor and ambitious work ethic. His friends and coworkers described him as a great boss and friend, a true gentleman, and a special man that was a skilled pilot who made everyone feel safe. He was a true “MacGyver”.

Remaining to cherish Bob’s memory are his; daughter, May Hindmarsh (Tim) of Bradenton, FL; daughter Heather Burgess (Chris Wyatt) of Saskatoon, SK; granddaughter Olivia Ansley (Sean) of TX; grandson Jake Hindmarsh of FL; sister Myrna Draper of Sherwood Park, AB; sister Bernice Koroluk (Lawrence) of Calgary, AB; sister Yvonne Schneider of Whitehorse, YK.

A private celebration of life will be held by the family at a later date.

Expressions of condolences may be sent to: [email protected]