Obituaries | M.G. Daly Funeral Home Ltd. |
| Olmstead, Floyd Milfred Ross |
Sept 15, 1931 - June 16, 2022 It is with great sadness and a sense of loss that Floyd’s family announces his passing at home in Maple Leaf at 90 years of age. He was the son of Ross and Geraldine Olmstead and brother to Doug, Lorne and Vivian. Floyd married the love of his life, Shirley, 70 years ago on July 26, 1952. Floyd and Shirley had nine children - Gerald, Elaine, Roy, Dale, Sandra, Candace, Vicky, Paul, and Robin. His greatest love after Shirley was for his children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren. He took such pride in all of their accomplishments and always loved when they came to visit, write or call. In his youth, Floyd was an avid guitar picker and often joined in with the local bands at dances in the area. He was an excellent athlete and played minor hockey for a time at St. Michaels in Toronto. At 18 he joined the Royal Canadian Airforce as an enlisted man and remained there for the next 24 years. It was during this time that he met Shirley, started a family, and built and flew his own aircraft. While with the Airforce he had the fortune to travel the entire world and see different cultures. This taught him lessons of tolerance that he later passed on to his own children. Floyd flew transport for much of his time in the RCAF but finished his military career flying Search and Rescue out of CFB Trenton. He eventually retired in 1973 from the RCAF as a Flight Engineer who had earned his Canadian Forces Decoration medal and the UN Forces Service Medal. After leaving the RCAF he continued to fly for commercial airlines over the next several years. Once home in Maple Leaf again, Floyd worked as a loader operator and general contractor, and ran his farm with the help of Shirley and their children. Floyd loved that the friends of his children would often visit the Olmstead Farm, with some staying for days or even weeks at a time. During this time, he was deeply committed to the local area and became involved in many local organizations including, but not limited to, being a founding member of the ANAF, coaching the girls’ softball teams, serving as an officer in the sea cadet corps, and being contracted by the North Hastings School Board. Floyd owned and operated a service station in Maynooth in the late 1970’s through to the mid-80’s and was a respected businessman. In later years he would often hear compliments from former customers on the service they had received at “Floyd’s General Repair”. In the mid-80’s he again started a new career, moving his family to Etobicoke and becoming a building superintendent. Floyd worked in Etobicoke for several years before moving back to Maple Leaf in the early 90’s and beginning his “Semi-Retirement”. Never one to sit still, he began working for the local Municipality where he continued until his final retirement at age 76. Once fully retired, Floyd continued to work on the family farm raising goats and other livestock, working in his shop on new projects, and crafting maple syrup, homemade wines and beers. Throughout his entire life he was an avid reader and would often recite poetry - a love he shared with his mother. Floyd and Shirley always welcomed visitors into their home and in his final few years these visits were often the highlight of his days and weeks. He enjoyed sharing stories and was often sought out by people when trying to sort through a family tree or local history. His memory and knowledge of the local area, its history, and its people was precise and expansive. Floyd always believed in giving back and as his last wish he donated his body to Queens’ University Medical to further medical research for the benefit of others. A life well lived! He will be missed by many and always loved by those who knew him best!
You never said I’m leaving, You never said goodbye. You were gone before I knew it, And only God knew why
It broke my heart to lose you, But you didn’t go alone. For part of me went with you, The day God took you home.
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