Peter Johnston BAYNHAM

Peter Johnston Baynham, 69 Prescott native Peter Johnston Baynham died at St. Vincent de Paul Hospital on July 19, 2005 after a courageous battle with cancer. He was 69. Peter was born Dec. 16, 1935 to Margaret Rankin Elliott and Ernest Arthur Baynham at the Elliott homestead on Park Street East. He was raised and educated in Prescott at Central Public School and Prescott High School and then went on to study machine shop in Ogdensburg, New York. He was affiliated with St. John's Anglican Church in Prescott, serving as an altar boy and as a member of the church's children's choir. Peter joined the Air Force at Uplands in 1952. After serving in the military for one term, he went on to work at DuPont's Maitland Site as a laboratory technician. During the years ahead, he worked in labs around the world including England, New York state and British Columbia. He also worked at the Atomic Energy Control Board and completed his career at Microsystems in Ottawa when that operation closed its doors in the late 1970s. On June 8, 1955, Peter married Eleanor Ruth Ross at Brockville, and they had two children. The couple had celebrated its 50th wedding anniversary just prior to his death. Peter loved the outdoors and was an avid duck hunter and fisherman. He also enjoyed training Labrador retrievers. He also played on a number of competitive hockey teams in Prescott and Ottawa. His family joined him on numerous camping excursions and canoe trips over the years, many of them to Algonquin Park. Peter also enjoyed gardening, reading, cooking and exercising the various dogs that continued to be an important part of his life. The couple also sailed, one of their major trips being an excursion up the Trent Canal to Georgian Bay to coincide with the birth of one of their grandchildren. Peter was a member of the Royal Canadian Legion for many years in Prescott and in Elliot Lake where the Baynhams lived for a few years in the 1990s. He is survived by his wife and by his daughter Lynne and her husband Mark Chagnon of Cardinal and son Stephen of Brockville and by grandchildren Lukas of Montreal, Amy of Mission, British Columbia and Ross, Lisa and Laurie, all of Brockville. Also surviving is Peter's brother Gordon and his wife Alice of Prescott and their children John, Patricia, Barbara and Paul as well as his nephew Colin Flood, also of Prescott. He is also survived by his constant companion, his dog Madison. Peter was predeceased by his parents and his sister, Doreen Flood. Cremation took place at Roselawn on July 21, 2005. It will be followed by interment of his ashes at Blue Church Cemetery on Saturday, Aug. 20 at 11 am. Father Claude Delorme will officiate. Family and friends are invited to attend. Donations to the Canadian Cancer Society, the Access Centre for Community Care or the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will be gratefully acknowledged by the family.