May 20, 2022
In Loving Memory ~
Brian ("Bim") Biart passed away peacefully in North Island Hospital, Comox Valley, BC on Friday, May 20, 2022, with family at his side.
He is survived by nieces and nephews and their families in Canada, Australia, England and the US, together with his Australian sisters-in-law Julie and Elizabeth, as well as close friends. He was predeceased by Lyn, the love of his life and wife of 35 years, and by his parents, Eugene and Mildred, and sisters Betty, Beatrice (Bunty) and Barbara.
Brian was born in 1930 in Vancouver, BC, and spent his early years there and in Burnaby. Following World War II, he and his mother moved to Saltair on Vancouver Island. On graduating from Ladysmith High School in 1948 Brian became a commercial teller at a local bank, but abandoned this vocation after a summer searching for a 59¢ discrepancy in the ledgers. He moved on to help develop Yellow Point Lodge, where his sisters worked in various capacities, including building its monumental saltwater pool.
In 1954 Brian entered the University of British Columbia, intending on a career such as forestry or fisheries. In the summers, he prospected in northern BC and Yukon. He enjoyed tennis, golf and sailing, and was a keen outdoorsman, devoted duck hunter and avid fisherman.
When Brian's focus shifted to commerce, business interests took him to Calgary to work with Canadian Steel Strapping, Con-Spec, and then WR Grace. Ever the entrepreneur, he and several friends bought a quarter section on Columbia Lake in the East Kootenays. They put in roads, developed lots for sale and built their own cottages.
In the late 60's and through the '70s, Brian had various managerial positions with WR Grace in Alberta and BC. In 1978, Brian met Lyn, and they married 5 years later in Sydney, Australia. For the next 8 years they lived in Vancouver, enjoying their cottage at Kye Bay, Comox, at every opportunity. In 1991, Lyn and Brian moved to the Island permanently.
Keen travellers, they made trips to Australia, Hawaii, the US, and across Canada. At their Comox home, they hosted spirited gatherings and delicious meals with family and friends.
Brian was an avid reader, and loved discussing politics and history. Both he and Lyn were civically engaged and participated in several federal election campaigns. Game, fun and mischievous, he had a wicked sense of humour and was always up for a good debate.
And to the end of his life, Brian fostered warm, close and unique relationships with his nieces and nephews, and their partners and children, on both sides of the Pacific Ocean.
The family wishes to thank Drs. Tanja Daws and Stephen Matous, as well as the health professionals at North Island Hospital, for their ongoing, compassionate care. The dedicated support of Nurse Next Door (Rachel Hagen, Marlene Louch and Susan Smith) was also deeply appreciated. Lastly, we would like to express heartfelt gratitude to Brian's neighbours and friends, who contributed to his independence and quality of life in myriad ways.
We encourage you to remember Brian by visiting www.piercysmtwashingtonfuneral.com.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of BC and the BC Lung Foundation. A celebration of life will be held in the near future.
