Feltmate, Cheryl, Elizabeth, BeryI (Nee White)
September 26, 1944 – April 26, 2026
It is with profound sadness that the family of Cheryl Elizabeth Beryl Feltmate of Ottawa announce her passing on April 26 at the age of 81 years. She will be lovingly remembered by her husband of 53 years John; children Trevor (Erin), Derek (Josée), Carrie (Lanthier); and grandchildren Mia, Chelsea, Evelyn, Vanessa, Ellyanne, and Nicolas, and her brother Glen (Carole Gardner). Predeceased by her parents Arthur and Gladys (Nee Harris) her brothers Ray (Marilyn Packer), and Carl (Marian Parrott).
A Funeral Mass and Reception will be held at St. Ignatius The Martyr Parish 518 Donald St. Ottawa, ON at 11:00 am June 24. Internment will take place at the National Military Cemetery at a later date. There will be a reception with refreshments in the church hall after Mass.
For those who cannot attend, you can view later on:
https://www.youtube.com/@st.ignatiusmartyrparishott2211
Cheryl was born in Toronto. She completed her elementary education in Fergus and finished her secondary education in Guelph. She joined the Army Reserves with a goal to enlist in the Navy. That goal came to fruition in 1966, after basic training, with an assignment to Halifax, in the submarine squadron. She reported to the Commander. While women were not permitted in combat roles, at the time, she did get out on the Ojibwe. Women today can be in a combat role but are still not permitted on submarines. After that tour she had an affinity for submarines and submariners that lasted the rest of her life. Her family had returned to Toronto while she was in the Navy, now the Canadian Forces.
Cheryl joined Echlin Canada, an engine ignition manufacturer, reporting to the President. Her brother Carl introduced her to her husband to be. In 1973 she was married and moved to Ottawa. She worked for several Federal Departments but likely enjoyed her stay with the Ministry for State for Science and Technology and serval years later in the Ministers office. She first retired in 1995; however, she became bored with that and went back to work. Eight years later she was willing to step down. The memo circulated to advise her colleagues of her pending departure stated in part “Cheryl has decided to retire again…”
During her working career she raised 3 children and was very interested in their education. She volunteered in the school library and acted as a teacher`s assistant 2 to 3 days a week. Her other interests included genealogy, something she became quite passionate about. Her mother was a descendant of Scottish immigrants that settled in the Ottawa Valley in the mid 1800`s. Though records she was able to find the ruins of the original farm house that was destroyed by fire in 1879, in what is now known as West Carleton, Kanata (Ottawa). She even located the graves of her great grandparents. It turned out that one of the cemetery grounds keepers was one of her cousins. She travelled to Scottland on two occasions to do further research. She visited and saw the last known apartment of her great great grandparents before they left for Canada. Her father`s side of the family was also from Scottland but had come many years earlier. Her father was related to JM Schneider of New Berlin (Kitchener, ON). One of her prized possessions was a family photograph of JM’s sister holding her father as a baby in 1910.
Cheryl had additional interests in Girl Guides Canada volunteering as a helper, then a leader. She turned down a position as a commissioner thinking that post would be too political. She loved to read novels, mainly detective and spy stories. It was nothing for her to consume a book or more a week. She dabbled in macrame, quilting, and tailoring. On occasion she audited the Birch Island Residential Property Owners Association (BIRPOA) books. For many years she participated for fun and recreation on a volleyball league in Blackburn Hamlet.
