Obituary of Paul Bruce Gilliatt

Paul Bruce Gilliatt

Age 71 of Acaciaville, Digby Co. passed away peacefully at the Halifax Infirmary CCU, surrounded by members of his loving family, following a lengthy battle with heart disease. Born in Annapolis Royal, he was the son of the late Carroll R. and Florence (Holmes) Gilliatt. A graduate of the Annapolis Academy, he attended NSAC and McGill University , where he earned a BSc degree majoring in Agriculture Economics. During his university years he worked to fulfill his dreams by cutting pulpwood and for three summers was proud to have been a part of the survey team at Kejimkujik during it's establishment as a National Park.

He began his career with the Dept. of Agriculture in Kentville in 1972 and in 1973 moved on as an Ag Rep in Digby County. He was a promotor of agriculture whether large scale or small farms, full time or backyard gardeners, he always made time to answer questions or devise a solution. He was a member of several local and provincial groups; N.S. Mink Breeders, Digby Soil and Crop and Digby Community Pasture, to mention a few. He was also a proud lifetime member of the N.S. Fruit Growers Association. His true love was the land and he established RidgeView Farms in 1974, concentrating on producing apples, strawberries, and high bush blueberries. He was a member of the Digby Baptist Church. He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Ardith (Searle) and sons William (Shelly) , Stephen (Kara), grandchildren Katherine and Daniel, brother, Robert of Halifax, sisters, Marie and Dawn of Ontario. He was predeceased by brothers Carroll Jr, Ernest, Gerald, Harold and Ralph.

Visitation will be 7-9pm Tues., Feb 20th at Kaulbach Family Funeral Home in Annapolis Royal. A celebration of Bruce's life will be held on Wed. Feb 21 at 2pm at the Digby Baptist Church, with Rev. Jeff White and Rev. Donald Robertson officiating. In lieu of flowers a memorial donation may be made to the Kitchen Improvement Fund at Digby Baptist Church, PO Box 35 Digby, N.S. B0V 1A0 or a charity of one’s choice. The family would also like to express their sincere thanks to all the staff on CCU 6.1 & 6.4 at the Halifax Infirmary for their outstanding care and compassion shown for Bruce and his family. On line condolences may be sent to www.kaulbachfamilyfuneralhome.com