J. HYLAND BEATTY

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J. HYLAND BEATTY J. Hyland Beatty (Hy or Beats to those who knew him well) died Thursday, January 3, 2013, peacefully and surrounded by love. He will be remembered as an adoring husband, loving father and granddad, and trustworthy friend. His devotion to his sweetheart, Hazel for 68 years provided a strong family foundation for his four children and partners, Kathy and Phil, Marilyn and Paul, Donna and Brett, Andrew and Kiley; his 10 grandchildren and his three great- grandchildren. Born and raised in Winnipeg, the eldest son of James and Edythe Beatty, Hy will be remembered lovingly by his brother Ken and wife Joyce, his sister Margaret, his brother Brian, his sister-in-law, Frances and their families. Hy attended Kelvin High School, graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Commerce and became a chartered accountant (1953). Hy drew great satisfaction from his life work in business and taught us all the value of acting with integrity and having a strong work ethic. His respect for people of all ages and personalities and his sense of humour endeared him to many who knew him. He loved to hear and tell great stories and have a good laugh. His gregarious nature often created timing issues for Hy and he was known in his family for running a little late. Hy's love of people and loyalty created lifelong friendships through the River Heights community, Camp Stephens, school days, hockey teams, the Sig fraternity, golf, curling and his work for Carling's, Labatt's, Cartier Wines, and Megill-Stephenson. Hy's passion for hockey was lifelong. He played on many teams including the 1946 Winnipeg Monarchs, winners of the Memorial Cup. For 15 years, he was a referee in MJHL, WHL and OHA and became the Referee-in-Chief of the MJHL and the Greater Winnipeg Minor Hockey Association. Hy was also the President of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and in later years enjoyed contributing his time to assist the Manitoba Hockey Foundation, the High School Hockey tournaments and the Hockey Hall of Fame. Time was never considered wasted if Hy was watching a good hockey game. Hy's other love was golf and he spent many Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings trying to perfect his game at St. Charles. A gentleman always, Hy was honest, respectful and humble. He was generous of his time and money and was involved in community activities including United Way, Blue Bombers and Rotary. He and Hazel were great partners as parents and together created a very loving family. The Dock on the Bay on Longboat Key was a second home for Hy and Hazel and he enjoyed spending time at the Dock in the company of family, friends, and neighbours. Memories of him there include reading the paper from cover-to-cover over a cup of coffee, walking the beach with his grandchildren, playing cribbage games, watching sunsets with Hazel, and sharing good conversations. Those personal conversations were marked by his optimism for life and his gratefulness for the life that he lived. A true Winnipegger, Hy always wanted to return to the city he loved. In respect of his wishes, a memorial service will be held in Winnipeg at a later date. For all those who knew and loved him and will miss him dearly, raise a glass of Labatt's Blue and celebrate the life of Hy Beatty, a good man.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jan 12, 2013