The death of Earle Burns Irvine Jr., of Edmonton, Alberta occurred on April 17th, 2026, at the age of 90.

Born on the kitchen table in the tiny village of Mann Settlement, Quebec on 10 March 1936, he was the second eldest of the five children of the late Earle Irvine Sr. and the late Opal Annabella Smith.

Earle attended the Matapedia Consolidated Protestant School until grade eight prior to the family relocating to Campbellton, N.B. where he completed his schooling. He then enrolled as an Engineering student at Acadia University where he obtained a Certificate in Applied Science and a Bachelor of Science degree. A Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering was obtained at the University of New Brunswick while working summers with CN Rail. After graduation, he was employed with CN Rail at Moncton, N.B. prior to accepting a transfer to New Glasgow, N.S. in February 1963.

It was there he met and married school teacher, Dorothy Cummings, on 3 August 1963. Their eldest son, Glenn, was born in New Glasgow in August 1964. In 1965, he accepted a transfer back to Moncton, N.B., where his younger son, Stephen, was born in August 1966. A further transfer took place in 1971 when he accepted a transfer to Edmonton, Alberta. When his family was young, he was a cub scout leader, softball coach and hockey manager.

After retirement in 1991, Earle golfed and curled for a number of years and spent countless hours as his family’s genealogist prompted by the fact he had 82 first cousins. He was proud of his Scottish and Irish connections & being related to two Dutch U.S.A. presidents (none named Trump), Laura Ingersoll’s husband, James Secord as well as a local NHL player named Connor McDavid.

In 2019, Earle was predeceased by Dorothy, his wife of 56 years. He is survived by his two sons, Glenn (Brenda) of Dauphin, MB, and their children (Jocelyn, Leanna and Emily) and by Stephen (Joan) of Halifax, NS and their children Sean, Julia and Luke.

He was quite aware that people aren’t designed to live forever but hoped he would be the one exception. 

At his request, there will be no service. A close family service will be held at a later date in Pictou County, N.S.