 Robert Frederick Cohen was born in May 14 , 1916 in Vancouver , British Columbia , the son of Moise Jacques Cohen , an electrical engineer , and his wife Hattie Alberta née Mackay , a school teacher . He was named Robert after his maternal great uncle Robert Wood , and Frederick after Frederick Alexander Christy , the second husband of his maternal grandmother . He had an older brother , John , who was born in 1913 . Moise changed the family surname to Christy by deed poll on August 31 , 1918 . On November 4 , Moise was accidentally electrocuted at work . Hattie died after goitre surgery in 1926 . Christy and his brother were then cared for by Robert Wood , their grandmother Alberta Mackay , and their great aunt Maud Mackay . 
