Ramsey Muir Withers

General Ramsey Muir Withers, CMM, CD (July 28, 1930 – December 24, 2014) was a Canadian Army Officer and Chief of the Defence Staff, the highest ranking position in the Canadian Forces, from 1980 to 1983. He died of a heart attack in 2014.

Military career

Born in Scarborough, Ontario, to Scottish immigrant parents, Withers spent 35 years in uniform, serving in the Korean War and in command and staff positions throughout Canada and overseas. General Ramsey Withers served 35 years in the Regular Force and six years in the Militia. His reserve service was as Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel of the Governor-General's Foot Guards. Withers was a professional engineer and a Fellow of Georgian College, holding earned degrees from the Royal Military College of Canada (student # 2951) and Queen's University. He was a graduate of the Canadian Army Staff College and Britain's Joint Services Staff College.

On graduation from the Royal Military College of Canada in 1952, his first posting was to 1 R 22eR in Korea. He was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals. His first appointment as a general officer was in 1970 as the founding Commander of Canadian Forces Northern Region, with headquarters in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. He commanded Canadian Forces Europe, in the rank of major-general. In 1977 on promotion to lieutenant-general, he returned to Canada as Vice Chief of the Defence Staff. In 1980, on promotion to general, he was appointed Canada's sixth Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Principal Commander of the Order of Military Merit. He retired in 1983. He was appointed Deputy Minister of Transport Canada 1983 until 1988, and served under Ministers Pépin, Axworthy, Mazankowski and Crosbie. During which time he was awarded the Commissioner's Award of the Northwest Territories in 1973 and the Outstanding Achievement Award of the Public Service of Canada. He retired from the Public Service in 1988.

Personal life He married Alison Saunders in 1954. She died on 19 October 2011. They were survived by their son, twin daughters, and six grandchildren.

Civilian career

After retirement, Withers became president of a government relations firm, director of an aerospace technology company, a consultant to the Office of the Auditor General and Chairman of the Industry Government Relations Group. From 1988 to 1998, he worked in the private sector as president of one government relations firm and founding chairman of another, as a director of an aerospace technology company and as a consultant to the Office of the Auditor General.

Voluntary work

He also continued to be active in volunteer work. In addition to chairing the 1998 Royal Military College Board of Governors Study on Undergraduate Programs (culminating in the Withers Report ), Withers was the honorary director of the Canadian War Museum. He was a former Trustee of the Canadian Museum of Civilization and from 1988 to 1995 was Chairman of the Canadian War Museum Committee, former Director of the Canadian Institute of Strategic Studies, and an Honorary Vice-President of the Boy Scouts of Canada.

Awards and decorations Withers received the following orders and decorations:

Canadian version Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee MedalDecoration awarded in 2012