Pace, Earl Lloyd

(Obituary lovingly written by family)

Earl Lloyd Pace, age 89, of Wilmington, Delaware, formerly of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, passed away on June 28, 2022 at the Wilmington Hospital.

Earl was educated in Halifax and, after attending trade school, he followed in the footsteps of his father, brother, and uncles and became a machinist at the Halifax Shipyards. In 1964, he relocated his family to the United States, first to Florida, then to the Wilmington area in 1965. While he frequently observed that he had had a better life in “the States”, he always referred to Nova Scotia as “home” and retained his Canadian citizenship.

He retired from the Boeing Company after a 30-year career as a machinist. During that time, he repaired Chinook helicopters used in the Vietnam War and witnessed firsthand the toll of combat. Additionally, he was given merit awards for his work on the V-22 Osprey helicopters. Earl frequently and reverently spoke of Boeing saying that they had been very good to him and he was lucky to have worked there. He was most proud of never having to scrap a piece of his work due to an error.

Earl enjoyed jigsaw puzzles, woodworking, and furniture making. An avid reader, he would devour mystery novels by the dozen. He had had a prolific vegetable garden for many years and gladly shared his produce with friends and his daughters’ office where he became known as the “tomato man”.

Of all the accomplishments Earl would want to be remembered for, his membership in the Freemasons and status as a Past Master were most important. Inducted into the Masonic Lodge in Halifax in 1959, his greatest personal achievement was realized when he became a Master at the Oriental Lodge in Wilmington. He attained the rank of a 32nd degree and remained devoted to the Masons until his death.

Earl is survived by his daughters Debra Joan Pace of Wilmington, DE, Laine Helen Pace of Avondale, PA, and granddaughter Sarah Laine Tufano of Rochester, NY. He was predeceased by his father Clarence Wilfred Pace, his mother Helen (Ellen) Florence Pace (Kelly), his brother Gordon Wilfred Pace, and sister Helen Pauline Decker (Pace).

A memorial service will be held at McCrery & Harra Funeral Home at 3924 Concord Pike, Wilmington, DE 19803 on July 29 at 11 AM. His remains will be returned to Nova Scotia to rest with his family at a later time. Online condolences may be made through www.mccreryandharra.com.

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