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Allison Staunton Aldis

September 23, 2006

Aldis, Allison “Buzz” Staunton

January 20, 1908 – September 23, 2006

Buzz died with humour and dignity at St. Joseph’s General Hospital after a short illness. Buzz is finally with his love, Phyllis. After almost 99 years there is a lot to say about his life. He was born in Sherringham, Norfolk, England. He came to Canada when he was 18 attending McDonald College for Agriculture. After completing the course he came to BC to pick fruit in the Okanagan and then to Victoria where he worked as a lifeguard at the Chrystal Pool. Eventually he returned to England and at 21 he headed to Malaya to work on a rubber plantation. (He advertised himself in South East Asian papers and was offered a job.) Buzz met his wife Phyllis when she was 12 and on holidays in Sherringham. He was 17. He fell in love on the spot and, I hate to use this word, vowed to make her his wife. He waited a long time. They corresponded for 16 years and when he was home in England on leave she proposed and became his wife in 1937. She joined him in Malaya. They had two children, Pat and Pam. During the war Buzz joined the Johore Volunteer Engineers and his family fled to Australia. The Engineers marched down the Malay Peninsula blowing up bridges to stop the Japanese only to have to rebuild them once captured by the Japanese in Singapore and being forced to march back up to Thailand. Buzz was one of many who built the bridge over the River Kwai in Thailand. Somehow he survived internment (he had a photo of his kids hidden in a flashlight) and made it back to England after the war. He was a successful horticulturist specializing in fuchsias and geraniums and in 1976 he retired with Phyllis to the Comox Valley. He thought he may have another 10 years but, sometimes to his chagrin, he enjoyed almost 30 years here. Buzz loved to read, play duplicate bridge, and garden with Phyllis. He had a wicked sense of humour that we will all miss.

Buzz was predeceased by Phyllis in 1998. He leaves behind his two kids, Pat (Helena) in England, and Pam (Al) in the Valley, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren in England and in BC.

We’d like to thank LeeAnn and Liz of Lamm’s Homecare and all the staff at Stevenson Place who cared for him these last few years and the nurses and doctors at St. Joseph’s who helped him during his illness.

Your great-grandsons saw you in the sky last night; they said you were the biggest star. We will miss you but we know you are happy now. Buzz requested no funeral and will be cremated.



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