16 Feb 1935 – 9 Aug 2024 (89)
2 PPCLI
lt is with heavy hearts we announce the unexpected but peaceful passing of our father, Gerald Stanley Wharton. A loving husband, father and very much an officer and a gentleman, Gerry leaves behind his most beloved wife Heather, his daughters Laurie (Phil), Wendy (Roland) and Susan (Spenser), grandchildren Katelyn, Graeme, Evan, Nolan, Jesse, Heather, Blair and Ross, his sister Lesley, niece Ali as well as 10 great grandchildren and two great nieces.
A proud member of the Canadian Armed Forces, Gerry served with the 1st Battalion The Canadian Guards and the 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry in Canada, Germany and Cyprus.
Upon retirement from the military with 32 years’ service, Gerry enjoyed a second career as Chief of Ceremonial and Protocol Services for the federal government, providing expertise on flag protocol and ceremonial support for all official functions such as Canada Day, Remembrance Day, official visits and state funerals. He was a member of the interdepartmental committee for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and was instrumental in the design of the tomb.
Gerry was honoured to be made a Member of the Royal Victorian Order by Her Majesty the Queen at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace in October 1995 for his “service to the Crown in Canada.”
He retired from the Public Service in 2002 having served Queen and Country for 50 years. This fall he was stepping down from his role as Honorary Dominion President of the Army, Navy & Airforce Veterans in Canada, concluding 20 years in this role.
As much as Gerry loved the military, he also enjoyed outdoor adventures, history, his church community and a glass of inexpensive scotch. Most of all, we know he dearly loved Heather, his wife of 66 years and his family. Thank you Dad, Grandpa, for instilling in us an appreciation for travel, early morning swims and the propensity to hike in the woods and up mountains just a little further and a little more rugged than is comfortable.
Friends and family may gather at St. Thomas the Apostle Anglican Church, 2345 Alta Vista Drive, Ottawa, Ontario for a funeral service on Tuesday, August 20, 2024 at 11am. A private family interment will take place at Beechwood National Military Cemetery.
In Gerry’s memory, donations to Perley Health would be appreciated.
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