Memorable Manitobans: William Lyle [Decker] Dyker (1915-1994)

Educator, curler, administrator.

Born at Lyleton on 11 July 1915, third son of Reverend George A. Dyker (c1882-?) and Lulu Dyker (c1889-?), he resided (1916) in the Rural Municipality of Edward and later attended Belmont School and Waskada School before graduating from United College in 1935. After teacher training, he began a teaching career at Binscarth School and was Principal of Oak River School (1937-1940), where he met fellow teacher Beatrice Roberta Hyndman (1907-1974).

The couple wed on 1 August 1940 at the residence of C. O. Hyndman, southwest of Cardale. The ceremony was performed by his father and brother, both ministers. The couple moved to Winnipeg and had a daughter. That same year, he joined the staff of the Winnipeg School Division, teaching mathematics at Robert H. Smith Junior High School (1940-1944), Gordon Bell High School (1944-1955), and Churchill High School (1955-1956). He was Secretary of the Manitoba Educational Association (1949-1954) and a member of the High School Examination Board (Mathematics Division) for four years before changing his field of employment.

In 1956, he became employed by Osler, Hammond and Nanton, embarking on a new career in business and finance, where he managed the Investment Research Department in Winnipeg before becoming Winnipeg Branch Manager, later leaving the firm when it relocated to Ontario. He then worked for Richardson Securities as the Winnipeg Branch Assistant Manager, retiring as Director of Personnel and Sales Training in 1971.

He was a member of the 1949 Canadian Curling Championship team with Grant Watson, James Kenneth Watson, and Charlie Read as well as Secretary (1944-?) for over 13 years with the Manitoba High School Bonspiel, and a seven-time Champion of the Manitoba Bonspiel. An avid sportsman, he sat on the Southwood Golf Club Board of Governors and was an active member of the St. Charles Country Club (1962-1992) and Strathcona Curling Club (President, 1956-1957). He also served as Sunday School Superintendent (Intermediate Department) with St. Andrew’s River Heights Church since 1940 and involved in several other executive facets of the church. Since around 1979, he was an affiliate of Pine Shores Presbyterian Church of Sarasota, Florida during his winter vacationing there.

He died at the Riverview Health Centre on 8 August 1994. He was inducted posthumously into the Manitoba Curling Hall of Fame (1997).

Sources:

Birth registrations [Hyndman], Manitoba Vital Statistics.

1916 Canada census, Library and Archives Canada.

“Bridegroom’s father and brother read service at Dyker-Hyndman wedding,” Winnipeg Tribune, 3 August 1940, page 11.

“Manitoba cops curling crown,” Winnipeg Free Press, 11 March 1949, page 18.

“School curlers to miss their Christmas dinner,” Winnipeg Free Press, 14 December 1957, page 44.

“Scots overpower Nationals,” Winnipeg Free Press, 14 June 1967, page 63.

Obituary [Beatrice Roberta Dyker], Winnipeg Free Press, 2 November 1974, page 44.

Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 12 August 1994, page 32.

Henderson’s Winnipeg and Brandon Directories, Peel’s Prairie Provinces, University of Alberta Libraries.

This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer.

Page revised: 14 November 2022

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

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