We regret to advise of the death of Colonel Earl Vincent Schaubel Jr., CD (Ret’d), peacefully, on 9 October 2026, at Bridlewood Trails Retirement Community in Kanata, ON at age 91.
Born in Chippawa ON, Earl later moved with his family to Ottawa, where he attended Lisgar Collegiate Institute. He began his military education under the Regular Officer Training Plan in 1953, attending Royal Roads Military College in British Columbia. Continuing to the Royal Military College in Kingston, Earl earned an engineering diploma and subsequently completed a degree in civil engineering at McGill University.
Earl’s military career spanned nearly three decades and included field engineering, surveying and mapping, training and staff appointments. He was posted to the Royal Canadian School of Military Engineering in Chilliwack in 1958 and became Assistant Adjutant the next year. Earle next attended the Long Survey Course at the School of Military Survey in Hermitage, Newbury, United Kingdom (1961- 62). Following this course, he undertook survey work at Vimy Ridge for British authorities. Returning to Canada, Earl became the Field Survey Officer and Training Officer at the Army Survey Establishment.
In 1964, Earl was posted to 1 Field Squadron at Petawawa ON as a troop commander and, later, as the Second-in-Command. He was posted to 25 Works Company in Petawawa in October 1965, and became Base Construction Engineering Officer in October 1966. After completing the Canadian Forces Staff College in Toronto (1967-68), Earl returned to the military mapping community as Officer Commanding Survey Division at the Mapping and Charting Establishment. The next year, he became Head of the Topographic Section in the Directorate of Mapping and Charting.
Promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in 1972, Earl was appointed Commanding Officer of MCE. Two years later, he was posted to Headquarters Training Command in Winnipeg as Senior Staff Officer, Leadership Training. In 1978, Earl returned to National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa as Head of the Topographic Section within the Directorate General Military Engineering Operations. For his final posting, he became Director of Cartographic Operations in 1979..
Earl retired from the Canadian Forces in August 1981 and joined the federal Department of Energy, Mines and Resources, eventually becoming Director of Topographic Mapping. He retired from the Public Service in 1995.
A celebration of Earl’s life will be held Saturday, 14 November 2026, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., at Beechwood National Cemetery, 280 Beechwood Avenue, Ottawa. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada in memory of Earl Vincent Schaubel. Online condolences can be sent to the funeral home.