Nigel Ian Eling

Dear family and friends of Nigel Eling, On November 22nd the beloved Captain Nigel Eling passed away after a few years of injury and ill health. We miss him greatly but are comforted by the knowledge that his suffering has ended, and he has reunited with his family and lifelong friends that have passed on before him. Nigel leaves behind his sister Peggy, two daughters Lorna and Gail, sons-in-law Chris and Bill, as well as two grandchildren, Christian (Cookie) and Alex, and ex-wife Coral. He was predeceased by his parents Henry and Edna, brother Derick, and sister Monica. He will be missed dearly by us but also by the many other neighbours, friends, family, and colleagues that were lucky enough to know him. Nigel could always be counted on to have an ironed shirt and pressed pants even if he had absolutely nowhere to go – and would always get there 5 minutes early! He was a harsh tea critic, an avid collector of every size and shape of plastic bag, and always ready to give you a punch to the knee if he heard you curse out loud. He kept every single knick knack, card, and childhood work of art that any of us ever gave him, proudly emblazoned with the date and reason for the gift. His love of a good greeting card or take out menu was only surpassed by his love for his two cats, Leo and Jordy, whose photos adorned every single vertical space in his home. Some of his claims to fame were flying an airplane full of elephants, meeting Helen Keller (who signed that he was handsome), and weighing a whopping 14 and a half pounds at the time of his birth. We always knew when he was on his way from the incredibly loud reversing car music that was sure to both alert and astound all who deigned to pass by. Jokes aside, our beloved “Pa” was always a first call in a crisis and had a knack for calming down a room. As Gail (his younger daughter) always said, “If you gave Dad an inch, he’d give you back a mile.” Everyone who has had the pleasure of knowing “The Captain” probably has a story about how he’d helped them in some way – perhaps offering gentle advice, a ride in his beloved Mazda, or takeout of some kind (what else would he do with all those menus). Nigel was warm, kind, and a devoted friend to everyone who knew him. Please feel free to share your photos, memories, and tributes of Nigel. Since he had such a wide social circle, it would be so lovely to hear different stories from everyone. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Ballantyne Project at the following link: http://www.theballantyneproject.com. If you would like to e-transfer, please put “in memory of Nigel Eling in the message box. And e-transfer to theballantyneproject@gmail.com The Celebration of Life for dad is still to be arranged and decided whether in person and/or hybrid event. Feel free to email me at gail.eling77@gmail.com so I have your emails for updates. Thank you for your patience.

Nigel Ian Eling

November 22, 2022