Roy Garner

Roy passed peacefully on February 27, 2011. He had a long and full life by any measure. He was born in Burnley, England in 1929 to a railway family during the waning age of steam. Although he loved the railway he began his working life as a engineering-fitter in England serving a short time for the British nuclear power agency then as an marine engineer for the merchant navy. It was his travel at sea that opened his eyes to the world and eventually to Canada. He was so enthralled with the place that he left his native England and settled in Ontario where he took up work as a machinist in a land desperate for expertly trained young men such as he. Always on the search for a challenge and adventure, Roy decided, through encouragement of a friend, to join the RCMP. After three years the bureaucracy of the Mounties got to him and he returned to a life at sea. On a return trip to England, Roy met his future wife Veronica and convinced her that Canada was the place for them to spend their future together. Shortly after their marriage they immigrated to Canada in 1961. Famously, as the story goes, Veronica asked where they should go and Roy said that it didn’t matter – anywhere would be great. So, with a map of Canada, Veronica closed her eyes and placed her finger on Edmonton. And so this is where they spent the next 25 years raising their family of three children; Steven, Debbie and Lynn. During this time Roy decided a change of career was in order and earned his commercial pilots licence. Over a 12 year career he became part of the history that is the Canadian bush pilot logging many harrowing hours flying in all types of conditions in Canada’s North. At the end of his flying career he had amassed a huge number of hours flying a DC3 and could land a Twin Otter in your backyard (you couldn’t take-off from there though!). With a grown family and a still yearning for the sea, Roy and Veronica eventually moved to Victoria where he served with Ocean Sciences at Patricia Bay as Chief Engineer of the Parizeau and the J.P. Tulley. He retired in 1995 and continued to enjoy living on the Saanich Peninsula with his family and many friends. If you could not find him in his shop he would be down at the curling rink or at the archery range with the boys. Throughout his life, Roy served as an inspiration to many as there was seemingly nothing he could not do. It was his refusal to accept “I can’t” as an excuse for anything that inspired admiration to anyone who met him and especially his family. He said that he had a long life, had nothing to complain about and would like to do it all again. You can’t wish for anything more than that.

There will be no service however a celebration for family and friends will be planned for the coming weeks. Special thanks to the doctors, nurses and volunteers of the Saanich Peninsula Palliative Care Unit. Donations may be made to the Saanich Peninsula Hospital Foundation in lieu of flowers. Condolences may be offered to the family at www.mccallbros.com

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