Christine Whelan, FEO, May 28, 2026, Volume 7, Issue 19 

Burdett Sisler, the oldest known living Canadian, passed away on April 2, 2026, less than two weeks shy of his 111th birthday.

And the country mourned.

Fort Erie felt a personal impact, as it was his home, his beloved community.

Burd was born in Akron, Ohio, on April 14, 1915. He was three years old when his father took a job managing the Goodyear Rubber Company and moved the family to Toronto.

After serving in WWII as a telecommunications mechanic, Burd found employment with Canada Border Services, where he worked for the next 30 years before retiring in 1979. He lived longer in retirement than he had worked.

The world knows this story. It’s a remarkable, unforgettable story.

Burd Sisler’s True Legacy

But a month and a half after his passing, as I sat with the veteran’s children, I asked if we could talk about the story that hasn’t yet been written. I wanted to hear about Burdett Sisler, the dad, the family man.

As a result, a picture was painted for me of a man who loved well and, in turn, was well loved.

Around the table sat Betti, Sharon, Norm’s wife Margaret, Norm, and Lorraine. Absent but represented were Norm’s twin brother, Burdett; Burd’s 12 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; and 14 great-great-grandchildren.

I watched and listened as stories were recited, some for the first time by a sibling or two. Most stories flowed in unison, voices echoing each other in agreement. Photos were shown; documents were pulled out. There was even Burd’s social insurance card.

How Are You Doing?

It was an essential question.

Sharon replied, “I’m surprised at how well I’m doing. We all saw him go through a rough time at the end, but he had such an amazing life. How can we be sad?” They were so grateful to have had him for as long as they did.

All gestured in agreement. He had a good life, a long life, but he said he was ready to go.

The day before he passed away, he lay down and calmly announced, “I’m just going to fly away.”

With the flag at half-mast, the Peace Bridge lit in red and white in his honour, and the poster on an advertising bulletin board along Garrison Road, all five agreed it had been a little overwhelming. The whole country was involved. They understood it. They greatly appreciated it. But to them, this was just their dad.

They hadn’t had time to grieve. And they hadn’t had time to adjust.

It has been many years since these family members have been committed to keeping the oldest man in Canada quite busy. It’s understandable that they were left with an empty space and felt lost. Remembering that he’s not suffering anymore has softened the ache.

The Crown

Burd received the crown as the oldest living Canadian on April 13, 2025, for his 110th birthday.

The siblings spoke in unison about how they were very happy about the recent transfer, making sure the next family knew right away that they were happy to pass it on.

The crown went to Marie Rosa of Toronto, who will turn 111 on September 17.

What Was Burd’s, Was Everyone’s

Burd was always a giving person right from the start.

Growing up during the Great Depression, Burd’s father had a good job, so Burd had more than the other kids. This had an impact on him.

Norm told the story. “He went to school one day with a banana for lunch. He was about 10 years old. The kids at school didn’t know what a banana was, so he shared it with them. That’s when he realized he was more fortunate than other kids. He’s been like that ever since, sharing whatever he has.”

Disciplined

They all agreed that their dads’ behaviour, which seemed like rationing, was more about discipline and organization. He would label the tops of his cans when he bought them so he knew which ones to use next.

We discussed how, if he had grown up today, he might have been labelled with a disorder, when all he needed to be was himself. He was allowed to be himself.

And then there was another side of Burd Sisler that had existed since his early years.

On the Road Again

“Mom and Dad were very adventurous as far as camping trips,” the sisters recalled. “We were always going on trips and doing things together.”

This led to a string of reminiscing about driving north — Tobermory, Wawa, Sudbury — with eight people and Rex the dog, all piled into a ’58 Plymouth, camping in army tents. They laughed as they remembered how the Plymouth couldn’t make it up the hill, so they all had to get out and walk up after it.

Even with the stress of piling all the people in a car that didn’t work well, Burd loved to be on the go. There were always Sunday drives, often along Niagara Boulevard. There were trips to Toronto at Christmas to see the Sears and the Eaton Centre windows. In 2009, there was a trip to Ottawa to see the tulips.

The conversation shifted to their mom, Mae, who passed away in 1985.

Mom

Sharon shared, “Mom was my best friend. She helped me learn, helped with my spelling.” Betti shared similar memories and feelings about their mom.

Norm remembered their mornings as children. “She had to work at Fleet at 8:00 am. But every morning, she had a hot bowl of porridge on the stove waiting for us kids when we got up.” She’d already be off to work by the time the kids got up, but the porridge was there for them.

According to their kids, Mae had the ambition and made the decisions, while Burd, so easy-going and good-natured, went along with it. And it worked for them.

It was Burd’s role to document everything. There are photos and logbooks recording all the trips.

More Recently

Burd continued to create adventures for his children in later years. They admitted that if he wanted to go somewhere, all he’d have to do was ask. He never turned down anyone’s suggestions.

There have been recent trips to the old Comfort Maple in Pelham, to Dairy Queen in Port Colborne, and the Niagara Parks Power Station, where they went all the way through the tunnel.

Burd’s Mind

He kept his cognitive awareness by asking questions about everyone and everything, always asking those who visited about those who didn’t come with them.

“He had a mathematical brain,” they all recalled. “He did very well in school, went to grade 13. And he could remember what he learned decades later.” He kept track of his charge card statements, picking up when one would be one cent off.

He loved learning. He was an avid reader. Burd became very upset when his eyesight failed because he couldn’t read anymore. He had books he had bought but never had the chance to read. His children eventually read the books for him.

He told his kids, “When I’m done, my brain should be studied.” While he was alive, Brock studied him for a while.

His Calendars

The brother and sisters had quite an exchange about their dad’s calendars.

He put everything on his trusted calendars. He jotted down his kids’ initials when they’d visit. Then, if they hadn’t been to see it for whatever reason, he’d ask another if they were okay.

Whenever they visited, he’d stop whatever he was doing and sit down. No matter how long it had been since the last visit, he’d never say, “Where have you been?”

He wrote everyone’s birthday on his calendar, even the people he worked with.

He wrote poems for the family members’ birthdays and included them in birthday cards. The siblings talked about how they’ve kept them over the years.

He had everyone’s vacations on his calendar — when they left and when they’d be back — so he could ask about their trips.

Burd Loved His Food

During COVID, the siblings all took care of Burd, who was still living in his own home. There were five of them living locally, and they each took three-day stints. Between Meals on Wheels and each other, they made sure he ate. The siblings would be there for breakfast. He always wanted porridge with flaxseed.

Burd had a dietary routine that his children felt played a major role in his long life. He was always looking for ways to support his health. He ate only three meals a day, but it was important to eat everything on his plate. Nothing went to waste.

Last Days

At Garrison Place, the family continued to take turns caring for him. He also had his own medical team, and they all worked together.

In the last days of his life, there was a party in his room. Kids, grandkids, and others popped in.

And in those last moments, there was peace.

Burdett Sisler passed away on April 2 from natural causes, surrounded by family. His funeral was well attended and more of a celebration.

We all can carry Burdett Sisler in our hearts by simply remembering and adhering to a couple of mantras he lived by. “Treat other people as you would want to be treated,” and “Everything and everyone does matter.”

Thank you to Betti, Sharon, Margaret, Norm and Lorraine. It was truly my honour to sit with you and witness the precious hour of storytelling about a man the world celebrated for so many reasons, yet you simply called him Dad.

Burdett Sisler was a man of self-respect, a true gentleman, authentically modest and meticulously organized. He loved well and was well loved. Thank you for being you, Mr. Sisler. We will all miss you.