December 11, 1946 to

November 30, 2008

Gilbert left this earth after a short battle with cancer. He was surrounded by

family and friends and will be missed by so many. He started his early career with B.C. Ferries, working as an engine room oiler, working through all the ranks and retiring as Chief Engineer.

He lived his life to the fullest and had no regrets. He was a proud father and grandfather and was always there for anyone that needed his help. Gilbert leaves behind Georgina and their two children Don (Tami) grand children, Reaghan, Benjamin and Timothy, and Collette (Sam) grandchildren, James and Stephanie. He also leaves his brother Ed (Lucille) and

family, his sister Caroline (Robert) and family, his sister Linda (Henry) and family, his brother Frank, and his sister Samantha (Ron) and family. At Gilbert’s request there will be no funeral but there will be a celebration of his life at Saltspring Island Rod & Gun Club on December 13/08 at 2:00pm.

Please bring your stories and jokes to tell at the last Choir Practice for Gilbert.

BIG HUGE special thanks to

Alana Watkinson for making his last days so comfortable for him, as well as all the doctors and nurses at

Lady Minto Hospital.

It is with regret and sadness that the family of Nancy Keith-Murray announces her death on Nov. 24, 2008 at the age of 100 due to natural causes at her home in Meadowbrook Seniors’ Residence.

Born in Vancouver on Aug. 8, 1908 to May and Henri Gautschi, who had emigrated from England in 1904, Nancy lived a full life during her one hundred years. Schooled at the Sacred Heart Convent in Vancouver, she attended finishing school in Geneva, Switzerland.

After graduation she returned to Vancouver and took a lead role in the running of her parents’ hair salon, Maison Henri. Voyaging back to Switzerland in 1931, she met David Keith-Murray, a handsome tea plantation manager on his way home to England from India. They became engaged soon after arrival in England.

Marriage followed a year later, and three children were born in the years prior to World War II. In 1945, Nancy and her children returned to Canada through the historic Pier 21 in Halifax, traveling by train to Vancouver. David joined her there after being posted to Ceylon for a year.

Nancy held positions in retail management, and eventually transferred to UBC where she held a senior administrative role in the President’s Office. She and David visited Salt Spring in the mid-60’s, considering it for retirement. Unhappily, he died far too early in 1968, and Nancy came on her own in 1972.

She became a vibrant force in the Salt Spring community, lending her considerable energies to the Library, Greenwoods, Trail and Nature, and Gardening clubs, as well as to weavers, yoga, travel and bridge groups. She was creative, active, organized and productive. She offered generous financial support to many community groups. Her beloved house on Mt. Baker Crescent, designed by Hank Schubart, was a great source of joy and a showplace for her magnificent gardening skills and knowledge. The house was so well designed that she was able to live in it until she was 97 years of age. Moving into Meadowbrook she immediately planted a garden. Just days before she died, three sweet peas were picked from her garden giving her immense pleasure as she smelled the lovely scent.

She lived to enjoy her 100th birthday celebration in August where she was the recipient of much love, respect and admiration from her many friends and members of the family. She credited her longevity to healthy living, friendships, bridge, yoga, a lifelong thirst of learning and reading and the occasional Scotch or martini.

Nancy was predeceased by her husband David, and her brother Edward. She will be sadly missed by her three children, Peter, Marnie and Mark, her grandchildren, Andrea, Chris, Colin, Drew, Leslie, Paul and Wayne, and her great grandchildren.

Many, many thanks to her wonderful care givers from Beacon, especially her marvellous Joyce and Becca, private caregivers Kirsty and Marnie2 who were gems, the palliative nurses and her beloved Dr. David Woodley who helped Nancy achieve her final wish; to die in her own home.

It is Nancy’s wish that there be no formal service. In lieu of flowers, Nancy would have encouraged donations to the Library, SS Island Foundation, Greenwoods and Lady Minto Hospital.

December 24, 1924 – November 15, 2008

Inez passed away peacefully at Victoria General Hospital in her 84th year with her daughter and son at her side.

Inez was born in Liverpool and met her late husband Jim Armstrong in the servicemen’s dances in Liverpool during WWII. As a young war bride she followed her husband in 1946 to Hamilton and then Toronto and Scarborough where they raised their family. In 1989, the opportunity to share the lives of their two granddaughters, Kathyrn and Autumn and their parents, Carol and Noel Fowles, attracted them to Salt Spring Island. Here they made many new friends and found a lifestyle and communities they enjoyed. Inez’ gregariousness and organizing abilities found new homes and opportunities in the Trail and Nature Club, quilting groups, the Altar Guild and congregation of All Saints Anglican Church.

In 1994, Inez married Tony Farr and they moved their two households together on Castle Cross Road.

Inez is also lovingly remembered by her big brother Norval Brown and his wife Dot of Liverpool, England, her son Bruce Armstrong of Toronto, her daughter Carol and husband Noel Fowles, her granddaughters Autumn Fowles, Kathyrn Fowles and her husband Roland Flutet of Lyon, France and niece, nephews and other relatives in Napanee, Vancouver, Brisbane (Australia), Toronto, Brampton, Thunder Bay and Edinburgh (Scotland).

A memorial service will be held at All Saints by the Sea Anglican Church, Ganges, on Saturday, November 22 at 2:00 p.m. with a reception in the church hall following the service.

Donations to the charity of your choice or the Canadian Red Cross Society are appreciated.

January 7, 1912- November 7, 2008

  Nearing the end of his 96th year, Bob passed away peacefully at home with his family by his side and only 157 steps from where he was born on January 7, 1912.

He lived all his life in the Fulford Valley as did his fathers before him. He worked hard all his working life: ran the farm with many cattle, sheep and Christmas trees, cleared land with stumping powder, logged, including hand falling timber with cross cut saws, yarded logs with donkeys, drove a logging truck, boomed logs in Fulford Harbour, ran sawmills, and worked for Hydro and Telephone, to name a few things.

  He was predeceased by his loving wife of 59 years, Molly, daughter Lyn (Dennis) Andrews and son in-law Tim O’Donnell. He is survived by his children Darlene O’Donnell, Ted (Donna) Akerman, Roberta (Max) Allard, Morris (Janice) Akerman, Cathy (Dale) Cook, Dan Akerman, Pat (Brenda) Akerman, Jim Akerman, Kerry Akerman, Lance Akerman and 30 grandchildren  and  45 great-grandchildren with more to come.

Over the years Bob was instrumental in the community such as the building and renovating the Fulford Hall and organizing basketball, roller hockey, roller skating and dances in the hall, organizing May Day celebrations in the Fulford area for many years, roofing and renovating St. Paul’s Church, the creation and building of Drummond Children’s Playground and building the Fulford Ball Park. He also was a founding member of the Salt Spring Rotary Club and Salt Spring Parks and Recreation Commission. After all the changes he had seen in his life time he was very proud at the age of 95 years, to publish a book titled “The Akerman Family Growing up with Salt Spring”.

The family would like to send a special thanks to Dr. Megan Newcombe, Dr. Kelly Gallion, the staff of the Lady Minto Hospital emergency room, Home Support Services and nurse Sue Banks and all that sent their thoughts and prayers.

You are invited to a Celebration of Life for Dad on Sunday,  November 16, 2008, 1 p.m. at the Fulford Community Hall. In lieu of flowers, if so inclined, please donate to “Home Support Services”, # 2-137 Crofton Road, Salt Spring Island, B.C. V8K 2R8 (250-537-9955). Or a donation box will be available at the “Celebration of Life” and all proceeds will be sent to “Home Support Services”.

McDonald, Mary

(nee Lacy)

October 20 1920 – November 1 2008

Mary passed away peacefully at Lady Minto Hospital with her family by her side.

Mary has been on and off our special island from 1923 until present, always to visit family and friends and be home on the old Lacy farm on Isabella Point Road.

Mary was predeceased by her parents Arthur & Hilda Lacy, her loving husband John Henry (Jack) and youngest sister Ruby Alton.

She leaves behind her sister Kathleen Rathwell, brothers Edward (Mollie) Lacy and Harold (Thelwyn) Lacy, children Hilda, Douglas (Louise), Bruce, Ralph (Maxine), Alec and grandchildren Johnathan, Jesse, Arthur and Helen.

The family would like to send special thanks to Dr. David Woodley and all the loving and gracious staff of Greenwoods, Lady Minto and extended care (God’s waiting room).

Where Mom is now I am sure that she is cooking up a storm, enough to feed the masses, with flowers for every table and all lovingly grown in yet another of her wondrous gardens!!!!

A service will be held at St. Mary’s church, 2 p.m. November 18, 2008, tea to follow.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Lady Minto Hospital.

Percy Emerson Dewar passed away peacefully on November 1, 2008.

Predeceased by nine siblings and survived by his grandchildren, Mark Sorley and Vicky Engel, and daughter Carol Silver. Percy is missed by his loving partner, Ilse and her family, Derek, Susan, and Gillian, as well as friends and relatives on Salt Spring and Vancouver Island.

Descended from the Scotch Whisky Dewars, Percy was born in Extension, June 5, 1919. A Vancouver Island pioneer, he spent his early years roaming the mountains behind Nanaimo. He attended school in a one room schoolhouse until grade 8, growing up in a time when there were more animals than people on Vancouver Island. He remembers walking along the logging railway with his father in the evenings and counting 80 deer in an hour. As a young man he was a regular competitor in Logging Sports and was the Canadian Champion Splicer four years in a row. Logging, cable splicing, and buying and selling property on Vancouver Island provided Percy with enough money to return to his true passion, being a wildlife guide and the tracking of cougars.

Percy was passionate about the big cats. At 16 he got his first hound and thus began his lifetime of tracking cougars, first as a bounty hunter, then as a guide, and finally, after years of observation and a change of heart, to actively work for their conservation. He initiated, funded and carried out a 6 year study tracking and collaring cougars on Vancouver Island. The results provided valuable new data about the size of the cougar population, their habits and territory, leading to conclusions greatly different from those assumptions widely held by Fish and Wildlife officers and the public in general.

Percy had a very special way with animals; including the wolf cub he raised himself. Percy always advised – “Never go out into the woods without a walking stick. If you encounter a cougar put your jacket or sweater on the stick and wave it above your head. LOOK TALL.” He had a special relationship with all his dogs, from the Blu Tic tracking hounds of his early hunting days to his Turkish livestock dogs that he successfully used for predator control in his later years at his mountain top farm.

Early semi-retirement found Percy working at Strathcona Park Lodge. He was very proud of the 60 hydro poles he installed to complete their hydro- electric project. After building 10 homes for friends and family during his life, Percy used his skills to single-handedly build a spectacular log home and livestock buildings high up a mountain overlooking Buttle Lake. His greenhouse, heated in the winter by a wood burning furnace was an engineering marvel, and the envy of Upper Campbell Valley. He grew melons and tomatoes throughout the winter. Between the gardens, greenhouse, goats and chickens, Percy was self sufficient, seldom going to town. Many young people, training at Strathcona Park Lodge, were influenced by Percy’s resourcefulness, survival skills, accomplishments and healthy lifestyle. For years Percy had a weather station at his mountain home, and monitored the weather for Environment Canada.

Percy was a quiet, gentle man with a dry sense of humor, shy with people, but always with a fascinating story to tell. His passion and appreciation of our natural environment was contagious. Now Percy is free and roaming the wilds with his favourite dog, Lou.

Thank you to the loving staff at Greenwoods on Salt Spring who cared for Percy in his last years. No service by request. Interment at Cedar Cemetery at a later date. Contact 250-549-7073 for further information. Donations to help protect the wilderness that Percy so loved can be made to the Nature Conservancy of Canada, BC Region, 300 – 1205 Broad Street, Victoria, B.C., V8W 2A4.