John passed away in Victoria BC on January 25, 2021 at the age of 60 after a yearlong courageous battle with cancer. John was born on March 8, 1960 to parents Jeff and Jane. He was born in Edmonton, Alberta but grew up in BC, spending the first half of his childhood in the interior until moving to Victoria at the age of 12. John was introduced to his soulmate, Janice, through his sister Jennifer when they were teenagers.
John and Janice got married on June 28, 1986 and together they raised two children, Matt and Amanda. John was an extremely talented craftsman. He could create, construct and/or fix just about anything. He was a journeyman glazier by trade and owned and operated his own business, JK Glass Installations. John had been involved in many projects around Greater Victoria and was very well respected by his customers and others in the industry for the exceptional quality of his work that he took pride in. John loved the ocean. He enjoyed fishing with his son and boating with his family. He also liked to go paddle-boarding and snorkeling and just hanging out on the beach with his wife.
John loved to travel with his wife. Their favourite places to go were Hawaii and Las Vegas. They also liked to go on road trips, such as driving to Calgary to see John’s brother Mike and wife Karen or to the Okanagan to visit wineries and fruit stands. John had a silly sense of humour, a characteristic that he passed on to his children, especially his daughter Amanda. Another characteristic he had in common with his daughter was his love for animals. John did his part by rescuing animals in distress, donating frozen foods to Wild Arc, or even just making sure that the wild birds had access to fresh food and water in colder months. John even made sure that the spiders had food!
However John’s favourite animal of all was his parrot Angus who has been a member of the family for 20 years.
He was predeceased by his father Jeff, Brother Tony, Aunt Liz and Cousin Wendy and Grandparents Donald and Marjorie.
John is survived by his wife Janice, his children Matt, Amanda, and Christina. His siblings Mike (Karen), Diane (Rob), Jennifer (Mel), and Patricia (Wendy) as well as his brother-in-law Jason (Sarah), in laws Joan and Les, and his loving mother Jane. Nieces and nephew and Cousin Bill (Gem).
John will be truly missed by those who knew him and those who loved him: his family, his friends, his bird and most of all by his wife, best friend, or who he would call his “love of life”.
How I wish, how I wish you were here,
We’re just two lost souls, swimming in a fish bowl,
Year after Year,
Running around the same old ground,
What have we found?
The same old fears.
Wish you were here.
David Gilmour, Roger Waters
Special thanks to 8 South at RJH and to nurses Adam and Britta, and to the palliative care team: Dr. Tara McCallan and Dr. Nathan.
John was cremated January 27, 2021 at McCall Gardens. At John’s request, there will be no memorial service.
In memory of John, contributions can be made to the Wild Arc (BCSPCA) or the BC Cancer Agency (multiple myeloma). Please feel free to leave a few words in the comments.
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com
11 Responses
Dear Janice, Although it’s been a long while since we last spoke, you came to mind today when I saw your mum-in-laws obituary in the paper. My deepest condolences on your and your family’s losses this year. I remember you and John back in high school and I am so happy that you found the life long love that shone so brightly in you both back then. Hugs and happy memories.