Obituary of Gerald Patrick Euclide Lutley

 Gerald (Gerry) Patrick E. Lutley November 03, 1936 to December 26, 2023 On boxing day 2023 our Dad Gerry slipped quietly away. He had been fighting prostate cancer for over 8 years and the past 4 or 5 years was severely impacted by it. Dad was a great man but he came from humble beginnings, the youngest son in a family of 7 children in Dartmouth. He was greatly loved by all his siblings and would spend much time at their homes mooching food and in his later teenage years babysitting so that his brother or sisters could have some needed time off. It was after such a babysitting night that he and mom (who he was dating at the time) were hit head on by an inebriated driver returning from a Christmas party. Mom was severely injured and spent a lot of time in the hospital and dad had various broken bones. They were both lucky to survive and went on to marry on October 6, 1956. Dad was working for Irving at one of the refineries in Dartmouth area when I was born. A few years after they moved to Moncton where he began his lifelong career in the RCMP starting first in the radio lab. Moncton was where Kathy was born. In 1965 Dad was transferred to RCMP Headquarters in Ottawa where he quickly moved up the ladder in Telecommunications. Eventually he became the first non-regular force head of Telecommunications of the RCMP, something that stands to this day. During his lengthy career he was instrumental in bringing 911 into force in Canada and helped design the computerized communication system you still see to this day inside all police cruisers across all levels of police forces. He also helped design and build the limos with specialized and highly technical communication and protection equipment that visiting dignitaries and officials would use. He was a founding member and first president of the National Association of Police Organizations. He was very well respected by heads of police forces across Canada and the US. Mom and he spent many years attending national meetings around North America. I remember his dedication to his job and being brought along during the FLQ crisis or when world leaders were visiting Ottawa as he personally wanted to ensure that every member who was on duty had fully charged batteries. Many interesting moments during those times. While he was our dad, he was also a dedicated and loving husband to our mother. Over 67 years of marriage and they still held hands and kissed goodbye and good night. They built a good life together and in 1969/70 made the purchase of a cottage on Muskrat Lake outside Ottawa. Dad loved his Ponderosa as he called the cottage and his little 40 hp red runabout. He could waterski with the best of them, and we have vivid memories of him with a cigar in his mouth, a beer in his hand and a cowboy hat on his head as he cruised on 2 skis behind our boat. He also enjoyed sailing, fishing, and puttering. Dad and Mom had a good and active social life. When they retired and moved to Bridgetown they quickly made friends and spent many hours wining, dining and shooting the breeze. Dad was head of the parade committee for the Ciderfest a job he worked hard at and did well to elevate it to what it is today. He belonged to the local Koffee Klub which met every weekday morning at 9am to discuss and solve world issues. Dad and Mom loved to golf and curl and both were active committee members. Dad gave up golf a few years ago as his eyesight affected his play, but he curled right up to the year before the pandemic. Dad’s best recreational hobby other than his love of radios was his lifelong love of flying RC aircraft. Many planes were built and flown over the years, and he introduced the love of this hobby to my husband Drew. From the early days up til the 2000s he followed the changing technology and taught many people how to fly and enjoy RC. Later, he went on to build model ships including the Bluenose. Dad met Mom at Vocational High School in Dartmouth and at 19 they married in dad’s parish church. Church was important to them both, and the parish community continued to provide them with support and faith right up through 2022. A few short paragraphs are hard to capture the essence of the man we know as Dad and others know as Gerry. He was active, a hobbyist, a community leader and played as hard as he worked. Well respected, well loved he will be deeply missed. Gerald is survived by his wife Valerie (Carr), daughter Deborah (Debbie) Gabura (Drew), Kathleen (Kathy) Lutley, grandchildren Tyler, Crystal, Nick, Lindsay, Hayley & Austin, great grandchildren Liam, Stella, Elle, Lily, Hudson, Scarlett & Laurel. He is also survived by his sister Patricia Lutley of Halifax and many nieces & nephews. Predeceased by his siblings Doris (O’Brien), Shirley (Corkum), Pauline (Brannon), Frederick and Mildred and his parents Frederick and Grace. Cremation has taken place and a serviceWill be held at 11am Saturday April 20, 2024 in St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Bridgetown with Father Michael Walsh officaiting. Interment will follow service in the church cemetery.