A Man for All Seasons

To many people in Truro and area, the name Ryland ‘Riley’ Marshall is well known.
And depending on who you talk to, knowing Riley might have come about because of completely different circumstances. Accompanied by John Burke, one of Riley’s longtime friends, it was good to reminisce with the well-liked Truro native recently.

Born in 1921, Marshall grew up on Exhibition Street and attended Colchester County Academy. He was a fine young high school hockey player, playing one season of junior hockey in Halifax and later suiting up with Truro Bearcats of the APC Hockey League. He also coached the Truro District Hockey League’s Brookfield Elks.

It was after attending Nova Scotia Agricultural College that Marshall made a big career decision.

“I actually went down to Halifax during the early 1940s with intentions of joining the air force,” said Marshall. “But with one bad eye I ended up joining the Canadian navy.”
He laughed as he explained how he was advised by an associate to switch hands during an eye test.

“I actually covered the bad eye each time but with a different hand,” said Marshall. “It worked, I was accepted.”

Crossing the Atlantic 78 times during the Second World War, Riley’s ship – a Corvette named the Battleford – helped protect convoys as they made their way to England.
“We carried depth charges and were actually credited with sinking one German submarine,” he said. “I remember being seasick for the first sick months of those four years (1941 to 1945). On one occasion I was carrying turkey dinners from the mess hall for some of the other guys. The ship heaved sideways and several of the dinners went overboard.”

Marshall described escorting supply ships from England to Murmansk in northern Russia. For this, the Russian ambassador came to Debert many years following the war to present Marshall, Jack Murphy, Archie Ross and Bill McNutt with medals.

After the war, Marshall taught engineering at Nova Scotia Tech in Halifax for a period of time. He would later accept employment at Stanfield’s Ltd. in Truro as an electrician. An outstanding 40-year career unravelled with Riley becoming superintendent and later vice-president of manufacturing.

“Stanfield’s were busy during my years with the company,” Marshall said. “When we couldn’t make enough product in Truro we expanded to Oxford and built another plant. I remember that the employees were all friends. That’s the way it was.

“I remember being told after taking over from Fred Blois that I could now park my car in the garage. I was not certain that I should follow this advice so I went and asked Charlie Stanfield. He told me to go ahead. Charlie and Frank Stanfield were great people. They used me wonderful. We were friends.”

Marshall’s daughter, well-known curler Colleen Pinkney, recalled as a young girl observing employees from Stanfield’s coming to the door and asking for her father.

Shown this past Remembrance Day with Riley Marshall are his daughter Colleen Pinkney and granddaughters Sarah and Danielle Pinkney.

“I’ve had so many people tell me over the years how dad helped them and how much they thought of him,” Colleen said.

In 1952, when the Royal Canadian Legion built a modern building on Brunswick Street in Truro, Riley was the president.

“I remember that the architect’s name was Hawkins,” said Marshall. “He lived further up on Brunswick Street. It was a nice building for the time.”

During the 1980s, when fire destroyed the Truro Raceway grandstand, Riley immediately became chairman of the new building committee.

When Brent MacGrath and the Truro Raceway came up with the idea for the first Atlantic Grand Circuit Week, Marshall became involved and for several years he was chairman and organizer for the golf tournament.

He was a horse owner in those days, teaming up with Dr. Ben Carroll to purchase first horse – Grattan Hal G.

“Things were going good and our wives didn’t know we owned a horse,” Marshall explained. “But when the horse won its eighth straight race, it came out in the newspaper, ‘owned by Riley Marshall and Dr. Ben Carroll.’ That’s how our wives found out.”

Doris Marshall, Riley’s wife, died Feb. 28, 2003. Doris had starred in softball for Truro Slugs and was known as a fine local curler.

Besides daughter Colleen, Riley has a son Peter who lives in Truro and works for Stanfield’s Ltd.

Still very active, he is on the board of stewards for the First United Church. He especially enjoys spending time with his children and their families and makes time to attend Thursday Legion lunches.

As published in Truro Daily News. Written by Lyle Carter, a freelance columnist who lives in Brookfield.