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DUVAL

Ronald Aurel Francis

October 18, 1933 - July 3, 2009


Ron passed away peacefully at age 75 surrounded by his family at the St. Joseph’s Hospital in Comox after waging a fierce battle with esophageal cancer. Born in Timmins, Ontario, he served as a Sergeant in the Canadian Armed Forces for most of his life, having been assigned to a number of bases including Summerside, Four Wing at Baden Solingen, Greenwood, Ottawa, Trenton, and finally Comox. To his everlasting credit, Ron did not let the loss of both his legs 17 years ago get in the way of living a full life.

He is survived by Marie, his wife of 49 years, his daughter, Toni, and sons, David, Gordon and Ronnie, grandchildren, Kurtis, Travis, Derek, and Erin, and great-grandson, Jayden, as well as his brothers, Norman and David and their respective families. Other family in-laws who will especially miss this man include David Bird, Carol Duval, Johanna Socha , Terry Vadeboncoeur, and their respective loved ones.

Besides chasing after the elusive salmon off the Comox shores and enjoying reading about and watching the natural world around him, Ron particularly loved driving; he and Marie drove across Canada and back no less than 17 times! Ron was kind, extremely generous and continues to give even beyond his passing. He will be sadly missed by all those who knew him. The family would especially like to thank the staff of the third floor of the St. Joseph’s Hospital for their help and compassion.

A celebration of Ron’s life will be held at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart chapel at 14:00, Saturday, July 11 followed by a reception at Parish Hall on the base. All friends are welcome. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to either the Canadian Cancer Society or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.



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