John and Sylvia Andrews, inseparable companions for 67 years, dying weeks apart in the Fall of 2024. John on Oct. 2nd at 98, and Sylvia on Nov. 6th at 92.
In a letter to Sylvia prior to their marriage, John foretold how their lives would unfold:
“I feel my whole life to be built around or entwined with yours and would not want it any other way…. all my love Darling, forever.”
John William Henry Andrews was born on April 21, 1926 in Suez, Egypt to an English father, who was a senior manager for the Eastern Telegraph Company, and to a Spanish mother, the daughter of a well-loved and respected doctor. John spent his childhood in Malta but was schooled in Hastings, England, where his family eventually settled. With the fall of France this peaceful seaside town became the front line, which drew John into the Royal Observer Corps, counting enemy aircraft as they flew overhead. The danger and excitement inspired John to become an RAF pilot, which led to further schooling at St. Andrews University in Scotland, and then pilot training in America.
For 19 year old John, this was a thrilling and joyous time, flying biplanes in sunny Texas. But it was also 1945 so it came to an abrupt end.
Returning to the UK, John weighed his options and decided on medical school over becoming an RAF pilot, graduating from St. Thomas’s of London in 1954. He worked as a resident, as an ER physician, and as a ship’s doctor…
Sylvia Anne Andrews (née Jackson) was born on Feb. 22nd, 1932 in Wakefield, England as the middle child of five siblings. Sylvia’s childhood was defined by war. Her father’s school and family home were requisitioned by RAF Command, then the family moved from place to place to avoid the reach of the bombs. This instability coupled with the privations of war disrupted Sylvia’s education but years later she trained sufficiently to become a secretarial assistant in London.
With Europe recovering, 24 year old Sylvia did find time to join her parents for a vacation to Lake Maggiore, Italy in 1956.
It was the following year at a party in London that John and Sylvia met. She found him charming and funny. He fell for her smile. Decades later John would say that meeting Sylvia was the best thing to happen to him.
They married August, 1957, then travelled to Switzerland for their honeymoon. Shortly thereafter, the young newlyweds made the radical decision to immigrate to Canada where opportunity seemed greater.
John accepted a position with the RCAF as a medical officer and was posted to an airbase in Manitoba late 1958. To Sylvia this was a strange new world of supersized cars and food portions, open space and cold. She was also pregnant with William, which marked the start of a family building odyssey.
After William’s birth, it was off to Labrador where Nick was born. Then to the Gatineau Hills of Quebec where Richard was born and where John completed his exams to become an OB/GYN specialist.
Then to Germany where Susan was born, and finally to Ottawa where Fern was born and where John retired from the military. It was here the family settled and John ran a thriving obstetrics practice for 23 years. Asked why he chose this specialty, John replied “There’s nothing happier than a new mother”.
In their penultimate move, John and Sylvia retired to Salt Spring Island, BC, where they lived happily for 30 years. They adored Salt Spring, the local ambience, their daily walks with a small dog, the view from their home.
It was here that Sylvia found time to draw and paint, a passion that provided years of joy. But cruelly at the height of her abilities, her hobby was snatched away by the loss of her sight.
Gracefully, Sylvia let painting go, devoting herself instead to providing for John who was now in a wheelchair. She continued to cook and keep house into her 90th year despite blindness, deafness and mobility challenges. But eventually it became too much, so Sylvia and John were moved from the home they adored to a care home in Sidney, BC.
This was a sad and reflective time. In their final months, John and Sylvia spent their days outside in the sun, side by side in wheelchairs, quietly holding hands. They were lucid to the end.
John died peacefully Oct. 2nd with Sylvia at his side. Sylvia was then overcome by grief, so much so that her children rallied to her side, but her sorrow could not be undone.
On Nov. 6th, the morning of Trump’s victory, Sylvia died in the arms of her son. It was the saddest day. So farewell Sylvia. Wishing peace to both you and John, now together forever.
In addition to their children, John and Sylvia are survived by their grandchildren Jessica, Ciara, Aaron and Mira.
John and Sylvia request no funeral, memorial service or flowers, but donations to Lady Minto Hospital would be appreciated.
I am so greatful for the chronology of their life story. John and Sylvia were wed the month and year I was born. The saddest thing about making friends with those in their 90’s is all the years before that I missed out on knowing them and loving them. My deepest sympathies. Dianne
I loved their stories. John had a story he told about deciding to attend med school. He said his sister, a nurse, encouraged him to go and he said he thought he wasn’t-clever enough, though he did have the grades. His sister the nurse assured him that is was her experience that no doctors were that intelligent and he would do. I can still hear them laughing.
Peace.
Hi Will:
Thank you for sending to me. I met them late in life and always enjoyed seeing them.
Roland.
Knowing John and Sylvia was simply a privilege. I am eternally grateful for them as role models and for the support they showed me and my family.
Their “Love Story” must be told in print or media.
An example of their unprecedented love is that John, at 98 years of age, would demonstrate valor and protection for Sylvia and corner nurses in the hallways in his wheelchair to get assistance for Sylvia in the care home. Sylvia stuck close to John until the very end in the same room, wheelchairs and all.
Their love story is truly inspiring and rare. It will continue to be passed down through generations, even though John and Sylvia are no longer with us. Their genuine wholeness and commitment were truly remarkable, and no words can fully express their impact.
Not mentioned in this obituary is that Sylvia had a serious heart attack and literally “came back” to hold John’s hand and to be with him for his transition, a gift also extended to her when her eldest son Will was with her during her transition.
I will deeply miss them and treasure our times together. Our time together was and is a timeless blessing, and I look forward to seeing them again one day in paradise.
What an epic love story. With little effort we can fill in the gaps of their lives knowing the devotion they had to each other was unwavering. While I was not acquainted with this beautiful couple, I am in awe with their love of life, and commitment to each other. They are of the best examples to be appreciated in finding purpose and dedication to the spirit of love.