Miles Noble Burton

Miles Noble Burton passed away Tuesday, March 16/2021 at the Minnedosa Health Centre.  Born on Sept.13, 1950 he was 70 years old.  He was the oldest of four (4) children.  Miles attended Franklin School, the Minnedosa Collegiate, and the University of Manitoba obtaining his Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering.

He was predeceased by his father Galvin Noble Burton (2002), mother Sibyl Mary Burton (Yerex) (2006), his brother Blaine Galvin Burton (1997) and his brother in law Murray Thomas Abel (2017).

Surviving is; his partner of 16 years Fiona Jones of Coe Hill, Ontario, son Donald Burton of Ottawa and grandson Jonas Wynen of the Ottawa area.  His sister in law Jean Burton and (Ken Kane). His sister Brenda Abel.  His sister Myrna Alexander and brother in law (Dick).  Also his much loved nieces and nephews:  Sarah and (Johnny) their son Oren; Rebecca and (Clint) their sons Tristan, Lincoln and daughter Randi; Elizabeth and son Thomas; and Matthew.  Kathryn and (Graham) their daughters Raelyn, Sadie and Eva; Kelsey and (Kyle); Dillon and (Riley) their son Westin.  Casey and (Stacey) their son Lucas and daughter Clara; and Rachel. And of course he enjoyed and valued his Aunts and Uncles. Especially their stories!  The years have taken many of you however, still with us are; Aunt Carol and Uncle Ed, Aunt Lorna, Aunt Vera, Uncle John, and Uncle Woody.  Also many cousins on the Burton and Yerex sides.

Miles grew up on the family farm north of Franklin. He helped with the farming operation. Upon completion of high school he worked with is cousin Dale doing finishing carpentry.  He worked as a surveyor with life long friends Duncan Mercredi, and Bill Stillwell, and worked as a Bulldozer operator with cousin Brian for his Uncle Daune Yerex. After obtaining his Masters degree he worked in Defence Research-Ottawa for many years and was a co-author of many valuable publications in the fields of Computational Electromagnetics and Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP). He built an EMP Simulator to test vehicle electronics.  In 1999 he, along with his colleagues Satish Kashyap and A.Louie, won an Outstanding Paper Award from the Applied Computational Electromagnetics Society (ACES Journal). He had a brilliant mind and was known for his speed doing complex mathematical calculations.  After retirement he tutored calculus math for many high school students in the area.

Miles enjoyed Rifle Club and playing volleyball while growing up. With his teammates, they won the 1967 provincial “B” championship. As a teenager his joy was riding his “Fuji nothing” along the Franklin roads, and during University years riding his Kawasaki, taking his cousin Rob on his first motorcycle ride. He enjoyed the preciseness of wind surfing on the Ottawa River and making his own “better boards.” After graduation from high school he and Ross Burnside took a trip to the East coast together.  Being an outdoorsman he enjoyed camping and canoeing taking a memorable trip to the Yukon with Heather Menzies and their son Donald. He enjoyed a final camping trip with his brother Blaine and their two boys Don and Matthew along the Stoney Creek. He obtained his small plane license and then, obtained his helicopter license.

One could always catch him reading and forever learning and/or creating something new. (A bit of Uncle Hector Burton in him). From making a native grass Seed Stripping machine in order to harvest his Native seeds, to making a wooden  “Holy Grail” for his sister Brenda’s planting ease. Miles was artistic and taught his sister Myrna how to sketch. On a visit home from University they had much fun creating a cast molding of their hands clasped together. Following Fiona’s design idea he built two cabins in a Hexagon shape with the required precise corners and calculated edges.

Auntie Carol said “when he spoke there were no empty words.”  He always took the time to say it just right in order to let you know you were a person of value to him.  He had such a kind and gentle soul. He was honorable.  Fiona said “he became her champion.”  Indeed, in hindsight, we realize he was that for many of us.

He loved his “Fiona.” They met along the Ottawa River.  Sitting with his pot of porridge in hand, he was thinking of canoeing home to Manitoba using the fur trader routes until Fiona walked past with her parrot!  It was a “down to earth” perfect match of honesty, openness, and trust. As Brenda once said “They became a well oiled machine.”

He and Fiona moved back home to his Franklin community where they worked on restoring native grasslands for their retirement projects. You could find him in his field, or in his wild flower garden, lovingly watching over every new delight.  He would always show off his newest find. Showing interest his cousin Bruce was a recipient of some of his plants.  He enjoyed talking to fellow enthusiasts, Harvey Pengally, John Morgan and Paul Koshel.  He enjoyed kibitzing with the staff at our community stores. He helped cousin Kim with her house renovations. He worked with ClayMar Farms for a while.  He was always interested and took the time for his nieces and nephews and their partners.

He wanted you to live your lives fully. 

Fiona diligently took care of Miles over the last four years working with Cancer Research and helping him to get through the treatments.  As a family we thank you for that level of love and care Fiona.

He was so proud of you Donald and all your accomplishments.  “Only his Donald would do” in the final days.  He had a special spot in his heart for his grandson Jonas and the Wynen family. He was thrilled to receive their recent call.

As a family we give a special thank you to Dave and Diane Sjoberg and Brock and Donna Alexander for sharing their homes and their hearts. And for the late Bill Adruniak’s stories.

Thank you also to his:

Cancer Care drivers Larry Novak and Dwight Boyd.

Alda and Dave Miller for your continuing friendship.

To our nieces and nephews for your help and your visits. To Karen Heward for watching Rusty.

The Franklin Community for rallying around Fiona and Miles.

All of our family, neighbors and friends who visited, phoned, texted or video called.

Jon Lewis, Glen Crawley, Bill Jury, Ross Burnside, cousins Dale and Brent Burton,

the Jones, Menzies and Skorobohach families, and all the others who were in “his circle.”

Thank you to Dr. Sonoiki, the Minnedosa Health Centre, and the Cancer Care Units at Neepawa and Health Science Centre.  

As cousin David Williamson put it “Travel well Miles.”

Friend Duncan provided “He gave me hope in humanity. Now he is a bright star in the sky.”

Both are apt sentiments for our “Miles.”

And from Miles himself  “Ah, one last thing to pass on:  At the end of the movie based on the Canadian author Farley Mowat’s story, Never Cry Wolf, there’s a poem, an old Inuit song that scrolled across the screen.”

“I think over again my small adventures,

My fears,

Those small ones that seemed so big,

For all the vital things I had to get and to reach;

And yet there is only one great thing,

The only thing,

To live to see the great day that dawns

And the light that fills the world.”

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to a Charity of Choice.  To remember Miles, plant a tree. 

Or better yet, preserve a piece of Native Prairie Grassland. (No funeral will be held due to this Covid time).

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Miles Noble Burton, please visit our floral store.