Obituaries

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Sergeant Jamie Mathieu

Sgt Jamie Mathieu enrolled into the Canadian Armed Forces on 25 Jun 03 as an Electronic Optronic Technician Land (EO Tech L). He received a recruit school bypass and headed straight to CFB Borden, CFSEME, for trades training on Jun 03 then on his POET course in CFB Kingston.
Upon completion of his QL3 (DP1), he was posted to 1 General Support Battalion (1 GS Bn) at Edmonton Garrison on 28 Nov 05, where he was promoted to the rank of Cpl. He then completed his QL4 training package followed by his QL5A (DP2) on 31 Oct 2007.
As a newly qualified DP2 technician, he was posted to the Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians) (LdSH(RC)) from 01 Feb 2008 to 19 Jun 2012. While at that unit, he deployed to Afghanistan from 01 Oct 09 to 15 May 10  as a T-LAV MRT Technician. In Jun 12, Cpl Mathieu was promoted to MCpl and posted to 1 Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Bn (1 PPCLI), where he was employed as an MRT Commander. While serving with 1 PPCLE, MCpl Mathieu would deploy on Op LENTUS twice, in 2013 to assist with flooding in southern Alberta and again in 2015 to the wildfires in Saskatchewan.
Two years later, MCpl Mathieu deployed to Latvia on OP REASSURANCE Roto 8 from 14 Jun to 18 Jan 17. He continued on with 1 PPCLI as Ancil MRT Comd until he was promoted to the his current rank, the rank of Sgt with posting that saw his return to 1 Svc Bn on 2 Jul 19 where he managed production as an EO Section Commander. On 15 Jul 21, he was posted to 1 RCHA in Shilo to be employed as the EO Section Commander.
Throughout his career, Mathieu has provided excellent mentorship to junior EO techs, established a positive working environment for his section and gained trust from his peers and subordinates through his dependability and leadership.
Sgt Jamie Mathieu passed away on 18 Oct 21 in Brandon, MB. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time of sudden loss.
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Colonel (ret’d) Murray Johnston

19 May 1933 – 20 October 2020

Tribute to our dear Col Cmdt 1991-2004

This book is a collection of stories and photos from members (past and present) of the RCEME
Corps whose lives, in one way or another, were influenced by Col (Ret’d) Murray Johnston.

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Lieutenant-Colonel James Bower

20 February 1966 – 11 June 2020

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Corporal Aaron Michael St James

Corporal Aaron St James was born 20 April 1995 in Vancouver, British Columbia. He began his 7 year service to Canada on 26 March 2014. Following Basic training, he was posted first to the RCEME School at Canadian Forces Base Borden, and then to 1 Service Battalion at Canadian Forces Base Edmonton, to complete his Vehicle Technician training. Upon achieving his trade qualifications, Corporal St James was posted to the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry in Shilo, Manitoba in 2018. In June of 2019 he deployed to Latvia with the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Battle Group as part of Operation REASSURANCE, Rotation 19-02.

Throughout his career, Corporal St James proudly served the Army of the  West. His pride in the RCEME Corps and his personal pride of serving the  nation was evident to all who served with and knew him. The military and  especially the RCEME Corps were more than a career to Corporal St James;  his fellow soldiers were truly an extended family to him.

Corporal St James passed away on 27 April 2020 and is survived  by his wife Joanna St James and his  brother Special Constable Matthew St James.

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Sgt Kathryn Elisabeth Howard

After 29 years of loyal service in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (RCEME), Sgt Kathryn Elisabeth Howard passed away suddenly on 14 April 2020.

Sgt Kathryn Howard was born in Smith Falls, Ontario. She joined the CAF in August of 1991 as an EGS Technician and attended basic training at the CF Recruit School Cornwallis. Upon successful completion of her training she was posted to the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering in Gagetown, NB where she voluntarily transferred to the RCEME corps as a Vehicle Technician. She was posted to 1 Svc Bn, Edmonton in October of 1992 after passing her QL3 training and spent the next 4 years honing her skills as a technician.

Sgt Howard married her wife Jonna in August of 1995 and three short years later welcomed their beautiful son Dylan into the world in January of 1998. She completed her QL5 training in the early months of 1996 and was posted shortly after to the Royal Canadian Dragoons in Petawawa, Ontario. While in Petawawa, Sgt Howard deployed on two separate tours of duty. One was with Task Force Golan on OP DENACA in 1997 and the other was with the Infantry Battle Group on OP PALLADIUM to Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2003.

She was posted to CFB Cold Lake in December of 2004 and bounced between 4 Construction Engineering Squadron and 4 Air Combat Service Support. She attended the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver with OP PODIUM and was deployed to Afghanistan in the same year on ROTO 11.

In the summer of 2016, Sgt Howard was posted to 1 CER in Edmonton as the B-Veh Section commander. While on IR she spent countless hours on the road between Edmonton and Cold Lake visiting her family whenever she could. When a position opened up in the summer of 2017 in Cold Lake she jumped at the chance to get home and become the Maint IC for 4 CES.

Sgt Howard had several hobbies ranging from making chainmail to 3D printing various objects. She enjoyed tinkering with electronics and using her virtual reality which she brought in to the unit for some morale days. She was a very caring and empathetic person that would do anything she could to help someone in need and will be missed dearly by everyone who knew her.

“Arte et Marte”