We regret to advise of the death of Warrant Officer Robert William Desmond Falls (Ret'd) on 16 June 2006 at the Ottawa Hospital at the age of 75 years.
Des was born in Ottawa and joined the Royal Canadian Engineers in 1952. Initially trained and qualified as a Field Engineer, he joined the Army Survey Establishment in 1953 and became a "Mapper." Des' on-job-training included such locales as Thessalon, Humboldt and Dundurn. In 1958 he took part in the Tellurometer traverse of the Hudson Bay Railway and in 1960 was assigned to survey antenna sites for the Royal Canadian Signals Corps detachment with the United Nations in the Congo. His last major field task was "Arctic '71".
After leaving the field, Des worked primarily in production control and stereo-compilation. He retired from the military in 1973 as a Warrant Officer and took a position as a Cartographic Technician. He retired from Mapping and Charting Establishment in 1991 after 40 years combined military and civilian service.
A Memorial Mass was held at Blessed Sacrament Roman Catholic Church 194 Fourth Avenue on 21 June 2006. He was laid to rest in the National Military Cemetery in Beechwood Cemetery. In his memory, those wishing may make a donation to the Canadian Lung Association.{khOct2016}