It is with love and sadness that we announce the passing of Allan Brian Ward of North Saanich, BC.

Allan was a smart, caring neighbor and friend who loved spending time outdoors and in nature. He was always quick to offer help when needed and enjoyed the simple things like a visit in the driveway or catching up with friends over dinner. Allan’s closest friends held a private celebration of life in February of this year.

Born in Fort William, Ontario to Ruth (Young) and Harry Tuckwell, Paul grew up with lots of family around, particularly at the family cottage at Loon Lake. Summers were spent carousing with cousins. When he reached an age to be sent off for summer employment, uncles with road crews around the north shore of Lake Superior were enlisted to keep Paul
busy. He was, however, quite resourceful in finding ways to get back to Loon for weekends, be it by train or hitchhiking. Following in the footsteps of his father, Paul loved and played all sports and as a member of the Fort William Rowing Club, met with success on rowing crews in the late 1940s and early 1950s. After leaving Port Arthur Collegiate Institute, Paul set off for higher learning. He sampled a number of institutions including RMC before finding a fit at Ryerson where he completed a diploma in Architectural Technology, and parlayed that into a long career in construction and real estate development, retiring from PCL Construction in 1994.

Unbeknownst to Paul, a fellow Loon Laker had apparently set her sights on him when she was 7, and some 15 years later, Lynda (Knights) snagged him and went off to Edmonton where Paul had moved after school. They were married for over 68 years, most of it speaking. They had three children; Cathy, Todd and John. All three were deeply influenced by Paul’s love of sweets, pranking people and travelling, be it to the cottage at Loon, Hawaii or more distant shores. The attached picture is from Maui in March 2024.

Paul and Lynda moved to Vancouver Island in 1994, settling in North Saanich. They commuted to Loon Lake with only a few misses in the last 30 years, even getting there for a month in summer 2024. Paul was a long time volunteer with the Anglican Church in Edmonton and a founding member of the Uplands Probus Club in Victoria.

Several months ago, one of Paul’s doctors told him he had another 10 years but some of the other systems didn’t get the memo. He went into hospital on December 23 with a suspected stroke and other failures were triggered. After several weeks of being in hospital, Paul elected to exercise a right his son John had been a stalwart advocate for, and died
peacefully with Lynda and Cathy and long time family friends by his side.

Paul is survived by Lynda, Cathy, his sister, Mary Sabiston and many cousins, nieces and nephews. Predeceased by his sons John and Todd. We will celebrate Paul’s life with a gathering in the spring.

We are heartbroken to announce the sudden and unexpected death of Barbara Stitt.

Barbara was born in Saskatoon and had a happy and friend filled upbringing with many family trips and visits with relatives. She attended Brevoort Park Elementary in Saskatoon before moving with the family to Lethbridge in 1972 where she made many friends and attended LCI High School. She also had a horse for a few years. After Lethbridge she traveled to Calgary, Olds, and several other places for school or employment. In the late 1980’s she lived in Greater Vancouver and Chilliwack area before moving to Victoria in the late 1990’s.  She married Tim Hamill in 1989 but soon separated and later divorced.

Barbara was an intelligent woman who enjoyed sharing her sense of humor with her friends. Over the last 40 years she had an ongoing struggle with her demons, but her heart was good and she never stopped trying to win.

Barbara was predeceased by her partners, Kerry Gallant and later, Mel Brown, her parents Gene and Bill and brother Ted.  She is survived by her son, Clayton in Nelson, BC and brother, Mark in Victoria as well as several cousins in AB, BC and WA. She will be sadly missed but fondly remembered.

There are no plans for a Celebration of Life.

Gary West (75) of Sidney BC, died on November 21, 2024. He served 35 years as a highly respected police officer, retiring in 2005 as Deputy Chief of the Delta Police Department. He was described by colleagues as a disciplined, ethical, value-based leader, an outstanding operational police officer and a loyal friend.

After retiring, his activities included teaching high speed driving, obtaining his private pilot’s license, flying a small plane from the southern US to the Arctic, and racing an open-wheel Formula Ford. A devoted and supportive father and husband, he is survived by his sons Robert and Stephen, step-children Derek and Diana, and wife Ann.

In lieu of flowers a donation could be made to Royal Jubilee Hospital at https://www.victoriahf.ca/memorial-donation/.

Eli Arthur John Mitchell was born to Ken and Dorothy Mitchell on January 18, 1960, as Elizabeth Anne Mitchell.  The fifth of six children, he went by Beth, until January 2023, when he proudly stepped into his new life as Eli.

Although a frail child, Eli grew into an active teenager, taking part in choir and drama clubs and playing trumpet in the high school band.  He enjoyed sailing on his parents’ boat in his teen years, achieving Advanced Pilot level in Power Squadron.  Mechanically inclined from a young age, he rode motorcycles and scooters well into middle age.

Eli trained as a radio operator at Red River College, earning the full certification in 1980 and finding his career in the process.  After volunteering on a merchant ship to gain experience, he joined the Canadian Coast Guard as a radio operator.  This job would see him living up North in Prince Rupert, out East in Sault Ste. Marie, and then back to the West Coast in Vancouver before he was finally transferred to Sidney, where he worked until his retirement in 2018.

In his time off from the Coast Guard, Eli fed a passion for travel and adventure, working as a nanny on a ranch in the Australian Outback and earning a teaching certificate from Brock University.  Later in life, Eli explored the world through cruises that took him everywhere from Cuba to Antarctica, and he made friends everywhere he went.

Eli built deep connections in his community in Sidney.  As an active member of St. Paul’s United Church, Eli took on various roles in support of their ministries.  He followed family tradition in volunteering at the local thrift shop, and his family regularly received pictures accompanied with “Would this work for you?”  He was an avid wood worker who enjoyed making wedding presents for his many nieces and nephews, puzzles for countless children, and Christmas decorations enjoyed by all.

Eli passed away on October 13, 2024, after a short battle with cancer.  Although Eli left this world too soon, his last two years were some of the happiest of his life.

Eli was predeceased by his older brother Will and is survived by his siblings Trish, Candy, Don, and Heather, 15 nieces and nephews, and 18 great-nieces and nephews.  His sudden loss is mourned by all those who knew and loved him.