Journalist.
Born at Montreal, Quebec on 24 April 1894, son of John Wesley Dafoe and Alice Parmelee (1866-1961), in 1910 he took employment at his father’s workplace at the Manitoba Free Press, starting as a printer’s devil, and worked his way up, becoming a reporter by 1916, and later, a telegrapher, Cable Editor, News Editor, and Managing Editor. He worked with the company for over 50 years. He enlisted with the Lord Strathcona’s Horse during the First World War, and served overseas with the regiment for two years before transferring to the Royal Flying Corps. In the Second World War, he served with the Manitoba Reserve Battalion of the Veterans’ Guard of Canada. He was the Managing Editor of the Regina Leader-Post (1944) and Managing Editor of the Winnipeg Free Press (1944-1952). He retired from the Free Press in 1962. On 17 August 1921, he married Ruth Pauline Williams (1896-?) at Killarney and had two children. He would later move from Winnipeg to London, Ontario where he died on 30 September 1981.
Birth and marriage registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Attestation papers, Canadian Expeditionary Force, Library and Archives Canada.
“Former Free Press editor dies at 87,” Winnipeg Free Press, 1 October 1981, page 2.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 6 September 2014
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