Obituary of Frank Stanley Hector

HECTOR,

FRANK  STANLEY

1923  -  2022

Frank Stanley Hector passed away on Monday, January 10, 2022 at his residence in Saskatoon. He leaves his son Frank Jr. of St. Albert AB and long time partner Pat Wilson of Saskatoon. He was predeceased by his mother Caroline, father Stan and ex wife Patricia. Frank was born in Hamilton, Ontario on April 11, 1923. He grew up on the farm and went to school at Bradwell Saskatchewan during the dirty thirties. He often recalled that on the farm, grasshoppers seemed to multiply in spite of the drought and with the assistance from army worms, they would eat anything above ground. Russian thistle would tumble across the dry fields driven by the wind and lodge against the fences. If the posts did not break, the wind would pile sand into the thistle. Soon the fence itself would be covered by sand. In 1941, Frank was off to the RCAF. After the war it was back to Bradwell where he was involved in a variety of activities associated with the operation of a small town machine shop and machine agency. By 1949 he was married and it was back to the RCAF for 5 years with son Frank junior and was posted to Whitehorse in the Yukon. Here, the family lived in a tiny log cabin of gold rush vintage, no water and  no plumbing. By 1952, it was off to Ottawa where a F86 RCAF fight squadron was being prepared to fly jets to England via Labrador, Greenland and Iceland, in support of NATO in Europe. On return from England in 1953, Frank became employed at the University for Upper Atmospheric Research. He built instruments to measure and study the earth’s magnetic field, the northern lights and solar magnetic storms. He participated in the rocket research program and the firing of these rockets into the aurora at Churchill. In 1965 , he moved with the original SED Systems advance group, to the airport in Saskatoon. Frank retired in the 80’s and moved to Luther Tower where curiosity and a conviction led him into a study relating to the origins of Multiple Sclerosis. He would like to thank his GP Dr. M. Jutras for many years of advice and care. Frank will be laid to rest at Woodlawn Cemetery. A graveside committal service will take place at Woodlawn Cemetery on Monday, January 17, 2022. Those wishing to attend are asked to meet at the entry gates at 1:45 pm to process to the gravesite. Condolences may be left for the family at Frank’s obituary/tribute page at www.saskatoonfuneralhome.com. Arrangements have been entrusted to Saskatoon Funeral Home.