Heather passed away on Sunday, October 7, 2012 at the age of 59. So dearly loved, so sadly missed by all her friends and family. She is survived by her mother, Shirley Miller; her remaining relatives, her aunt June Thomson and her cousin, Elspeth Thomson; her niece, Shay Kokiw (Mike).
A Celebration of Life will be held on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 at 4:00 pm at St. John the Divine, 1611 Quadra Street. Memorial donations in Heather’s memory would be appreciated to the Cancer Society. Condolences may be offered to the family below.
-
Andrew Bochenek
-
Antigone Dixon-Warren My condolences to friends and family. I was so sad to hear of Heather’s passing. I spent many, many hours working on water management issues with her and learned so much. She was an amazing lady.
-
Mary Morican I was thinking of you all remembering Heather today at her funeral. I did not know her well but i do remember how intelligent she was when she spoke up. She will be missed, I know.
-
Larry Barr Heather was a bright star in the Ministry of Environment and am sad to hear of her passing. She worked tirelessly on issues and presented clear cut solutions. I have been fortunate to work with Heather on several projects in the past and was always impressed with her insight.
It makes me wish I had told her how I felt earlier and is a lesson to me in life to let people know how much I appreciate them.
-
Michael Collett A dear friend and colleague for over a decade, my thoughts will always remain with Heather.
Dedicated to her career with the Ministry of Environment, she often started early and would review reams of material on environmental protection in the evening.
And yet Heather also maintained compassion towards those who were experiencing difficulty.
She had a unique way of placing challenges into their proper perspective in the world. Perhaps it is this that I will miss the most.
-
Mike Wei Heather, my sister in Christ: my family-Daralynn, Alexandra, and Olivia-and I will miss you, our dear friend and colleaugue. We got to know each other through work, drafting the Water Act and groundwater regulation. You are a great ally for the water resource and through our work, we have also become friends. I cherish all that we shared and the personal interest you took to each one in our family…Thank you and until we meet again!
Our condolences to your family through this time of great loss.
-
Charlene Anderson Take care my friend and enjoy the opera with Leslie. I will miss your wisdom and that soothing voice when you read out loud. My condolences to your family and friends. She was well loved, Safe travels Heather.
Char
-
Sue Simard Heather and I have been friends for more than 20 years. Heather was a kind and generous woman and always had the time and energy to be there for others, to share her wisdom, her experience, strength and hope. It gives me great pleasure to know that she and her very dear friend Leslie are now together. I can just imagine them and it makes me smile. I will miss her so much but I’m grateful that she is now at peace. My sincere condolences to everyone who loved her. Sue Simard
-
Valerie Z Cameron What a sad loss for all of us. My condolences go to Heather’s family.
As a professional, Heather applied her extraordinary intellect to significantly influence the way that water is managed in BC. She leaves a legacy of important work in which she played a key role, and in doing so improved the lives of thousands of British Columibians and the environment.
As a person, it is hard to think of a gentler, kinder soul than Heather. She gave of herself freely and unconditionally, was loyal and compassionate, and never spoke an ill word about anyone. She was interested in everything, and conversations were never dull.
When I lived in Victoria, Heather and I spent a lot of time together, going to plays and concerts, going for walks, and gardening. She excelled at Toastmasters, revealing a humorous streak not usually seen in the workplace. A high point was when she competed with our office team in the Vancouver Island Relay in 2006, running a 6 km leg! We were so proud of her! I was glad I was able to visit with her the last time I was in Victoria.
I will miss her.
Valerie Z Cameron
-
Trish Aikens May I extend my sincerest sympathies to Heather’s family, in their loss. Heather and I worked together on an assortment of files and I always found her to be good to work with, calm and knowlegeable. She was a lovely person. I didn’t know she had been ill. I am so sorry. My thoughts are with you at this sad time.
-
Anne Bowd I am a member of the Victoria Grandmothers for Africa. Heather and I talked at each meeting. Heather was a wonderful support to the group. She made the name tags for all the members. She served on the Publicity Committee. She helped with computer issues. Heather always came to all our events.
Since Heather has been ill, I visited her in the hospital and at home. We kept in contact by email and I sent her cards by “snail mail”. I drove her to our meetings and brought her home again.
Heather and I shared a love of cats. She was comforted that her neice is looking after her cat.
Heather will be missed. My sympathies go out to all of you.
Anne Bowd
-
Phyllis Webster Heather was a friend at Victoria Grandmothers for Africa! Although I did not know her well because I am a relative newcomer to Victoria, I soon recognized her passion for helping others less fortunate. She was our computer expert and designed wonderful posters. We had a very jolly chat at our summer social in August when she was enthusiastic about a group she thought would enjoy learning about the Grandmothers for Africa. My lasting impression of her is that she was an enthusiast about life. She will be sorely missed by so many people who admired her. My warmest condolences to her family and many friends.
-
Barry Boettger Heather was such a passionately dedicated person at work – it was a pleasure to work with her over the years. She was so insightfull and has, in many ways, left a legacy that will last for a hundred years in some of the legislation she worked on. I’ve already missed her since she left work and will miss her all the more now. My thoughts are with you, her family. She was a wonderfull person.
-
Anne Moon Heather epitomized her name–smart! She was a tireless volunteer and printing/design genius for the Victoria Grandmothers for Africa, a concerned daughter, a loving sister to her late brother and a dedicated member of St. John the Divine. I will miss her tiny cap-wearing presence in the sixth pew from the front. It was my privilege to take her out a few times after her illness and we always had lively conversations. I know her family will miss her dearly…as will I.
Heather was my instructor at the Vanier College Field Station located near Lachute, Quebec, in 1982. She was very good in her role, and a very nice person. I only found out two years ago about her passing, and I am saddened by her passing.
May she rest eternally in Peace amongst the Angels in Heaven.
Amen,