Daniel James Compton

COMPTON, DANIEL JAMES, general merchant, exporter, and forester; b. 28 January 1915 in Belle River, son of Benjamin Compton and Sarah Elizabeth Compton; m. 24 November 1947 Mary Agnes Compton, and they had five children, Patricia, Daniel James, Susan Jean, George, and Richard Paisley; Church of Scotland; d. 18 April 1990. Compton, a Conservative, was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in the general election of 1970 for 4th Queens. He was re-elected in the general elections of 1974, 1978, 1979, and 1982. He was defeated in the general election of 1966. Compton was elected Speaker on 29 June 1979, and served in this position until 1983. He had a particular interest in the province's forestry policy, in part due to many years working as a forester. Compton was educated in Belle River from 1921 to 1932, and resided there most of his life, living in the house in which he was born. He left Belle River during the Second World War. Compton was the Leading Supply Assistant on the HMCS Swansea and a member of the EG 9 Striking Force Group. Compton was awarded the 1939 to 1945 Star, the France and Germany Medal with Atlantic Bar, the Voluntary Service Medal, the George VI Medal, and the Queen Elizabeth Medal. Following the war, he went into the business of cutting pulpwood and lumber, and did so for much of his adult life. He also ran a general store in Belle River and did some exporting. In 1988 Compton was named Citizen of the Year in Belfast at the Winter Carnival. The recognition was due in part to his many years of assistance with the area's Alcoholics Anonymous organization. Compton also involved himself in a number of other community activities, including serving as vice-president of the Belfast Historic Society, and he was a member of the Royal Canadian Legion. Eldon Branch. He was known for his rich knowledge of local history and his enjoyment of storytelling. Daniel Compton died 18 April 1990. Compton's mother was a native of Brandon, Manitoba. He had one stepdaughter, Patricia (Kunz) Nicholson, and two stepsons, George and Richard Paisley of Florida. Mary Compton was the daughter of James E. Compton of Cambridge, Massachusetts.