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It is with great sadness that we must pass along that our patron, peer, and friend Lt(N) retired Frank Begley passed away on Friday September 21st because of a long battle with cancer, with his wife and nephew at his side. We will miss him at Admiral Nelles, Admiral Landymore and the Navy League of Canada Brantford Branch.

Mr. Begley was very involved in the community and would always be ready to do what he could to support whoever needed it. From the Brant Naval Veterans Association to the Branch 90 Legion, the Hamilton Warplane Heritage Museum to the Navy League cadets, and Sea Cadets of Brantford. His presence at the units and in the community will be sorely missed.

Mr. Begley was a former officer of our unit while we paraded at our old ship, located at 300 Colborne St. West. He had since retired prior to our move to 119 Waterloo St., however his fondness for our unit never left him. Over the years Mr. Begley has personally out of pocket supported our unit by providing equipment to keep the heat running, along with contributions that resulted in the new flagpole located outside of our entrance being erected along with funds that saw the completion of our Naval Simulator room being completed. The Navy League of Canada Brantford Branch, as well as the staff and cadets of Admiral Nelles and Admiral Landymore are forever grateful for his generosity and support of our ship and units.

Many thanks to you Frank for always being there over the years working and helping our unit. May the seas be calm wherever you are now.

Payne D. Kipp, NCC, USN (Ret.): Served 25 years in the United States Navy serving in Africa, Europe (NATO) and on several ships ending his career as a Navy Chief Counselor. A resident of Tennessee and Arkansas, Payne and his wife Margaret spend six months in Canada each summer residing in Port Stanley, Ontario. He is a member of the Navy League of the USA, the Naval Association of Canada, the Garrison Commission in London, the Royal Canadian Legion and a sponsor of the Brantford Sea Cadets.

Margaret A. Kipp: Retired Medical Technologist and an artist in her second career, Margaret is active along with her husband supporting the Brantford Sea Cadets.

Together the Kipps have provided ongoing contributions to both Admiral Nelles Sea Cadets, and Admiral Landymore Navy League Cadets. Their donations have seen the installation of deck fans, building a wide intercom system, and new boots for the navy league cadets just to name a few. Both units and the Navy League of Canada Brantford Branch are grateful for their continued support!

Mrs. Anne Keely Meloche and Terry Meloche Lt (N) Retired – have been staunch supporters or both Admiral Nelles and Admiral Landymore working with the Navy League of Canada Brantford Branch. They have dedicated much of their spare time to improving our facility, painting, cleaning, wiring, ongoing renovations ensuring that our facility is best prepared to meet the needs of our local cadets. Many more hours were spent in the community raising funds to ensure that the heat, and lights remained on so that we could run our program in a safe and warm environment. Countless hours were also spent in the galley to feed the cadets and those volunteers that helped to ensure that we were well nourished during fundraising and training weekends. We as staff and cadets have benefitted from their many years of dedication and giving spirit. We thank them and will remember their tireless efforts and continue to benefit from work.

It was with great sadness that we lost Ann Keely Meloche during the summer of 2020 due to her battle with cancer. Even in the days leading up to her passing, she worked steadily and strongly advocating for support for this program to ensure that our ship and our program would continue. While her body may have been weakened by the disease, her soul was still full of humor, strength and tenacity, and was a fighter until the end.

It was with great sadness that we also lost Lt (N) Terry Meloche (retired) earlier this year (January 2022). His heart was heavy with the loss of his love, Anne Keely Meloche. His contributions and hard work in the renovations of our ship will be viewed and enjoyed by many cadets for many years to come. He will be sorely missed by all who have come to know him and were blessed with tales of his journeys both in the Navy and within the cadet program.

The staff and cadets of Admiral Nelles will miss both of you! Your expertise, work ethic, laughs, stories, and fighting spirit will be carried on and emulated by those who follow in your footsteps.