Pathetic Facts

Canadian music stars who deceased at age 56

Here are 15 famous musicians from Canada died at 56:

Doug Bentley

Doug Bentley (September 3, 1916 Delisle-November 24, 1972 Saskatoon) was a Canadian ice hockey player.

He played for the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers in the National Hockey League (NHL) during the 1940s and 1950s. Bentley was known for his strong offensive skills and helped lead the Blackhawks to two Stanley Cup championships in 1938 and 1944. In 1943, he became the first player in NHL history to score three overtime goals in a single postseason. Bentley retired from professional hockey in 1954, having played in over 500 NHL games and scoring 245 goals and 440 assists. After retiring, he coached minor and junior league teams before passing away in 1972 due to cancer.

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Gordon Graydon

Gordon Graydon (December 7, 1896 Snelgrove, Ontario-September 19, 1953 Mississauga) was a Canadian lawyer.

After serving in World War I, Graydon studied law at Osgoode Hall Law School and was called to the bar in 1923. He began practicing law in Toronto and in 1926 he founded his own law firm, Graydon, Harding & Heward.

In the political field, Graydon was elected to the House of Commons of Canada for the Progressive Conservative Party in 1940 and served as the Member of Parliament for Peel until his resignation in 1949. He held various positions in the House of Commons, including leader of the opposition during the minority Parliament from 1945 to 1948.

Graydon was appointed to the Senate in 1949 and also served as Speaker of the Senate. His career was cut short when he died suddenly at the age of 56 from a heart attack.

Throughout his life, Graydon was involved in many community organizations and philanthropic efforts, including the establishment of the Grey Cup, Canada's national football championship. Today, his legacy lives on through the Gordon Graydon Memorial Secondary School, which was named in his honor in 1956.

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Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine

Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine (October 10, 1807 Boucherville-February 26, 1864 Montreal) was a Canadian personality.

He is known for being one of the early figures in the fight for responsible government in Canada, paving the way for significant political change in the country. He was also a lawyer and a politician, serving as the first co-premier of the Province of Canada alongside Robert Baldwin. Together, they worked to create a government system that represented the will of the people and pushed for greater democracy. Lafontaine was a passionate defender of francophone rights, helping to secure the legal recognition of French rights in the province of Quebec. Despite facing significant opposition from colonial officials and other politicians, Lafontaine continued to fight for the rights of all Canadians until his death in 1864.

John Fitzwilliam Stairs

John Fitzwilliam Stairs (January 19, 1848 Halifax-September 26, 1904 Toronto) was a Canadian politician.

He was one of the co-founders of the Nova Scotia Steel Company and served as its president. In addition to being a successful businessman, Stairs was also involved in politics. He was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in 1887 as a Conservative MP for Halifax, and later as a senator in 1897. Stairs was a strong advocate for maritime industries, particularly the shipping and fishing industries. He was also an active philanthropist and supported various social and charitable causes, including the establishment of a public hospital in Halifax. Stairs' legacy in Canada is remembered through various institutions and landmarks, including the Stairs Memorial Tower in Halifax and Stairs House at Queen's University in Kingston.

Paul Quarrington

Paul Quarrington (July 22, 1953 Toronto-January 21, 2010) also known as Quarrington, Paul was a Canadian novelist, screenwriter, musician, playwright, author and writer.

Quarrington was best known for his award-winning novel, "Whale Music," which was later adapted into a feature film. He also wrote several other novels, including "Galveston" and "The Ravine," as well as non-fiction books and stage plays. In addition to his writing, Quarrington was an accomplished musician and played in the band, Porkbelly Futures. He also won multiple awards for his screenwriting work, including a Gemini Award for his screenplay for the television series, "At the Hotel." Quarrington was a beloved figure in the Canadian arts community and is remembered as a talented and multi-faceted artist.

He died in lung cancer.

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Cornelius Krieghoff

Cornelius Krieghoff (June 19, 1815 Amsterdam-April 8, 1872 Chicago) was a Canadian personality.

Born in the Netherlands, Krieghoff moved to Quebec in 1837 and became a notable painter of Canadian landscapes and Indigenous peoples. He lived in Quebec City and Montreal, and often traveled to rural areas to paint. Krieghoff gained recognition for his depictions of French-Canadian culture and wilderness scenes, as well as his use of bold colors and dramatic lighting in his artwork. In addition to painting, he also worked as a lithographer and ran a shop selling art supplies. Despite his success as an artist, Krieghoff struggled financially and moved to the United States later in life, settling in Chicago. Today, his paintings are highly valued and can be found in many museums and private collections.

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Jean-Jacques Bertrand

Jean-Jacques Bertrand (June 20, 1916 Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts-February 22, 1973 Montreal) was a Canadian politician and lawyer. He had one child, Jean-François Bertrand.

Bertrand studied law at the University of Montreal and completed his degree in 1941. He practiced law with his father in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts and later opened his own law firm in Montreal. Bertrand entered politics as a member of the Union Nationale party and was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Quebec in 1948.

Bertrand held a number of cabinet positions in the Quebec government, including Minister of Municipal Affairs and Minister of Lands and Forests. He became the leader of the Union Nationale party in 1961 and was elected Premier of Quebec in 1966.

During his time as Premier, Bertrand focused on modernizing Quebec's infrastructure and expanding social services. He implemented measures such as free healthcare for children under 12 and increased funding for education.

Bertrand's tenure as Premier was marked by a number of controversies, including protests over the government's language policies and allegations of corruption within the Union Nationale party. Bertrand resigned as Premier in 1968 and retired from politics in 1970.

He passed away in 1973 at the age of 56 due to a heart attack while serving as a judge of the Quebec Superior Court. Bertrand was known for his dedication to public service and his efforts to improve the lives of Quebec residents.

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Sarah Emma Edmonds

Sarah Emma Edmonds (December 1, 1841 Nova Scotia-September 5, 1898 La Porte) was a Canadian nurse.

She is known for serving in the Union Army during the American Civil War under the alias of Franklin Thompson. Edmonds was the first woman to be mustered into the United States Army and the only known woman to have been admitted into the Grand Army of the Republic, a fraternal organization of Union Army veterans. After the war, Edmonds published a memoir of her experiences, entitled "Nurse and Spy in the Union Army," which became a bestseller. She was later awarded a pension for her service by the United States government. In addition to her military service, Edmonds was also a women's rights activist and an abolitionist.

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Claude Jutra

Claude Jutra (March 11, 1930 Montreal-November 5, 1986 Montreal) also known as Claude Jutras was a Canadian screenwriter, film director, actor, film editor, cinematographer and television director.

Jutra is considered to be one of the pioneers of Quebec cinema and is known for his critically acclaimed films such as "Mon Oncle Antoine" and "Kamouraska". He also helped found the National Film Board of Canada's French-language division, where he made several documentary films. In addition to his work in film, Jutra was also a respected stage director and was heavily involved in the Montreal theatre scene. Jutra's legacy continues to be celebrated in Canada, with a major film award named in his honour, the Jutra Award, which was presented to the best Quebec-made film each year until 2016. In 2015, however, the award was renamed due to allegations of sexual relationships with minors that were brought to light in a biography of the filmmaker that was published posthumously.

He died in suicide.

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Joseph-Armand Bombardier

Joseph-Armand Bombardier (April 16, 1907 Valcourt-February 18, 1964 Sherbrooke) was a Canadian inventor and businessperson.

He is known for inventing the first snowmobile in 1935, which revolutionized winter transportation in remote areas. He founded the company Bombardier Inc., which initially produced snowmobiles and later expanded into a multinational conglomerate that makes transportation equipment such as aircraft, trains, and recreational vehicles. Bombardier was also a philanthropist: he established the Bombardier Foundation to support education, health, and humanities initiatives. His legacy continues to impact Canada's economy and transportation industry.

Henry Joseph Clarke

Henry Joseph Clarke (July 7, 1833 Donegal-September 13, 1889 Medicine Hat) was a Canadian personality.

Henry Joseph Clarke was an Irish-born Canadian businessman, rancher, and politician. He emigrated to Canada in 1856 and settled in what is now Alberta. Clarke became a prominent cattle rancher and businessman, establishing the Matador Ranch and serving as president of the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway.

In addition to his business ventures, Clarke was also involved in politics. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Northwest Territories from 1883 until 1889, and was a proponent of Canadian confederation.

Clarke was known for his philanthropy and community involvement, donating land to establish the town of Medicine Hat and giving generously to local schools and charities. He died in 1889 at the age of 56, and is remembered as one of the pioneers of Western Canada.

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Portia White

Portia White (June 24, 1911 Truro-February 13, 1968 Toronto) was a Canadian singer.

Her related genres: Classical music, Gospel music and Opera.

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Wolfgang Droege

Wolfgang Droege (September 25, 1948 Forchheim-April 13, 2005 Scarborough) also known as Wolfgang Walter Droege or Dröge was a Canadian personality.

Wolfgang Droege was a controversial figure in Canada, known for his involvement in far-right and white supremacist groups. He was the founder and leader of the Heritage Front, a neo-Nazi organization that gained notoriety in the 1980s and 1990s. Droege was a key figure in the white supremacist movement in Canada and was known for his inflammatory rhetoric and violent tactics. He was also involved in several criminal activities, including drug trafficking and weapons smuggling. In 1995, Droege was convicted of conspiracy to commit assault and was sentenced to three years in prison. He was released in 1998 but continued to be active in far-right circles until his death in 2005.

He died in firearm.

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Wop May

Wop May (March 20, 1896 Carberry-June 21, 1952 American Fork) was a Canadian pilot.

He was known for his contributions to Canadian aviation, particularly in the area of bush flying. May earned his pilot's license in 1917 and joined the Royal Flying Corps during World War I, serving as a flight instructor in Canada and England. After the war, he worked as a bush pilot in northern Canada, flying in remote areas such as the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. May was involved in several rescue missions, including the 1929 search for the lost St. Roch expedition, and the 1931 rescue of the crew of the stranded SS Baychimo. He continued to work as a pilot and aviation consultant throughout his career, and was inducted into the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame in 1973.

Franklin Knight Lane

Franklin Knight Lane (July 15, 1864 Charlottetown-May 18, 1921 Rochester) was a Canadian politician.

Actually, Franklin Knight Lane was an American politician and government official who served as the United States Secretary of the Interior from 1913 to 1920. Born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, he moved to California as a young man and became involved in politics there. He served as mayor of the city of Berkeley from 1903 to 1905, and later as a member of the Interstate Commerce Commission from 1913 to 1916 before being appointed as Secretary of the Interior by President Woodrow Wilson. As Secretary of the Interior, Lane was a prominent advocate for the conservation of natural resources and the protection of national parks and forests. He also played a key role in the passage of the National Park Service Organic Act in 1916, which created the National Park Service. Lane died of a heart attack in 1921 while on a business trip in Rochester, Minnesota.

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