Alan passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on November 30 at Stanford Place in Parksville, B.C.
He will be greatly missed by his wife of 52 years, Teresa (Tess); his daughters, Anne (David) Graham of Dartmouth, N.S. and Mary (Jeff) Bromwich of Newmarket, ON.; his sons, Andrew of North Bay, ON and Matthew (Jenny) of Vancouver; and his grandchildren, Christopher, Aidan, Sara, Brendan, Claire and Archibald, as well as his many nieces and nephews.
Alan served in the British Army during WWII from 1943 - 1945. After the War, Alan spent a short time at home in Manchester, England before starting a career abroad with the Bahrain Oil Company. His career in the oil industry took him around the globe to Italy, Australia, France and Japan before eventually ending up in Montreal, Canada where he met his beloved Tess. He became an Oil Refinery Manager and an Environmental Services Manager, and most importantly, a husband and a dad raising his family in Quebec, Ontario, and Alberta.
After his retirement in 1994, Alan and Tess bought a house in Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island. Alan was an active parishioner and community member wherever he lived, and volunteered regularly with the Salvation Army, Kairos, Development and Peace and was always readily available to those in need.
He enjoyed so many friendships including the ones he made through Church, the Newcomers Group and The Qualicum Seniors Centre.
Alan, once a Barbershop Singer, loved music and theatre and was an avid reader. He was particularly fond of First Nations Arts on Vancouver Island. He loved to walk and explore.
Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 am on Friday, December 8th, 2017 at the Church of the Ascension, 887 Wembley Rd, Parksville, BC.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Mana Homeless Society, the Salvation Army or a charity of your choice.
Rest in Peace. We love you. You will forever be in our hearts.
To send a condolence to the family please visit www.yatesmemorial.ca
YATES MEMORIAL SERVICES * 250-248-5859
"Lives Cherished and Celebrated"