
| JENSON, Latham B. "Yogi", Cmdr. RCN (Ret'd), CM - Born in Calgary in 1921 to the late Ernest and Sarah (Holgate) Jenson, he is survived by his wife, Alma (Doupe); daughter, Sarah (Carlyle); sons, Lynn (Helen), Middle Musquodoboit; Tom, Sydney; grandchildren, Sam, Luke, Jessie Lee, and Molly. He was predeceased by grandson, Ben; sister, Margaret; brother, Gerald. In 1938, he joined the RCN and trained with the RN until 1941. He served in HMS Renown, searching for Graf Spee in the South Atlantic and engaging battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau during which he lost all his possessions; HMS Matabele and Hood, leaving that ship just before she was sunk with all hands in battle with the Bismarck; HMCS Ottawa on convoy duty - year later she was sunk with great loss of life in battle with German submarines; HMCS Niagara as XO. In 1943 he briefly commanded the corvette Long Branch; destroyer Algonquin as XO taking part in raids on German ships, including the Tirpitz, and being one of the first ships to open fire in the invasion of Normandy. Algonquin completed the war raiding German ships and escorting Allied convoys to Murmansk. After the war, he attended Naval College, Royal Road, HMCS Stadacona, and NATO Defence College in Paris. He served in naval intelligence, HMCS Cayuga; commanded Crusader, Micmac and Fort Erie, and the 7th Escort Squadron. Cmdr. Jenson settled in Nova Scotia and illustrated a number of much-loved books, including, "Vanishing Halifax", "Nova Scotia Sketchbook", "Last of the Tall Schooners". "Saga of the Great Fishing Schooners", and wrote his autobiography, "Tin Hat's, Oilskins & Seaboots". As president of the Heritage Trust he took part in the campaign to stop the demolition of historic waterfront buildings in Halifax and prepared conceptual drawings of the restored waterfront. He was a member of the board of governors of the first Schooner Bluenose foundation and served more than 22 years on the board of the Nova Scotia Museum and as chairman of the advisory council of the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. In this capacity, he instigated the acquisition of HMCS Sackville, the last corvette remaining from the Second World War, and its restoration to its wartime configuration as a memorial to those who fought and won the Battle of the Atlantic. Earlier this year, he was made a member of the Order of Canada for his heritage work. Family memorial service to be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the QEII Foundation or HMCS Sackville Trust. On-line condolences at: www.rawalker.ca |
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