George Robert Skinner, 90, recently of Mississauga and previously Ottawa, died peacefully on 2021 November 30 at the Mississauga Hospital. Predeceased by his wife, Marielle Bourdages.
George was born in Toronto and spent his early years there. In 1940, his family moved to London, Ontario where he joined the Air Cadets 410 Squadron because of his desire to fly airplanes. In1953, he received his Private Pilot license.
He graduated from Royal Roads in 1952, Royal Military College of Canada in 1955 with a B.Sc. degree and University of Western Ontario in 1956 with a B.Sc. degree in Organic Chemistry. Following graduation, he served with the RCAF as Navigation Officer in both Air Transport and Air Defense Commands.
In 1959 he joined the RCAF’s Central Experimental and Proving Establishments (CEPE) group and was involved in several extensive aviation research projects. In 1961 was assigned as the Project Officer for the DRB/RCAF Project “Lookout”, a high-altitude infrared missile measuring program that operated from Patrick Air Force Base Florida. In 1966, he was discharged from the RCAF and held the rank of Squadron Leader.
In 1966 he joined the Department of Transport (DoT) as an Aviation Research Officer in the Civil Aviation Branch and progressed through the ranks to become Senior Policy Advisor to the Assistant Administrator of Policy and Planning (Air) where he helped develop CATA’s policy towards the General Aviation segment of Canadian Aviation. Additionally, while at DoT, he found time to get his commercial pilot’s license, establish and run a hobby farm with a fellow airman, and marry Marielle Bourdages.
In 1985 he was seconded to CASB as a Senior Technical Advisor. In 1987 he joined a transportation planning company as an Associate Consultant. In 1990 he retired.
To keep busy in retirement, he continued with the hobby farm; enlisted some passionate fellow fliers to help him build and fly a Zen Air Zodiac 601HD; volunteered at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum for their North Star project, copied WW2 pilot logbooks for a database of who flew what, where, and when, and passionately helped with the de Havilland Mosquito airplane display; and travelled abroad with Marielle.
Surviving George are his brother Gordon Skinner, brothers-in-law Louis Bourdages and Roger Bourdages, and several nephews and nieces.
Although George passed away in November of 2021, we decided to wait until the pandemic would not prevent his family and friends gathering to honour him. His funeral service is on Saturday September 03 at 09h30 at Notre Dames de Lourdes Church on Montreal Road in Vanier followed by a graveside service for his ashes at 11h00 at Beechwood Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, we suggest making a donation in memory of George to the General fund or Project North Star fund at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum. The link is https://ingeniumfoundation.ca/donate-now
Will always remember the connection that George, beginning with his father had with the Hodgins family from Shadyside Farm, Clandeboye, Ontario.