May 2, 1949 - Jan 4, 2018
Jamie Sproule was born in Ottawa on May 2nd, 1949. He died peacefully from complications of Parkinsons Disease on January 4th, 2018, surrounded by his wife, Gwyn, and daughters, Flora and Annabelle.
Jamie travelled widely in Europe in his early twenties, and moved out to the West Coast shortly after. He started cooking on the Seaspan Barge tugs that hauled food and supplies to camps up the inlets and around Vancouver Island followed by cooking contracts in treeplanting camps.
In 1977, he had the good fortune to accompany his friend John Clark on a mountaineering trip in the Coast Range Mountains. It totally blew his mind to be in such a pristine landscape of rock and icefields.
It was in 1978, in a treeplanting camp in the Cariboo, that Jamie met the love of his life, Gwyn, and they went to work at Forbidden Plateau Lodge. They married at the Lodge in 1980, and daughter Flora was born the following year. In 1983, the family moved to the Green House on the Comox Lake Road which is still the family home.
Jamie worked at Vanier High School and loved his job. He volunteered in numerous organisations, and loved story telling and playing music with friends.
Unfortunately, he developed Parkinsons at age 47 and was gradually stripped of the work and activities he loved so much. Throughout all this he kept his sense of humor and joy of life.
He had a spectactular accident in May 2014 when he was lost in the bush near his home for 5 1/2 days. He miraculously survived the ordeal but it advanced his illness. He was able to live at home for 3 more years before he went into care, first at Seniors Village and then at Cumberland Lodge. The family would like to thank all the people who searched for him and who helped care for him during these last few years of his life.
Jamie is survived by his wife Gwyn, daughters, Flora (Kyle)Wood,and Annabelle Sproule (Christopher), his brother Rob Sproule and family and relatives in the Ottawa area. Also by his grandchildren, Elliot and Amelia Wood, and Bianca and Rumi Murillo.
There will be a Celebration of Life on Saturday January 20th at 2 pm at the Cumberland Cultural Centre.
Donations may be made to the Parkinson's Society of BC https://www.parkinson.bc.ca/