Obituary of Brian Durance

Brian Gray Durance, 89, passed away at Frederick Hall, Shannex, in Fredericton, NB, on Monday, February 16th, 2021. He was predeceased by his wife of 66 years, June Durance, and leaves behind his daughter, Judith Durance-Morrison and husband Bill Morrison; his grandchildren, Nicholas Durance Morrison (Caitlin and their daughter, Tenley) - Calgary, AB; Peter Morrison (Ashlyn and their daughters, Winnifred and Phoebe) - Harvey, NB; and Erica Morrison - Fredericton, NB. Brian is also survived by his niece, Barbara Ball, in Sutton Bonington, Loughborough, England. A loving husband, father, grandfather and good friend, he will be missed by many. Brian was an only child born on May 20th, 1931, in Grantham, Nottingham, England. At age 11 (1943), he went off to Boarding School where he completed his schooling at the age of 17. To fulfill his 2 years post-war conscription, Brian served as an Officer with the RAF and became a pilot. Nine months of his training were in Ontario, during which time he fell in love with Canada. Upon completion of his training in the summer of 1953 at age 22, he returned home, married June, and they immigrated that fall to Peterborough, ON. It would be 17 years later before they could afford to return to England for a visit. Embracing their new life in this land of opportunity, he and June never regretted their decision to leave post-war Britain. Brian had a varied career, starting with sweeping factory floors upon his arrival, to becoming a Bell technician (climbing telephone poles), selling life insurance, eventually joining LM Ericsson in 1965 when he, June and their only child, Judith, moved to Montreal. He started out in Sales and advanced within Ericsson, becoming President of LM Ericsson Canada in 1977. He retired in 1987 at age 55, when he and June moved to Fredericton, NB, to be with their daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren. Brian was a Grampy extraordinaire and has left his grandchildren with wonderful memories of times at the Teahouse - lots of love, laughter and adventure. He will be remembered by all who knew him for his wonderful humour, storytelling, woodworking hobbies and love of motorcycles and cars. He was a true gentleman. A special thank you to the Staff at Shannex, Frederick Hall & Brunswick Hall, for all their care and support during Brian’s time there. At Brian’s request, there will be no visitation or funeral. A private family celebration of his life will take place at a later date. In his memory, donations can be made to the Alzheimer Society of Canada for research at Alzheimer.ca.