MCPHEE, Robert George
October 19th 1923 – Sept 16th2010
It is the end of an era as we sadly announce the passing of Bob McPhee. He died peacefully and quietly in his beloved home of 56 years. Bob was admired and loved by many and truly an icon of the Comox Valley. Bob was a man of principles and he lived his life by the simple but powerful premise to always do the right thing. He was a man of action and his actions reflected how much he loved the community in which he grew up. His years of tireless support for, and involvement in, so many community organizations was based on his believe that it is important to get involved and to try and make a positive difference in the lives of others. Bob spent many years on the city council of Courtenay and was also Mayor for a short time until for health reasons he had to step down. His love of skiing drew him to be highly involved with the Mount Becher Society/Forbidden Plateau Ski hill. In his younger years some may remember him as a member of the Native Sons Hall and a volunteer fireman. Whatever his involvement you can be sure he was committed and passionate about it. One of Bob’s great passions was politics. He was proud to be a Canadian and he played an integral part in both the Federal and Provincial Liberal Parties. He always enjoyed a good heated debate and never held it against you if your opinions differed from his. One cannot think about Bob McPhee without making some connection to Central Builders. He leaves a legacy of being a fair and honest businessman who truly cared about his employees and patrons. Even as the Comox Valley grew he and his brother continued to run the business on the same principles that their father had initially established. Central Builders was known to help many families and businesses get a start in the Comox Valley. Another family legacy that Bob continued was the apple orchard. He took great pride in his orchard and it still has some of the original old orchard trees in it.
Bob did devote a lot of his life to the community but we cannot forget to mention his devotion to his loving wife Beverley, and his family and friends. Bob had an infectious laugh and we all appreciated his wit and wonderful sense of humour. He always enjoyed a good joke and he continued to be the master punster to the very end. Bob was a man of his word. He demonstrated integrity in everything he did and he treated everyone he met with respect and dignity. He was a generous man and always appreciative of any kind thing someone did or said. Even in his later
years, with his Tilly hat perched on his head, as he struggled to walk the streets of his beloved city, he was a man of honour. His daughters would like to thank Almira, Jennifer, Dee and Lourdes the 4 women who so lovingly cared for Bob over the last few years.
To respect Bob’s wishes there will be no service.
There will be an open house Sunday, October 17th 1-4 p.m. at Lower Native Sons Hall. Our intention is to have an informal gathering where those who would like to, can come and share their memories and stories about Bob.
In lieu of flowers a donation can be made to the Canadian Diabetic Society or to the Canadian Institute for the Blind.