David Eric Neate, age 72, passed away in Victoria, British Columbia, on May 12, 2025, while undergoing treatment for cancer.
Born in New Westminster and raised in Victoria, David built a life rich in community, passion, and meaningful connection. A Certified Management Accountant by profession, he operated his business, Advanced Excel Solutions, and proudly served many clients over the years.
David was a loving father, devoted grandfather, and a great friend to many. He is survived by his brothers Roger, Michael (Dorthea), Neil (Deborah), and Graham (Donna); his children Brian (Nicole), Matthew (Laura), and Sara (Kelly); and his cherished grandchildren. He was predeceased by his beloved spouse, Arlie, as well as his father, Francis, and his mother, Dorcas. His warmth, humor, and generosity left a lasting impression on everyone who knew him.
Outside of work, David was an avid gardener and hiker, a lover of craft beer, and someone who found great joy in evenings spent cooking and entertaining friends and family. He had a lifelong passion for motorcycles, and his friends will always hold dear the memories of their motorcycle adventures together. His motorcycle trips were close to home in BC and Alberta, but also took him to faraway places like Mexico, India, Myanmar, and Thailand, where he embraced the freedom of the road and the friendships he made along the way. A world traveler at heart, David was always eager to explore new cultures and meet new people.
He gave back to his community through many years of volunteer service with the Victoria Compost Education Centre and the Great Canadian Beer Festival.
A Celebration of Life will be held in the Sequoia Centre at McCall Gardens, 4665 Falaise Drive, Victoria on Friday, July 4th at 2pm.
In lieu of flowers, donations in David’s memory may be made to the BC Cancer Foundation at www.bccancerfoundation.com or to a charity of your choosing.
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com
This obituary is the property of the “Neate” family and may not be reproduced, distributed, or altered in any way without prior written consent.
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Raj Singh
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Gerry Hieter As chair of the Great Canadian Beer festival during the time David volunteered for us; I’d like to express our sadness at the news of David passing. He was a really good man to work with because he was always calm and efficient while doing his job as a manager of the GCBF. He made many friends while with us and will be greatly missed.
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Phil Atkinson So long, David. You were a great member of the beer festival team and we couldn’t have done it without you. Always a smile, always a kind word. You’ll be sorely missed.
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Steve and Jenny We are all so shocked and saddened by Dave’s passing.
Steve has been close friends with Dave since aged 16
And we stayed in constant contact all these years.
Travelling, gathering and celebrating together.
We are going to miss Dave terribly and sending our love and condolences to all Dave’s family and to Brian, Matthew and Sara and grandchildren.
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Tara To Dave’s family, I am so sorry for your great loss. He was my first serious boyfriend for 3 years. He was a very kind and gentleman..
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Debra (Harding) Mclean To David’s family, sorry for your loss. As his 2nd cousin, I have many memories of your parents & extended family.
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Mark Blaney I met David at Margaret Jenkins Elementary School when were both in Mr. Tuttle’s Grade 6 class in 1965 and again with Mr. Tuttle in 1966. Over the course of those two years we became really good friends and I would even say ‘best friends’ during Grade 7.
Most notably, we partnered on a science project entitled “The Invisible Seeds”, and we managed to win the school Science Fair. That earned us a spot in the Victoria Regional Science Fair where we competed against “Translocation of Radio Phosphorous” and “The Effect of Negative Ions on Small Animals”. We never stood a chance.
In the summer before we both started at Oak Bay Junior High, David was my daily companion on many adventures in and around our adjacent neighbourhoods.
Our friendship continued throughout our high school years, and gradually faded mainly because of my obsessive determination to explore the visual arts.
When we were still good friends and spending time together, David taught me how to ride a motorcycle. We would take his dirt bike over to an undeveloped property near the Neate home on Richmond Ave., and ride the trails with great delight. He was an excellent teacher, thorough, patient, considerate, full of enthusiasm and infectious joy.
We lost touch for a few years, and reconnected when he started his “Dencraft” wall art manufacturing enterprise. His ingenuity, determination, creativity, entrepreneurial enthusiasm and resourcefulness were truly awe-inspiring.
David has maintained a prominence among my fondest memories, and even though our paths diverged over the years, his importance during my youth and his recurring role in my thoughts qualifies him as a lifelong friend.
My condolences to those nearest and dearest to such a fine human being.Sincerely,
Mark Blaney
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Jes My deepest condolences to his children and chums. After over a decade together and a decade apart, he always had my heart.
I’m deeply saddened by David’s sudden passing. I will always be grateful for his mentorship in bookkeeping. He will be truly missed. Rest in peace.
Sincerely,
Raj
“I thought that my voyage had come to its end at the last limit of my power, that the path before me was closed, that provisions were exhausted, and the time come to take shelter in a silent obscurity, but I find that thy will knows no end in me, and when old words die out on the tongue, new melodies break forth from the heart.”
Rabindranath Tagore