Edward Hearnden Obituary

It is with great sadness that I announce the death of my father Edward (Ed) Harry Hearnden of Ottawa, Ontario at the Ottawa Civic Hospital on the evening of October 8th, 2024 at the age of 103, after a brief battle with Covid-19 related pneumonia. He leaves his son Brian Hearnden in Ottawa, friends across Canada and relatives in England, including Penny Down. He was predeceased by his beloved wife Joan Hearnden, in November 2011, and his brothers Arthur and Bill Hearnden.

Ed was born on April 13, 1921, in Gillingham, Kent, the son of Albert and Hannah Hearnden, and began his career working as a journalist in Kent. His journalistic career was interrupted by the Second World War when he enlisted in the Royal Air Force (RAF) in October, 1940, serving with the 203rd Squadron in North Africa, the Mediterranean, and India as an air gunner and radio operator holding the rank of Warrant Officer. After he was discharged from the RAF in March, 1946, Ed resumed his career as a journalist and in 1953, he followed his brother Arthur and moved to Canada, working as a journalist in Stratford, Ontario. Among his many accomplishments was reporting on the inaugural season of the Stratford Festival in 1953. He subsequently moved to London, Ontario, becoming an editor at the London Free Press, and was married in that city to Joan Roberts in September, 1957. In 1964, Ed was granted Canadian Citizenship. Ed and his family moved to Ottawa in 1965, where he joined the Department of Fisheries and Oceans as an Information Officer, producing many publications and writing speeches for the Federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. Ed also remained a member of the Press Club, never having relinquished it after leaving London. After his retirement from the civil service in 1986, Ed and Joan moved to the country: Barry's Bay, then Perth and finally Smiths Falls, where Ed joined the Royal Canadian Legion. In addition to enjoying country life, Ed and Joan enjoyed traveling, taking may cruises to various locations around the world. Ed was a skilled handyman and had many hobbies including golf, fishing, boating, curling, cross country skiing, and dancing.