By Fred O’Hara | Member
Antony Rhodes-Marriott was a longtime member and promoter of STC, was largely responsible for starting the Toronto and Winnipeg chapters, and contributed to the growth of STC by giving presentations at various conferences. Over the decades, he served in many positions at the local and international levels of STC. He was awarded Associate Fellow in 1991 and Fellow in 1994. Tony was also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA, 1975). Asked how he came upon his talents in communication, he said: “My parents added to my toolkit: my father a photographer and sometimes writer, and my mother a teacher, lecturer and writer. I worked with them, and their skills rubbed off on me.”
Tony was born in Stockport, England, August 16, 1938, at which time his father was serving in the Royal Air Force (RAF) in northwest Scotland. As a result of his father’s military service, Tony moved a lot in his first 11 years of life, living both in the wilds and in urban settings. He adapted to new and very different schools, made new friends easily, and forged lifelong friendships. As a teenager, he was an ardent cyclist and rode his bicycle to work daily. He was adventurous, and his love of wheels transferred into a lifetime enjoyment of Formula 1 racing and Tour de France bicycling. He even took a bicycle ride for his 82nd birthday!
Upon finishing school, he had an apprenticeship from Ferranti Limited, which provided him a great grounding in electronics and mechanics, building the Bloodhound surface-to-air missile. He got to use all the shop tools, and he always considered it four years well spent. He was eventually conscripted into the RAF, where he wound up using some of the equipment he had installed while apprenticed at Ferranti.
On mustering out, he found a job with Massey-Fergusson, and he and Mary married in Stockport, England, on his parents’ silver wedding anniversary. After a while, his coworkers talked of emigrating. Tony considered the possibility, and in 1966, at the toss of a coin (heads Canada, tails Australia), he, Mary, and baby Alison emigrated to Canada. The impetus came when he found that their daughter Alison could cross the Atlantic by ship for seven pounds Sterling if she went before she was one year old. It was storm season, making for a very rough crossing. Because of the weather, the ship docked in Nova Scotia instead of the intended port of Toronto, forcing the bedraggled travelers to take a long train ride to their destination.
They first lived in Cabbagetown, Toronto, and moved 11 times in the 15 years they lived in Ontario while welcoming twins Joanne and Michael to their family. In 1970, Tony cut down trees and built an A-frame home in a wooded area in Ontario, where the family lived through one terrible winter without running water or electricity before moving on.
In Toronto, his first job was again with Massey-Ferguson. From there, he moved into the construction, steel, telecommunications, and aerospace industries. In the last, his grounding in manufacturing and electrical knowledge, coupled with his RAF military experience, stood him in good stead. He would say that he was a publicator, technical writer, manager, consultant, instructor, and author; and on the side, he taught technical writing at Red River Community College.
In 1980, a job opportunity brought the family to Winnipeg, where they settled in Norwood Flats for more than 20 years. When Tony and Mary became empty nesters, they bought acreage in St. Pierre Jolys. He had the opportunity to work from home but required an internet connection, so one of the very first fiber-optic lines was dug to their property.
In 2008, Tony was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia. Fortunately, the new drug Gleevac gave him 15 years of additional life. Retired and needing to be closer to doctors, they moved to Steinbach, MB. As his hearing diminished, Facebook became the way he connected with old and new friends. He played word games with people all over the globe, and was a constant reader.
He was well-travelled in Canada and the United States and took many trips home to the UK. Tony and Mary did a Eurail trip the year he turned 70, significantly raising the median age at all the hostels they stayed at. He returned to England again for his 80th birthday, not knowing that it would be the last visit.
Throughout his life, Tony was an avid photographer, a skill that he learned from his father and used in work. He also had a great love for technology, cider, the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, and jazz. He was kind, caring, thoughtful, and very stubborn. He always put others first and had a love for his family and friends that could not be matched. He spent three months at Bethesda Hospital in Steinbach before going home for end-of-life care.
Wednesday, October 18th, 2023, Tony died peacefully at his home at the age of 85. A lifelong jazz aficionado, he was listening to Louis Armstrong when he passed. He leaves his wife of 61 years. Mary; his sister Barbara; three children: Alison, Joanne, and Mike; and nine grandchildren. He had many lifelong friends, and he kept in touch with all his widespread kith and kin throughout his life. A celebration of life will be held August 17, 2024, in Winnipeg, MB.
He always ended his posts with good advice: “Take care, stay safe, enjoy life, and laugh a lot. Cheers for now. Tony.”
