Eric Blythe departed this life on New Years Day, at the age of 83. The eldest son of George and Daisy Blythe, he was born in Carmarthenshire, Wales, near the village of Pontyberem where a monument to miners who lost their lives bears the names of six children. Eric spent his working life representing and defending the rights of workers; their safety, working conditions and wages were uppermost in his mind.
Eric’s family moved to Coventry in the late 1930s where, beginning at age 13, he worked in various factories until he immigrated to Guelph, Ontario in 1958. He was employed by the Canadian General Electric Company from 1962 to 1984. During that time, he was shop steward, vice-president and, for many years, president of the United Electrical Workers Local 54l. Eric was a member of the Guelph and District Labour Council and a delegate at Canadian Labour Congress conferences. He represented CGE Union members in their filed grievances and was part of the union’s negotiating committee. He also wrote a weekly column for the UEW News. Eric was a tireless worker and a man of integrity. After his retirement in 1984, he moved to Halifax with his wife where he devoted himself to a search for deeper understanding based on the great spiritual traditions. His guides were Meister Eckhart, Krishnamurti, and the teaching of G.I. Gurdjieff. He had a life-long love of sailing and was a member of the Nova Scotia Schooner Association.
Eric is survived by his wife Dorothy (Taylor) Blythe; his sons Jonathan and Christopher (Hamilton); his step-daughter Kelly Cooper (Charlottetown); two brothers: Garreth (Toronto) and Christopher (Guelph); four sisters: Delia, Marlene, Rachel and Janet (Guelph); twelve grandchildren and three great-grand children.
Eric’s remains have been cremated and will be returned to Wales. A memorial service will be held at Saint James Anglican Church, Herring Cove, N.S., on Saturday, January 19, at 2 p.m. with a reception following at 124 Hebridean Drive, Herring Cove; his home for 27 years.

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