Arquivo F2106 - Hartwell W.B. Illsey fonds

Hartwell W.B. Illsey was born in Castor Alberta, but was raised in Montreal, following his family's removal to that city. He attended school in St. Lambert, and at Westmount High School, and Montreal High School, from where he graduated in 1935. For the next four years, he worked for The Steel Compnay of Canada and Dominion Rubber Company Limited. In 1939, he moved to Hull, Quebec, where he was employed with the E.B. Eddy Paper Company. During the pre-war years Hartwell Illsey served in the N.P.A.M. with the 3rd Field Royal Canadian Engineers. In June 1941, he enlisted with the Royal Canadian Air Force, at Ottawa. After receiving his pilot's wings at Moncton in April 1942, he married Elizabeth Mitchell in Montreal the same month. They have three children. H.W.B. Illsey served as Staff Pilot in the Bombing and Gunnery School, located in Jarvis, Ontario. In 1944, he went overseas, flying at Advanced Flying and Operational Training Units in England. In 1945, he returned to Canada. H.W.B. Illsey felt the call to the Christian Ministry during his flying service and upon receiving his discharge, he enrolled at Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario. He graduated with his B.A. in 1949, and from Queen's Theological College two years later, when he was ordained into the United Church of Canada. Padre Illsey has served in many parts of Western Canada (Empress, Brooks, Calgary, Alberta; and Esquimalt and Victoria, Birtish Columbia), and undertook Chaplaincy duties at a number of RCAF Stations across Canada. Hartwell W.B. Illsey, who also held a B.D. degree from St. Mary's Theological College in Scotland, and an Masters of Divinity from Queen's University at Kingston (1965), died in 2002.