Derek Skelton Deck 1953

I was born in Lad-brook Grove, Kensington, London on Nov. 11^th 1936.  Left school at 15 to become a Toolmaker trainee working on building moulds that would form the first plastic knee cap replacements.

At 16 I joined the Merchant Navy, training at the Vindi. In July I started my sailing adventures joining my first ship as deck boy. That ship was the Goole, a coal fired ship going between England and Denmark. My other ships were;

July 1953    Charlestown ( Persian Gulf)

Dec.1953    SSO Edinburgh

March 1954    S.S. Oxford

May 1954    B. B. Grelrosa

Feb.1955    ESSO Montevideo ( American East Coast)

Mar. 1956    S.S. Pinnacles  (Portland, Maine-Venezuela)

Aug. 1956    M.V. Lakeshell ( Great Lakes and ports)

At 20 I traded in my life at sea to living in Ontario. Went to college to study Steam and Plant Engineering. Started work at Massey-Ferguson and over the years I worked as Shift engineer for 19 years and chief engineer for 26 years  in several Industrial plants.

I married my Canadian Princess Marjorie in Oct. of 57 and was blessed with 4 children and at last count ten grandchildren. 

In 1975 I was invited to enter the Toronto Deacon Formation program at St. Augustine Seminary. And in Jan. of  79 I was ordained Deacon for the Archdiocese of Toronto. In the last 27 years I have served as a visiting Chaplain in Nursing homes, prison, hospital and Seafarers Port’s of Oshawa and Toronto. 

I am now a retired engineer;

Appointed Deacon to St. Francis deSales Church R.C. and appointed Port Chaplain to the ports of Oshawa and Toronto A.O.S.