Finbar McMillan

Dec. 21, 1952 – Nov. 7, 2014

Finbar loved life and learning, and was always up for an adventure that involved the great outdoors. He taught us about the West Coast, by identifying mushrooms and discovering hot springs or leading hikes for yet another magnificent view from Mt Erskine on Saltspring or sharing photos of the Cameron Range on Haida Gwaii. He could repair an engine so it purred, designing the tool to do it, if needed; was an expert fisherman and captain; as Key Grip thrived on the creative collaboration of making movies with his peers and co-workers in IATSE, local 891; and was a master chef in his own kitchen, cooking feasts while listening to great music. He could hunt and build and love and play…supporting his family and friends with generosity of body and soul, a practical helping hand, patience and a wry sense of humour.

A strong and gentle man, Finbar  was the quintessential island boy, part farmer and mechanic, part hippie and artist. He is loved by all who knew him on Saltspring, Nanaimo, Vancouver, Victoria, Cortes, Lasqueti, California, Haida Gwaii…

Predeceased by his parents, Peter and Mary, he is survived by his loving sister, Janice (Steve) and neice Caitlin; brother, Ranald; daughters, Lauren and Patrice and wife, Sue and a very big extended family!

Finbar was a wild fish habitat advocate. He fed us well, respecting the limited bounties of the sea.

Donations gratefully accepted by Island Stream and Salmon Enhancement Society, 250-527-7580

Many thanks to Haywards Funeral Service, the doctors, nurses and support staff at Lady Minto, Royal Jubilee and Vancouver General Hospitals, the BC Cancer Agency, Inspire Health, the Gerson Therapy and Bloch Institute, among many other alternative health practitioners and friends and family who offered so much valuable knowledge, support and great food.

There will be a potluck celebration of his life on Saltspring Island, on Monday, December 22nd, at Beaver Point Hall, to be confirmed.

With quiet dignity and gentle grace that were hallmarks of her life, our beloved Mother, mentor and friend slipped softly away at age 98 on Saturday, November 1st, 2014.

She was predeceased by her husband David (April 24, 2001), her beloved son Terry (October 18, 2010), her cherished daughter-in-law Marlien (June 26, 2001), and her much loved son-in-law Rob White (December 30, 2008).

Left to hold her always in our hearts are her eldest daughter Gail (Ross Van Winckel), her son Pat (Sandra) and her youngest daughter Linda White. Also seven grandchildren Douglas (Tammy), Colin and Garrett (Leslee), McLean, Christopher (Naunjan), and Andrew (Jenny) Jefferies, Tanya (Dylan Armour), and Aaron (Katherine) Slingsby.

Missing her too, are her great-grandchildren. Claire, Samantha, Lochlan, Cheyenne and Ariah (Douglas). Tyler and Hayden (Colin), Cole, Samantha, Valarie and Melanie (Garrett). Terrah (Christopher). Randy and Julia (Andrew). Harmony and Cassidy (Aaron). Gabriel (Tanya).

Mom spent much of her life on Salt Spring, arriving first in 1948 and returning to stay in 1959. Her passion for helping and serving others soon emerged, working tirelessly for the Fulford Hall, a valued and long standing member of the South Salt Spring Women’s Institute, and was a charter member of the O.A.P. in Fulford. She helped to establish and stock the pie stall at the first Fulford Days celebration. Over the years she baked hundreds of pies for the Women’s Institute for the pie stall at the fall fair. Gladys was also a member of Eastern Star (Trincomali Chapter) and rose to the position of Worthy Matron. She was always ready to lend a hand, do her part and help wherever she could. Whatever challenges life handed her, she met with courage, grace and a smile.

“Grace was always in her eye,?in every gesture, dignity and love.” -from Paradise Lost, John Milton

If you would like to honour Gladys there will be a Celebration of Life on November 29th from 1:00pm to 3:00pm at Fulford Hall.

Please consider a donation to:?The BC Heart and Stroke Foundation, The Canadian Cancer Foundation, The BC Lung Association or the South Salt Spring Women’s Institute.

To learn more about Gladys and her life, please visit www.forevermissed.ca

Pip (Margaret Anne) Moore

Apr. 28, 1938 – Oct. 13, 2014

Our beautiful, brave, loving wife, sister and mother Pip died early Thanksgiving morning, after dealing with multiple myeloma for almost ten years. Pip was born and raised in Winnipeg, daughter of Les and Margaret Bastick and younger sister of Shelagh. She met her saxophonist-geologist John, the love of her life, while still in high school; she graduated from the University of Manitoba in Home Economics in 1958 and they were married the same year. She supported him in Boston during his graduate studies, after which they moved to Ottawa, where he became a professor at Carleton University until retiring in 1989. During that time, Pip raised their three children, continued her piano studies, earned a certificate in English as a Second Language, worked part-time with several NGOs and took enthusiastic part in overseas adventures: first in Europe and, for four years, in Ethiopia, where she engaged in leprosy rehabilitation and later in famine relief, working with the Lutheran World Service. In 1990 they went to eastern Indonesia with Simon Fraser University on an education project for almost eight years; there she honed her ESL skills and nurtured a fondness for Bali, where they visited many times and to which they returned often after coming home to Salt Spring Island. After her years in exotic places Pip sought a community life and found it here, in piano, choir, concerts, book club, bridge, crafts and volunteering for nine years at ArtSpring through its early stages of growth. Everywhere she found friends, who responded to her loyal, sunny, modest and generous nature and loved her in return. She was bright and perceptive, with a sense of humour and a trademark sparkle in her eye. She was proud of her children Margie, Bruce and Tanya and three grandkids Mitchell, Spencer and Max, who inherited her love of travel and experiencing new places and cultures.

From the time she was diagnosed, Pip never lost her determination to live; through a multitude of debilitating treatments she kept her smile and her positive outlook. Our thanks go out to all those who supported her: our superb family doctors David Woodley and Magda Leon, their staff and all the caring people at Lady Minto Hospital; Drs. Adrian Yee and Elaine Wai and the cancer teams at Royal Jubilee in Victoria and the Krall Centre in Vancouver General, who did their best with their science to stay ahead of the progress of her disease; Drs. Clarkson and Stone, the orthopaedic surgeons who kept her on her feet in her last year; the Salt Spring Home Care people; the Salt Spring Hospice volunteers who helped keep vigil in her last days; and all the good friends who supported her and us with their visits, prayers, gifts and love. Pip may have left us bodily, but her undying spirit lives in all our hearts.

There will be a musical celebration in honour of Pip at All Saints Anglican Church, Ganges on Sunday, October 26, at 4:00 pm, with a reception afterward. All who knew her are welcome. If you wish to make a gift in remembrance of her, please contribute to the Lady Minto Hospital Foundation, ArtSpring or the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

With love: John, Margie and Bruce; Tanya Shahen; and Shelagh Tulloch

DORIS M. HOWELL

(née Hickmore):

November 15, 1915 –

October 5, 2014.

Doris was born on a homestead at Winnifred, Alberta. Her family moved to Ponoka, Alberta in 1925. She resided there until 1998, when she moved to Salt Spring Island, BC, and enjoyed her Brinkworthy home until 2012. She remained independent until failing health necessitated her move into Lady Minto Extended Care Unit.

Doris worked for many years in Ponoka as a bookkeeper at the Central Alberta Dairy Pool, payroll officer for the County of Ponoka, and medical records supervisor at the Ponoka Medical Centre.

She participated in many community and charity events, including fundraising for the Ponoka Seniors’ Centre. She was a member of the I.O.D.E., the Ponoka Sunshine Singers, and a founding member of the Ponoka Bell Ringers.  

Doris had a strong will, keen mind, and resourcefulness which got her through difficult times. An avid reader, she followed current events and politics with great interest; and had a particular fondness for Canadian history and understood the importance of knowing it. There was no excuse for not knowing what was going on in the world!

Doris was skilled in many handcrafts including sewing, knitting, crocheting, weaving, and pottery. She learned china painting in her 70’s. Raising flowers, especially orchids, was another passion. She had a great love for animals.  Bird-watching gave her hours of pleasure.

She is survived by: daughters Lois (Ed) Peterson, Salt Spring Island, and Linda (Otto) Zerbe, Ponoka; five grandchildren; six great grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; sisters Helen McGillivray and Elsie Mather; many nieces and nephews.

She was pre-deceased by her husband David Howell (1963); parents Thomas and Elizabeth Hickmore; brothers William, Stanley, Ernest, Frederick; sisters Ivy Wills, Margaret Guertin.

At Doris’ request, no funeral service will be held.  Interment will be at Forest Home Cemetery, Ponoka.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Lady Minto Foundation ECU, 135 Crofton Road, Salt Spring Island, BC, V8K 1T1.

The family thanks Dr. Ron Reznick and the staff at the Lady Minto Extended Care Unit for their compassionate care.

Leonid (Leo) Samuel Sawchuk

“Those we love don’t go away. They walk beside us every day. Unseen, unheard, but always near. Still loved, still missed, and very dear.”

The family of Leo Sawchuk are saddened to announce his peaceful passing on October 3, 2014. Born at home in Winnipeg, Manitoba on November 20, 1925, Leo decided early on that his future would not be spent on the prairies and at the tender age of seventeen he headed west. After two stalled efforts, he finally arrived in British Columbia, eventually settling in South Surrey. He lived a full life, benefitting from the experience that both success and failure affords us. He is survived by Lynne, his loving wife of 57 years; his sons Lee (wife Jan), Mike (wife Dawn), and Rande; his grandchildren, Rob (wife Joanne), Cole, Zack, Emma, Noah, Wyatt and Cheyenne; great grandchildren Lauren and Tyler; and siblings Yvonne, Daria, Elaine and Joey. He was predeceased by his sisters, Snow and Lessia, and his brother Buck. The Sawchuk family would also like to acknowledge the love and support of lifelong friends, Bob and Heather House, and Bill and Eleanor Linklater, and their families. Lynne would like to extend her warmest thanks to the Kidney Foundation of Canada, the kind and eternally supportive staff at Delta View Centre, and the attentive and compassionate staff of third North, Royal Columbia Hospital.

By Leo’s choice, there will be no service. His family and friends will celebrate his life next spring, with a memorial to be scheduled on Salt Spring Island. Should you wish to honour Leo’s life, donations to the Kidney Foundation of Canada can be made at www.kidney.ca.

Lily Adalaide Irwin

(nee Sampson)

Feb. 29, 1940 – Oct. 1, 2014

Lil continued her journey from this life to the next, passing peacefully, surrounded by her family. Lil was a lifelong resident of Saltspring and survived by her children Kurt (Lisa) Irwin, Leona (Pat) Sloan, Gerri (Cameron) Irwin and her grandchildren Wendy, Daniel, Dahlia, Tyler and Amanda, brothers Charley, Vic, Ken, sister Ivy as well as a very large circle of friends.

Lil was a loving and talented person, proud of her heritage including her First Nations lineage and as one of the founding families on Saltspring.  Lil will live on in our hearts through her art, bonds of friendship and outgoing personality.  Active right to the end, Lil was involved in local activities such as the Saltspring Toy Run, Tennis, Volunteer Fire Department, baseball and generally being part of the community. She loved to travel and enjoyed several trips to Mexico and the US.

Lil your laugh, joy for life and loving ways will be missed, you are in our hearts and minds, we know you are watching over us and dancing every night.

A celebration of life will be held November 1st at the Saltspring Legion – 1:00pm to 6:00pm.

In Lieu of flowers please donate to the BC Cancer Society or BC Children’s Hospital.

Warmest appreciation to the Staff of the Lady Minto Hospital for taking care of Lil.

Yvonne Fee

(nee Park)?

March 2, 1946 – Sept. 27, 2014

We are left to mourn after the unexpected death of Yvonne just 33 days after a diagnosis of cancer of the liver. She passed at home in her own bedroom, beautifully and peacefully, with us holding her and loving her. She knew her short fate and accepted it with strength, serenity and grace.

Yvonne was the centre of our small household; the rock around which our everyday tumult swirled; dependable, organized and efficient to the end. We will miss her more than all our words and tears can express.

Yvonne was born in Manchester, England, coming to Canada via the U.S. in 1967. She and I were both hippies working for the Georgia Straight when we got together in 1968, having a groovy time in the Summer of Love, taking in some of the best concerts, festivals and Be-Ins the ‘60s had to offer. But reality loomed and so did the future; we moved on, got jobs and became (somewhat) responsible and in 1970 Sara was born.

Together we had lived in various B.C. towns and cities: Vancouver, Victoria, Duncan, Courtenay, Colwood, Revelstoke, Golden, Coombs, Qualicum & Port Hardy before coming to a welcome rest on Salt Spring Island in 1980.

For 22 years Yvonne worked for the Gulf Islands School District as a teaching assistant at Fernwood School, school secretary at Salt Spring Elementary and Salt Spring Middle School. She loved the kids and loved working with her friends, the staff. She was also a strong Union advocate serving the CUPE local as shop steward, secretary-treasurer, vice-president and president. She retired to her dream house in South Wellington, south of Nanaimo, in 2002 and has happily planted her garden, kept her house and spent retirement with her family. A gathering of remembrance will be held on October 25, 2014, 2pm at the South Wellington Community Centre, 1555 Morden Rd., Nanaimo.

In our grief and sadness, Don, Sara and Hamish.

“Early detection is the best weapon against cancer.

If you suspect get it checked!”