Obituary of Edward Ed William MAYZES

1936 – Calgary, AB 2013 – Calgary, AB Edward “Ed” William Mayzes of Calgary, passed away on Friday, May 10, 2013 at the age of 77 years. Ed was born in Calgary to William Arthur and Lillian Iris Mayzes on February 12, 1936. He was the oldest of four children; he mentored and helped raise his siblings, Sandra, Russell and Billy. He lived as a child for a brief while in the small town of Olds, AB. Here he and his brothers learned about auto mechanics, carpentry, hunting, and all things that interested boys at that time. His father moved back to Calgary and Ed lived in Albert Park, where he attended all of his schooling, finishing at Western Canada High School. Ed took up paper routes for both the Calgary Herald and the Albertan. As a young man he earned money when it was extremely hard to come by. He had made lifelong friends at school and where he also met a girl names Shirley Baxter who later became his wife of over fifty years. Their anniversary was attended and celebrated by friends and relatives. He told the story of how he met her on the eve of his nineteenth birthday. Ed had wandered into Paradise Bowling Lanes where Shirley was playing in a league. He invited her to a party that led to a lifelong friendship and marriage. As a young married couple, they soon had a child Daniel Edward who was followed four years later by Robbin Kelly. He worked at the order desk at Hutton’s Auto and Electric, and several other odd jobs to keep a young family going. He took a job at a fledgling tracked vehicle company, Foremost Tracked Vehicles, where he progressed and moved up to a position that would change his life. He met and was given an opportunity by Bolt Associates out of the U.S.A. He was to help design and build a large track vehicle into a viable land seismic source. He was hired on for a two year contract and ended up working for them for over fourteen years, travelling to different countries where sometimes we all were lucky enough to join him. Ed loved the job and the work. Shirley and he particularly liked travelling to Japan and Europe, Italy being one of the favourites. They often talked about returning there, time permitting. As a young man, Ed was a good athlete and played for the Calgary Colts, enjoying contact sports. Ed was invited to come and try out rugby by Jack Sharp who played for the newly formed rugby team, the Calgary Barbarians. He quickly developed a passion for it, evolving eventually into the Calgary Rams Rugby Club. Ed made many friends, including Dave, Fred, Art and Bob to name just a few that were such good friends that they were basically considered family. Many of those friends survive today, far too numerous to mention and meet once a month in Cochrane to attend the meeting of the Muttonheads. Ed enjoyed going to those and it was only weather that kept him from attending the last one. Ed had a brief stint away from the seismic industry and opened to Gnome Workshop where he made and sold concrete lawn ornaments. The industry called him back and he began doing marine seismic surveys in the far north when it first started to open up. He again made many close friends from the industry and began a small marine seismic source and service company. Ed finished out his “field” career and he and Shirley enjoyed some travelling and being in Bragg Creek “The Place”, enjoying their new grandchildren and some great-grandchildren. After losing Shirley to cancer in 2008, he almost retired, according to him. He was a marvel at history and had respect for the military; no question about the first or second world wars would go unanswered. Ed still had things he wanted to do, he always had something new on his mind. He loved his family, and it was always the most important thing for us to remember he would say every time at family events or times of the year when families gather to celebrate the seasons. He will be missed by all; he was a good friend to anyone who knew him and a father that will always be remembered by his sons. In living memory of Ed Mayzes, a tree will be planted at Fish Creek Provincial Park by McINNIS & HOLLOWAY FUNERAL HOMES, Fish Creek Chapel, 14441 BANNISTER ROAD S.E. Telephone: (403) 256-9575.