Francis Charles Nicol

Frank was born in Broxburn, Scotland, to the late Francis Nicol and Jane (Jean) Ross. When not getting up to mischief with his late brother Jim, Frank excelled at letting his imagination run wild during his school lessons. At age 15 he embarked on his seafaring career, leaving home to attend Leith Nautical College. There, Frank developed a knack for applying the knowledge he had avoided learning at school to a mind-boggling array of charts, weather patterns, and seemingly impossible trigonometric calculations. He had found his calling.

He sailed with Donaldson Line, traveling the world with adventures throughout North America, South America, Europe, and Africa. Frank loved to describe how to order a steak in Argentina, or the chaos of the docks of Rotterdam. But it was while sailing the North Atlantic that he discovered that there was a world beyond the sea. It was on the Laurentia that he met Ann Fordyce McKechnie, and thus began his next big adventure. After rising through the ranks to Captain, Frank decided that he would rather be with his true love at home in Montreal than be at sea without her.

They settled on Montreal’s South Shore, where they raised their three children, Lee, Kirsty and Murray. That was their home for 27 years, until Frank decided to retire in 2000 from his position as President of the Shipping Federation of Canada and begin a new and truly incredible chapter of life alongside Ann in Victoria, BC.

Not many people get a retirement story as wonderful as Frank and Ann’s. They found a beautiful house near the ocean that became the epicentre for all occasions with family and friends. They welcomed visitors from near and far to their wee B&B, Canisbay Cottage, where Ann would prepare the breakfasts while Frank would regale the guests with tales of the rolling sea. Frank continued to fill his time, as a skipper with Victoria Harbour Ferry, a guide at the Maritime Museum of BC, singing sea shanties with the Shantymen, adventuring with the Last of the Summer Wine group, and spending time with his closest friends during movie nights and backyard bar-b-ques. He also stayed heavily involved in shipping as part of the Master Mariners. Needless to say, Frank knew how to do retirement right!

Frank was a poet, a storyteller, a handyman, and a mariner. But above all, he was a devoted husband to Ann, a loving father to Lee, Kirsty and Murray, and a completely besotted Poppy/Grandad to seven adoring grandchildren, McKechnie, Alastair, Callum, Ross, Fiona, Meryn and Cali. They will all deeply miss the sound of his singing, his stories of his adventures and, most of all, him.

A celebration of life for Frank will take place in Summer 2025 for friends and family to gather and share stories and laughs in the backyard, where he found so much joy watching his grandkids wreak havoc.

In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation to Mariners’ House of Montreal or Victoria Hospice.