LCol (retired) William "Scott" Sturgess, passed away peacefully on August 23, 2020 at 64. Scott was born March 24, 1956 in Ottawa, Ontario, son of Major General Roy Sturgess (d. 2019) and Sydney Claire Sturgess (d. 1985), an accomplished nurse who also served in the Armed Forces. He is survived by his son Graeme, sister Kim, brother Ron, and a large extended family of Guardsmen, Force members, and veterans. Scott joined the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves, Governor General’s Foot Guards (GGFG), as a Guardsman in June 1973 at the age of 17. He rose rapidly through the ranks to become a Company Sergeant Major (Master Warrant Officer). In 1978, upon completion of his Bachelor of Arts from Carleton University, Scott joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), leaving the GGFG for a brief period. He served a total of seven years, including general duty policing in British Columbia and a two-year posting to the renowned Musical Ride. In 1985, Scott left the RCMP to pursue a career with the newly created Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). Having been posted to Ottawa, he returned to the GGFG in 1987 as a Master Warrant Officer and was quickly commissioned to the rank of Captain. He held several command positions and was promoted to Major. He assumed command of the Regiment on 27 July 1997, having attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Scott relinquished command of the GGFG on 15 July 2000 and retired from the Canadian Armed Forces shortly thereafter. In 2010, Scott’s CSIS career took him to Afghanistan where he served as Station Chief in Kandahar. Upon his return, he took a leadership position with the CSIS office in Calgary, retiring in 2014. Thus ending more than 40 years of extraordinary service to his country. Scott fulfilled his long held dream of living on Vancouver Island, moving to Arbutus Ridge in 2015 where he lived happily for the last five years. He is remembered by his many friends and colleagues as a fiercely proud, dependable and dedicated man who put himself in harm’s way to ensure the safety of others. His many leadership roles attest to his competence and intellect. He has been recognized with the General Service Medal, South-West Asia; the Operational Service Medal, South-West Asia; the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal; and the Canadian Forces’ Decoration (CD). He will be sorely missed. A memorial service will be arranged once the current health crisis passes. In the meantime, donations would be welcome to the GGFG Regimental Association (a registered charity) 150th Anniversary Charitable Campaign whose community projects are assisting youth, families and homeless veterans. Here is the link: https://www.ggfgra.ca/support-the-ggfgra Civitas Et Princeps Cura Nostra Up the Guards!
Scott was my Sargent back in 76 with GGFG. Awesome leadership skills and fun to be with and work for. I had no idea he passed. So sorry to hear he’s gone.