February 9, 1920 - March 19, 2015
Our Dad, the master of humour, sadly passed away March 19 at the age of 95 in Dufferin Place, Nanaimo. He said he wasn’t going, but with our sister, Judy, and registered care aide, Elizabeth, by his side, he left to dance with our Mom, Anne Shirley Garrah, who predeceased him February 28, 2014.
Dad was born in Gananoque, ON, February 9, 1920. Shortly after he married our Mom in 1946, they both moved out west to BC because Dad thought he would live longer breathing cleaner air. While being employed by a few companies in Vancouver, Dad travelled throughout BC building wooden water towers. His next job opportunity brought him, and our Mom, to Telegraph Cove (Broughton Lumber and Trading) where he operated the carriage at the sawmill. Dad raised his family in Telegraph and then moved to Beaver Cove in 1968 as a boom-man for Canadian Forest Products (CANFOR). Years later, Dad became a bridge-man when he relocated to Nimpkish. Our Mom, tired of camp life, moved to Nanaimo in 1976, with Dad later retiring in 1984 at the age of 64. “He fell out of his hammock and took early retirement.” Dufferin Place became Dad’s home for the last two years of his life.
Dad is survived by his three children, Sharon (Ed), Judy (Wayne) and Chris (Marcie), grandchildren, great grandchildren, and nieces and nephews.
All Dad’s siblings have predeceased him as well as our Mom, Anne; infant son, Lawrence; sons-in-law, Paul McNulty, Brian Richards and John Lauriks; granddaughter, Kelly; and sister-in-law, Ruth.
Our family thanks, with deep gratitude and respect, the doctors and staff at Dufferin Place for the care of both our parents. Dad certainly kept you hopping. Dad, while you’re dancing with Mom in heaven, please make her laugh, she always loved that.
A small family gathering will take place at Cedar Valley Memorial Gardens on Saturday, June 27, 2015 at 11:00 AM, which would have been Mom and Dad’s 69th wedding anniversary.