Rest In Peace, Geoff Winnington-Ball

[Waycool]

Deepest condolences RIP Geoff.

S!

[Hanno Spoelstra]

I only just read about Geoff passing away and I am speechless at the loss of a great friend. Yesterday, at the time when Geoff must have been in his last moments, I was given a new CD of my favourite band. I think the song Seventh Heaven sums up what Maple Leaf Up meant for Geoff.

The photo below was the last one I took of Geoff. It shows him next to the De Havilland Tiger Moth DH82C at the Canadian Air and Space Museum, Toronto. This is the type of aircraft his beloved father, Arthur W. Winnington-Ball, was trained to fly on. Indeed Geoff was born a generation too late, but through his work for MLU and 1CACR.org he ensured the achievements of the generation he felt home at are passed on to future generations. Well done, Sir!

Geoff, vaarwel!

Hanno

[Phil Waterman]

Who would have known when Geoff started MLU and the MLU Forum that followed that he would give so many people from all over Canada and the World such a source of information and enjoyment. The creation of so many friendships, with people we have never met face to face this is what Geoff gave us all.

I sincerely hope that we can keep MLU going, in his memory as his legacy to us. I would truly miss Logging in first thing in the morning to read what my friends from around the world have been up to, and closing my day with a quick catch up.

With a tear my eye Cheers Phil

[wim sikkelbein]

The world lost a unique man. Rest in Peace Geoff.

[S LATHERON (RIP)]

To Geoffs Family and friends and the global community of MLU where ever you are, we will all miss the work that Geoff did without complaint on everybodies behalf. A truly sad day.

Rest in peace Geoff, we will remember you .

[Craig Tanner]

My deepest condolences to Geoff's family. Geoff, Thank you so much for Maple Leaf Up. It was an honour to have met you.

Craig Tanner
Burton N.B

[Jeff Gordon]

Goodbye Geoff,
so glad to have met you.
You will be missed world wide!
Cheers

[maple_leaf_eh]

The older I get, the more dead people I know. Sorry to hear Sunray has been struck off active strength.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>

On a more pragmatic note, I hope the admins have had a meeting of the minds to keep MLU running and adequately funded.

[Michael Dorosh]

A couple years ago I nominated him for the Order of Canada, the only time I was moved to do such a thing. I didn't think I had a chance of it going through, and wasn't sure how Geoff would feel about such a thing. True to form, I got a high-and-mighty sounding brush off from the G-G's secretary, but I was glad I had gone through the process. My rationale was that the history of our military is not, should not, just be left in the hands of the Ph.D's and "the guv'mint", as Geoff called it, but additionally, the grass roots and the guys who were there in the grass should have their say. I think Geoff demonstrated that, and lived it, beautifully with his work with MLU and especially the Kangaroos. I hope his work here is perpetuated. That would mean much more than silly honours that fellows like Alan Eagleson get and give up.

Oh, when I fessed up about the nomination after running into him in Ottawa on the anniversary of VE-Day, he just chuckled and said "you bugger."

So long, Geoff.

[Ken Hughes]

OMG,So sorry to here of Jiffs passing,my condolences to his family and friends,i do like the videos of Jiff polishing gears in a CMP down under.

[Lynn Eades]

What to say....I never met you. I knew little of your personal life, Sally Ann, your cats, your family.
Jif,
For what you have done via your MLU.
For the knowledge I have gained.
For all the Carriers, (and old trucks)that have and will go together, better.
For the friends I have made. Those I have already met, and those not yet.
These things have only happened, because of you.
You have enrichened the lives of many of us.
Each post is testament to what you have done.
Thankyou Geoff. Rest in Peace.

[Dean (Ajax)]

So VERY Sorry to hear this..he has done a lot to keep Canadian Military History alive.
RIP
Dean

[lynx42]

Geoff Winnington-Ball.

Well Geoff, The members of Khaki Vehicle Enthusiasts Inc. (KVE Inc.) will miss you. You attended our event here in Australia in 2007 'The Corowa Swim-In' and it was a pleasure to meet you.

Thank you for MLU. It is one of the best forums on the net and that is because of your imput as founder and administrator. A fair man and one who will be missed by so many. May MLU continue in your memory.

Thank you Geoff and our sympathies to your family and those left behind.

RIP Geoff Winnington-Ball

Rick Cove
President Khaki Vehicle Enthusiasts Inc.

[Ganmain Tony]

Had the priviledge of Geoffs company when he stayed at Ganmain during his visit down under. I remember him saying it was "the flattest god dam piece of country" he'd ever seen.

I will miss him and I hope our little community he worked tirelessly to create, survives and thrives. His memory will live on through this wonderful, special little optic fibre world of ours.......

I realise he often said he was born a generation too late, but i'm sure as heck glad he did live in this one or MLU may never have exisited.

He has a wonderful legacy ...... I'll always think of him whenever I visit here.

Farewell Geoff

[Ken Smith]

I do enjoy MLU so much and have really appreciated the effort put in by Geoff to keep it going.
My sincere condolences to Geoffs family.
Ken

[Willanthry]

I never had the privilege of meeting Mr Winnington-Ball, but having seen plenty of his work on the site and elsewhere, and having read the tributes already written, I feel like I've certainly missed a truly great man. Thank you sir; and to use a naval expression, fair winds and following seas to you! I offer my sincere condolences to his family and those close to him.

[Harry Moon]

Sad Sad news. Our prayers of support to his family, freinds and loved ones.

Harry, Claire Harrison and Alexander Moon

[Don Dingwall]

Condolences to his family.

I think we all owe him a great debt of gratitude. He has provided us with the central meeting place for this group of knuckle smashers from all over.
Hopefully we find a way to keep it going.

Geoff....may you be a half hour in heaven before the devil knows you're dead.

Have one for me.

Don

[Eric B]

Thank You Geoff for all that you have done for the MV world.

You presence will be missed.

On behalf of the OMVA i would like to pass on my condolences to your family and friends.

Eric B

Editor CMP Magazine
OMVA

[Matt Baker]

Unfortunately i never had the chance to meet with Sunray and thank him for bringing our fraternity closer together, he will be sorely missed, my condolences to his family, may he Rest In Peace.

Farewell Sunray.

Matt Baker.

[hrpearce]

I never met Geoff, but seeing the picture Jan posted I now realise I wlked past him in the crowd at my first Corowa. I only made a mad dash to Corowa that year as I only found out about the event on the Friday morning. I did meet Keith Webb there and was incouraged to restore my blitz. Once the wheels were set in motion MLU was a great help to me. THANK YOU GEOFF you will be remembered forever.

[colin jones]

What a shock!!! Never met him personally but exchanged written conversations. Too young to go and will be sadly missed.
R.I.P. Jeff. Sincere condolences to his family.
"You can take a body, but never the memory"
Colin and Simone Jones.
Adelaide
South Australia

[Mike Timoshyk]

Fair winds and following seas as you cross the river Geoff...

Mike Timoshyk

[r.morrison]

Deeply saddened, shocked and as David Hayward said, emotional. I was not much of a forum kinda' guy, but next to Ebay, MLU was my next daily activity.

I had a great telephone conversation earlier this year, for about an hour, with Geoff and talked about MLU and broadening the horizons of the input.

I've enjoyed all the input fellow members had contributed, being wit, wisdom, expertise, connections....just reaching out to a fellow members.

It takes a certain dedication, love of life, self sacrifice or in layman's terms.... "GLUE" to keep it all together....and Geoff was that glue!

To Geoff's immediate family, my heartfelt condolences. And to you all... Hanno, Phil, Salesman Bob,Lynne, David, all of the contributing members. I'm deeply sorry. Robert Morrison (Vancouver B.C.)

[Doug Lavoie]

Some people leave deeper foot prints than others, yours will take a longer to fill in. RIP you have done a great job.
Doug

[mcooper]

my condolences to the family. RIP Geoff

[Frank L.]

Geoff,

Thanks couldn't begin to say how much you helped me when I needed it most. You took the time to reach out to me and it worked and I'm better for it.

Rest easy old friend.

Regards

[RichardT10829]

I cant believe this....... May you rest in peace, and may you be greeted by those many whom you strived to preserve the memories of.

[Rod Diery]

Back in the later years of last century, I decided to create a website dedicated to the wonderful Canadian Military Pattern trucks.

It was a struggle as there was little about them online and I did not have a lot of access to paper publications about them here in rural Western Australia.

So I put out a call for help on the the old Mil-Veh @ skylee forum hoping that among all those Jeep enthusiasts on there, there might be at least one person who not only knew what a CMP was but would be able to help me out.

There was such a person. The very first reply I got was from a Geoff Winnington - Ball.
He was a kindred spirit with a great interest and appreciation of the CMP. And he was only to happy to share his knowledge and enthusiasm with a neophyte from down under.

Geoff sent me untold amounts of information both electronically and via the snail mail. He would proof read everything I posted online and would email me constantly with corrections and suggestions. All with good humour and intelligent analysis.

And through Geoff I have met many liked minded enthusiasts, both online and in person and have made life long friends from that group.

Geoff, I never met you and I am poorer for that. But I do remember a long, informative and very funny telephone conversation many years ago and I will always cherish the help and guidance that you gave me

I have always felt you were a mate in the true Aussie sense of the word and so I say, Thank you and Goodbye. May you rest in peace.

Rod

[Alex van de Wetering]

devastating news...Condolances to all of Jif's relatives and friends.

I never met Geoff in real life, but just like some others said....It felt like I knew him from the correspondance through email, on the forum...through the pictures on the forum and the from Keith's year of the Blitz coverage.

For me, the MLU forum is without doubt the best example of what all internet forums and websites should look like.....with a proper and honest policy in the scarce cases it's needed.

Alex