William Carter (Bill) Dziadyk, L/CK, RCN

In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar

William Carter (Bill) Dziadyk

Leading Cook, RCN

Born: 21 Mar 1929, Sutherland, Saskatchewan

Died: 23 Oct 2012, Victoria, British Columbia

DZIADYK, William Carter (Bill) - Korean War Veteran - died peacefully after a series of strokes, on October 23, 2012 at the Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria. BC. He was born to the late Nick and Annie Dziadyk on 21 March 1929 in Sutherland Saskatchewan. Predeceased by his wife Gladys May Constance (nee Healey) in 2002; sister Mary in 1988 and brother Julian in 1992. He will be greatly missed by his dear friend Yvette Cross. He is survived by his children: Bill (Dale) in Ottawa, Tom in Courtenay, and Ron (Linda), Susan (Bill Jackson) and David all in Victoria; his grandchildren: Doug, Mike, Erika, Ron, Chris, Jessica, Will, and Julia and his many great grandchildren. He will be missed by many other relatives and friends. Bill served in all three branches of the service. In 1945 he joined the Edmonton Fusiliers only to be discharged in 1946 when he was discovered to be underage. A few months later he joined the RCAF and was again discharged for being underage. He then served in the Merchant Marine (SS Burcross) out of Vancouver. Finally at age 18, he joined the Royal Canadian Navy in February 1948. During his service on HMCS ATHABASKAN on its first tour to Korea, (as well as being a Leading Seaman, cook, and the ship's baker), he was a gunner on the 4 inch gun crew for shore bombardments during the Battle of Ichon and he participated in amphibious landings and "raiding parties" on the Islands of Orang (with ROK marines), Taku, Kupo, Ryanku-to and Pium (off Kunsan). For these and other actions, HMCS ATHABASKAN was awarded the "Presidential Unit Citation" from Syngman Rhee (President of ROK). Bill was recently presented with a Certificate of Appreciation from the US Department of Defense in recognition of his service during the Korean War. Bill returned to civilian life in May 1952. He worked in many jobs to support and raise his young family. He was a hospital cook, a logging truck driver and for many years he worked at the BC Forest Products sawmill in Victoria. Through self study and determination he changed careers and became a qualified welder (boilermaker). He worked on the construction of the new fleet of BC Ferries and the repair of naval and other ships in Victoria Machinery Depot (VMD) and in other shipyards. He leveraged these skills and experience to get a position in HMC Dockyard. He loved working for the Navy again. He was a well respected "Dockyard Matey" who was often called upon by ships' staff to tackle complex jobs requiring his specialized welding expertise. He eventually joined the Base Construction Engineering (BCE) section of CFB Esquimalt where his duties included inspection and ensuring the safety of the cranes and lifting equipment. He retired in 1987. Bill enjoyed many activities. In the early years he enjoyed wrestling on the mats at the HMCS NADEN gymnasium. He was a philatelist and an accomplished artist and musician. He became a licensed pilot. He purchased his tiny Cessna in Thunder Bay and then flew it back to Victoria solo. His heart was never far from the Navy and he was very interested in reading and studying naval and military history. He was a Mason and a Shriner, and a member of the Gizeh Clown Unit, appearing as 'Tulip' at many May Day parades and children's charitable functions. He valued the comradeship found in the Royal Canadian Legion (Trafalgar / Pro Patria Branch), Korean Veterans Association (Unit 27) and with his distinguished comrades in "Fourandex". He was also a pretty good poker player. The family would like to express their sincere thanks to the kind staff of Selkirk Residential Care Facility and 2W Royal Jubilee Hospital. A celebration of Bill's life will be held at Sequoia Gardens Memorial, 4665 Falaise Drive on November 5th, 2012 at 1:00 pm with a reception to follow at the Royal Canadian Legion, 411 Gorge Road East. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of your choice.

Ships served in:

HMCS ATHABASKAN