Lenard “Stirling” Edwards

Born in River Hebert, NS on June 8, 1930, son of Len and Bernice (“Bun”) Edwards. Stirling passed away on August 11, 2025 in Newmarket, Ontario. Survived by sons Nicholas and Christopher, step-sons Michael, David, Carl and Geoffrey, brother Merrill (Fredericton, NB), sister Diane (London, ON) and by his adopted family, the Fallis’, in Bradford, ON. Sadly missed by his dear friend, Sid, the fat chihuahua.

Stirling spent his early years in Windsor, NS where his father was a master at King’s College School. Following a post-war family move to Fredericton, NB, he earned a B.Sc.  in mathematics from U.N.B. and an M.Sc. From Queen’s University. After graduation from Queen’s and conduct of doctoral studies – interrupted by illness – in the U.K. and marriage to his English first wife, Pru, Stirling embarked on his own mining exploration business, including adventures throughout the North of New Brunswick, Labrador and Quebec in the “Wild North” era of penny-stock mining speculation.

Yearning for more adventure after a stint back in Fredericton teaching math as an Assistant Professor at U.N.B. – and marriage to his second wife, Barb Smith of Oromocto – Stirling took the bait from an old mining buddy, Ernie Hale, who was running a tin mine in Myanmar, pulled up stakes and moved his family to Yangon where he taught geophysics at the University of Rangoon, using geophysical techniques on field trips to explore ancient temples along the way. From there, he moved to successive posts, as a United Nations Development Project expert, in India and the Philippines.

A devoted boater through most of his life, Stirling was master of the Dolphin and the Aquamaid on the Saint John River system, including a year-long sabbatical foray to Florida and the Bahamas on the Aquamaid. Upon retirement from his work with the U.N., Stirling oversaw construction of his new floating home, M.V. Ganesha, at a Shanghai shipyard. After berthing for some years in Hong Kong, he took her on a harrowing journey across the South China sea to her new home in Manila.

In his later years, Stirling returned to Toronto to re-unite with and care for his first love, Shirley Tracey, whom he considered to be his dear wife. Through that connection, he became an adopted member of Shirley’s relatives, the Fallis family, and was lovingly cared for, to the end of his days, by Pam, John and the rest of their family.

Thanks to the Bradford Ontario community, the staff at Home Instead and Southlake Residential Care Village for all of their care and kindness.

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