With profound sadness we said goodbye to John. He will be deeply missed by; wife Judith, daughters Ellen and Margaret and son John (Cheyenne) as well as his mother, Marylyn, brothers Lawrence and David and sister Theresa (Derek) and nephews Alex, Justin, Eric, Ethan, Nolan, Kevin, Shaelyn, Joey, Dennis, Alex, Jake, Charlotte, Violette. In-laws; Melanie (Todd) Masters, Wesley (Kathy) Anderson, Cathy (Ian) Anderson.
Born November 7, 1967, in Alberta, John moved to British Columbia in 1968. He was a brilliant man with many interests and hobbies.
Sharing a love of astronomy with his grandpa he joined the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada in his youth. He continued this passion after graduating with his master’s degree from the University of Victoria by working at the Hertzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre developing instruments for observatories, as well as travelling around the world to install and maintain them. John was one of the engineers on the MOST microsat and the GHOST spectrograph.
John started violin at four and never stopped. His longtime friend and colleague Frank Younger encouraged him to join the Juan de Fuca Orchestra where he played for over twenty years, during which time we could hear him playing at all hours of the night when he was cramming for a concert.
John hunted almost every year with his father and brothers, and later his kids and nephews. He was an avid shooter and a member of the Saanich Rod and Gun Club where he would practice weekly.
“Scouter John” was a Cubs/Scouts/Venturers leader for ten years and was deeply committed to sharing his love of the outdoors. He encouraged the kids to join so they could use the boats at 12th Garry Oak Sea Scouts and proceeded to make sure the boats were used and maintained. He tried to go on all the camping trips and events, enjoying his time as a Scouter to the fullest.
He married Judith in 1999, and their three children were the joy of his life. He bought far more Lego than one family needs and when the kids outgrew Lego he shifted to building models, pottery, ham radios and cars. He enjoyed building and installing around the house an assortment of antennae including a 40m antenna which reached most of the way around the world.
Exploring and learning about the world around him and sharing his discoveries with family, friends and colleagues was his gift to those that knew him. John was truly an amazing man and will be deeply missed.
A Celebration of a Life well lived will be held in the Sequoia Centre at McCall Gardens, 4665 Falaise Drive, Victoria, BC on Friday, July 10 at 2:00pm. For those who are unable to attend in person and wish to attend via zoom, please use: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81115065668?pwd=P6gb9rWr2rATLVMii5gccApoecEprP.1
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens
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20 Responses
Judith and Family,
I am so sorry to hear of John’s passing. Far too young.
Correne Antrobus
I was truly saddened to learn of John’s passing. John had been my boss while I lived in Victoria. But he was so much more than that. I still remember when he selected me to join his team. He was very happy about it. I still remember his smile when, in the pouring rain at the end of November, I confirmed that I would be leaving Italy to work with him. At the time, I had no idea how fortunate I had been to meet him. My three years in Victoria were a constant discovery of his inexhaustible talents, interests, knowledge, and abilities. He always encouraged me to dare, to never give up, to aim high. And to have faith in myself, even when I didn’t have any. He was a discreet yet essential presence. I will always carry these gifts with me.
So sorry to hear of John’s passing. He was always positive, with a fantastic sense of humor. So proud of his family.
John taught me photography, another one of his many talents. My deepest condolences, he will be missed
I’m so very saddened to learn of John’s passing. He was truly a uniquely brilliant guy and a great friend. Deepest condolences to Judith and the whole Pazder family.
I am deeply saddened by this news. I worked with John extensively over the years and was always amazed at the depth of his knowledge, his creativity, and his overall abilities. However, the most important thing for me with working with John on projects for CFHT was that regardless of what was going on, he made working on the projects fun.
He will be greatly missed by me and everyone here at CFHT. An amazing person has left the world.
It is with deep sadness that we remember John, a valued member of our graduate community.
As the Graduate Program Assistant at UVic, I had the privilege of getting to know John throughout his time in our program. He was always kind, thoughtful, and dedicated to his studies. His presence will surely be missed.
My heartfelt condolences go out to John’s family, friends, all those whose lives he touched. May you find comfort in the memories you shared and in the lasting impact he made on those around him.
Judy and family I am so saddened to hear of your husband and fathers passing love and hugs to all of you xoxo
Deepest condolences to the Pazder family on this tragic news. Thank you for sharing John’s story above – sending you strength and thinking of you all during this difficult time.
I was always amazed that while John could keep up with scientific geniuses, he could also reframe something complex in a way that the person he was talking to could understand. His passion for his work, his interests, and his family was something I always looked up to. His interest in learning about the world around him was infectious, and he could turn a family day at the beach into a hunt for treasure, a search for fossils, a lesson on sea life, or more likely, all three.
He will be greatly missed.
John was most brilliant and kind. He will be greatly missed.