Fay, George

On the afternoon of June 20, 2026, George passed away peacefully of heart failure in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia at the age of 88.  George was the 6th of 12 children born to Joseph and Anna in Breslau, Ontario.  George grew up and worked on the family farm until, at the age of 14, he moved in with his brothers in Kitchener so he could work at a furniture factory, then B.F. Goodrich.   When he was 17 years old, George joined the Royal Canadian Navy at the same time as his brother, Ben.  He was a marine engineer (a "stoker").  While in port at Sorel, Quebec, George met the love of his life, Karen Whynacht.  They would marry in 1959.  It was a hard life with George spending many years at sea away from the family, but Karen took care of the family during his absences.  The whole family cherished his time at home. George built the family cottage on Caribou Lake circa 1968 with no power tools, where they spent many happy days.  George retired from the Navy in 1980 and relocated to Bridgewater.  He worked at Michelin Tire in maintenance for about 14 years until retirement.  Gardening was a labour of love for George. His backyard garden fed many of his appreciative neighbours. Perhaps his greatest enjoyment came from his family.  He absolutely adored them, but his greatest love was for his devoted wife, Karen, who was his soulmate for 66 years.  His death has left a big void in all of our hearts.

George was predeceased by his parents: Joseph and Anna, siblings:  Joseph (Adelle), Stephen (Olga), Anna (Matt) Edl, John (Jeanette), Bernard (Maxine), Elizabeth (Bart) Wesseling, and Mary (Joseph) Hewer.

He is survived by his wife:  Karen; siblings:  Frank (Anne), William (Marlene), Helen (Tony) van Leeuwen, and Leonard (Carol); children:  Sylvie (Richard) Trotter and Brent (Carol-Ann);  grandchildren:  Evan (Althea), Katherine Trotter, Matt, Mary (Rowan), and Marty; and great grandchild:  Emmy; and many nieces and nephews.

We are very thankful for the support of the neighbors and friends of George and Karen. All of these acts of kindness are much appreciated.

We would like to thank Dr. Moldovan for George’s care and the pharmacists and support staff at the Bridgewater Pharmasave. We would, as well, like to thank the doctors and nurses at the ER, ICU, and Heart Function Clinic at the South Shore Regional Hospital for their care and empathy.

There will be a private family service at a later date.  Memorial donations can be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or South Shore Regional Hospital. 
Arrangements have been entrusted to the R.A. Corkum Funeral Home, Wileville. On-line condolences may be made by visiting www.corkumfuneralhome.ca