A private family service for rural Hallébourg resident and war veteran Robert Ernest Johnson, 79, of Lot 10, Concession VII Kendall Township was held, Jan. 18, 2003. He died in his sleep, Jan. 13, at Notre-Dame Hospital. Born Oct. 17, 1923 in Norquay, Saskatchewan, he rode the rails out west looking for work during the Depression years before signing up with the Canadian Armed Forces from 1941 through July 1968. A veteran of Allied campaigns in Europe with the signal corps, he received the Star of Germany, Italy and France. After the war, he was stationed at the Ladner, B.C. army base before moving to Ottawa in 1961 as a warrant officer 2 with the signal corps. He then joined Transport Canada in the late 1960s as a communications technican until his retirement in 1979. In 1983, he moved to rural Hallébourg to help son Marc build two log homes, including his own residence. Formerly active with the Boy Scouts in B.C., he was an avid gardener who enjoyed birding, animals, farm life, woodworking and wood carving, fishing, playing goalie for family hockey matches on Kendall Creek, and walking his favored dog Tess. Predeceased by his brothers Clayton and Wilf Johnson and a sister Irene, he leaves his wife Mildred (nee Emmerson) Johnson of Ottawa, a daughter Freda Johnson of Ottawa, and sons Bruce and Eric of Ottawa, Marc of Hallébourg, and Ian Johnson of Fernie, B.C. Also surviving are his sisters Alice and Jeanine, his brother Lester Johnson of Sudbury, and five granddaughters and five grandsons. Cremation was carried out, Thursday, by the Hillcrest Crematorium in Matheson. Rev. Jean-Marc Pelletier led the informal afternoon service at son Marc's home. After, family and a few close friends shared stories about the deceased and then played hockey on the family's Kendall Creek 'rink' in his memory.