Capt. Walter Conrad Byers
'Con'
1943 - 2017
Byers, Captain Walter Conrad 'Con' - Age 74, of Parrsboro died on Thursday, September 21, 2017 in the Palliative Care Program of the Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre, Upper Nappan following a series of illnesses. Born February 14, 1943 in Parrsboro, he was a son of the late Nema E. (Canning) and Walter R. Byers. During his time in Parrsboro High School, he was drum major for the Parrsboro Citizens Band and was involved in Sea Cadets through which he was selected to make a trip to Germany on a U.S. troop ship. After graduating from Nova Scotia Teachers College and Saint Mary’s University with concentrations in History and Spanish, he taught junior and senior high school students in several schools. Later he operated Time Frame Photo on Main Street in Parrsboro for many years where he took, developed, tinted and framed pictures. He specialized in the preservation of heritage photos, as well as writing articles, giving talks, and publishing “Age of Sail Heritage Scrapbooks”, historical calendars and booklets relevant to the local area. While attending Saint Mary’s University, Con did volunteer work one summer in a remote rural village in the mountains of Mexico. During another summer he studied Spanish in Spain. His subsequent extensive travels included South America, the Trans-Siberian Railway in the USSR, the U.S.A, the Philippines, Malaysia, the Middle East and the Far East. In 2012, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his contributions to Canada. Over the years Con has been named Citizen of The Year on more than one occasion. He has been involved with a number of community projects and organizations such as Parrsboro Town Council, The Age of Sail Heritage Centre, Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia, Handley Page Air Cadet Squadron (first Commanding Officer), Save the Band Hall project, Chignecto Park Committee, town, county and provincial tourist associations, and the Harbour Board. He played a significant part in the 1980s re-floating and towing of the Kipawo (the last Minas Basin ferry) to Parrsboro from a beach in Newfoundland and the subsequent establishment of The Ship’s Company Theatre. The Parrsborough Historical Society’s Ottawa House Museum has been a major passion with him for many years and much of his work will live on in the exhibits and archives now being housed there. Con had an enduring interest in the history of ships and the sea. He also built boats and sailed them and some years ago he obtained his coastal captain’s papers and served as master of the Avon Spirit (one of the last Nova Scotian sailing vessels to be launched) sailing out of Halifax and Inverness, Cape Breton. He was proud to be a part of this maritime tradition. In addition to history, he loved life, people, writing, poetry, story-telling, and dancing to the music of his favourite local band, the Wazoo Blues Band. He will be missed by his family and by many, many friends near and far. He is survived by brothers, Ronald (Carol) and Bernard (Karen), both of Parrsboro; nieces, Aleta (Byers) Beers, Quispamsis, N.B.; Nadine (Byers) Lockhart, Amherst; Monique (Byers) Trenholm, Diligent River; ex-wives Donna (Cooke) O’Connell, Pugwash; Bernice (Antrim) Byers, Parrsboro; step-daughters, Ellen Antrim, Lizabeth Antrim and Karen Varner, all of Parrsboro; as well as step-grandchildren, Louisa Duhamel, Jessica Duhamel and Christopher Gillis, Halifax; Adam Gillis, Parrsboro. He was predeceased by nephew, Konrad E. Byers. By Conrad’s request there will be no visitation or funeral services held. His ashes are to be committed to the outgoing tide of the Minas Basin. Memorial donations in his memory may be made to the Parrsborough Shore Historical Society (Ottawa House).
