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Gordon Irvine THEAL

December 15, 2008

THEAL

Gordon Irvine

April 2, 1916 - December 15, 2008


It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Irv Theal.

Born in Grimsby, Ontario in 1916, Irv's life spanned almost a century. As a young man he had the first motor vehicle in his small town. He started driving at sixteen and was reluctant to stop. He worked in his father's Red and White store traveling to nearby towns to buy rounds of cheese from cheese factories which were later bought out by Kraft. This made him a nationalist.

While studying medicine at Queen's University in the late thirties he met his wife Helen, a wild westerner from Calgary. They moved to Vancouver where he interned before being shipped overseas during WWII with the Queen's Own Camerons. This made him a pacifist. After the war he moved to Courtenay (the hill in Ladysmith was too steep for his car) where he practiced family medicine from 1947 to 1981, delivering over 2000 Valley babies.

Throughout his life he was passionate about music and art. On his rare days off he enjoyed gardening, sailing, hiking, skiing, paddling and bird watching. After retirement he studied art full time for twenty years and went for it! He brought his sketch books with him on trips to visit his daughter and her family in Pakistan, India, Europe, the Middle East and South East Asia.

Irv was predeceased by his wife, Helen and his oldest grandchild, Katie Lamont Kippel. He is survived by his children Dianne Hentschel (Jim), Mary Hodkin (Ted), Ginny Hassall, Jim (Valerie), Dan and John (Pat); his grandchildren Alison, John, Sarah, Jon, Chris, Ilona, Bob, Jamie and Nick; his great-grandchildren Tristan, Sarah, Emily, Kaitlin, Rem, Lucan, Chloe and Cooper and his sister Betty Wells.

We would like to thank Katie, Janet, Ginny, Liz and Barb who made it possible for him to spend the last few years in his home. A special thank you to his doctor Susan Hunter.

A Celebration of Irv's life will be held at the Comox United Church on Sunday, December 28th at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to a charity of your choice.





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