Edward Albert Footitt

Ed was born in Galt on January 10, 1917, son of Walter and Maude Wallbacks. The 1921 Canadian Census tell us that the family had moved to Acton, where they were renting a house and Ed had two brothers: George and Robert. By 1931 the family had added a daughter, Dorothy and owned a home at 89 Crescent St., Acton. In 1936 nineteen-year-old Ed married sixteen year-old Minerva Bradshaw, who had been born in Bracebridge.

Little is known of Ed’s military history other than information from the 1945 Rural Preliminary List of Electors which shows Albert E. Footitt of Acton, a soldier at Camp Borden and his obituary which states that he was a veteran of WW2. Ed was a resident of Acton for almost 90 years, living most of his life at the home he built at 86 Poplar Ave, just behind the home he grew up in. At one point Ed worked in the gold mines in South Porcupine but worked most of his life at Beardmore’s tannery, retiring from there . Ed was very involved in the community including the YMCA, the Acton Legion as well as numerous volunteer organizations.

Ed died October 20, 2013 and is buried beside his wife Bette at Fairview Cemetery, Acton.

Truly a Canadian Hero. His story lives on. Information taken from Findagrave.ca, Ancestry.ca, Mississauga.com, Dignitymemorial.com and personal interview with Ray Arbic