Myles, Gordon (Sydney Gordon)

Gordon Myles (1936-1996), teacher, stamp collector and genealogist, was born Sydney Gordon Miles on 15 March 1936 at Grand Bruit, Newfoundland, son of Roy Cameron Miles and Marjorie Florence (Billard) Miles; the family later changed their name from Miles to Myles. In 1960 Myles married Marilyn Janet Hussey; they had three children. Following a divorce in 1983, Myles married Gloria Maria (Kitts) Miller. He died 31 December 1996.

Myles received his early education at Grand Bruit, Newfoundland. In 1950, the Myles' family moved to Sudbury, Ontario, where the family name change occurred. In 1953 Myles' father, mother and sister were killed in a boating accident and Gordon went to live with his aunt and uncle, Dorothy and Ross Billard.

Myles was successful at school, receiving a number of awards and graduating in 1955. He attended Victoria College, University of Toronto (1956-59) , graduating with a honours degree in history. Immediately after graduating, Gordon was employed as a researcher with the Ontario-St. Lawrence Development Commission and the following September he went to work at the Public Archives of Ontario, Toronto. In 1960 Myles enrolled at Ontario College of Education in Toronto, and, in 1961, he was hired by the Etobicoke Board of Education. Five years later he became the head of the history department at a new school under the Etobicoke Board. In 1974 he took a year's leave to study at the University of Toronto School of Library Science and was awarded a master's degree (Dec. 1976). In 1979 Myles was appointed head of the Library Department in the Etobiko School system.

Myles was an avid stamp collector, a hobby which began when he was six years old and continued into adulthood. He had become interested in Eastern Arctic (Hudson Bay) mail routes as a result of a summer job, working in the Canadian Arctic on the New DEW line. He researched the R.M.S. Nascopie, wrote manuscripts and collected philatelic covers carried by the Nascopie. Myles sold his stamp collection in 1979, but retained some postal covers. He discontinued his studies of Eastern Arctic mails after he developing an interest in genealogy. Myles began his Newfoundlland family research in 1984, continuing until his death in 1996.

Created - May 9, 2013

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