Byron Leslie Wilson

June 23, 1927 - July 17, 2019
Byron Leslie Wilson born June 23, 1927 Zealandia, Saskatchewan passed away peacefully July 17th, 2019 at age 92 years in Duncan, British Columbia. He is survived by his wife of sixty-nine years Vera Eileen Rowat, daughter Linda Karen (David Redd), four grandchildren Byron (Rosanna Wiebe), Amelia (deceased), Emma, Cassidy, Jocelyn, Karen (Douglas Dick) Charles, Lydia , Gordon; Monica (David Harker) Blake, Claire, Rose; Jeffrey(Katelyn Olson) Kamryn, Aubrey, and his siblings Archie Wilson and Emily Quarmby.
He was predeceased by his parents Leslie Campbell Wilson & Rose Lilian Oswell, siblings George Edward, Frederick Brownlie, Donald Rhodes, and Albert Ernest Wilson and great granddaughter Amelia Mercedes Redd.
Born to & raised in a Saskatchewan farming family, Byron learned to work hard and long. He farmed spring, summer, early fall with his family and began going to Vancouver Island, BC for winters working in the Chemainus Mill. After a few years he moved permanently to the Cowichan Valley where he later met and married Vera Eileen Rowat in 1950, and raised their daughter Linda.
He was well informed about people, places, happenings and vocabulary. He learned by listening, observing and working. He loved crossword puzzles.
Byron's main occupation was skillful professional driving. He drove taxis, the ambulance, a lumber carrier in the mill yard of Hillcrest Lumber Company in Mesachie Lake and drove the work bus. He then delivered furnace oil to homes, gasoline from Victoria to stations in the Cowichan Valley and worked many years hauling fuel up mountainous logging roads servicing logging equipment up and down the Island.
His long-time interests were curling, boating, waterskiing, salmon fishing, running , golfing, growing vegetable gardens and picking blackberries.
He won many curling trophies and was a volunteer worker when the Duncan Curling Rink, now the Glen Harper Curling Centre was constructed. His premier curling achievement was representing B.C. with Vera, Glen and Margaret Harper in the 1966 Canadian Mixed Curling Championships in Fort William, Ontario.
He recently curled with the Senior's in the daytime Mixed league in Duncan.
Summers on Shawnigan Lake at the "Dolphins" and on Lake Cowichan at Honeymoon Bay are treasured memories for him and his family.
He started running in the late 1970's . For many years he was an active runner with the CeeVacs Running Club He competed in several BC Senior Summer Games where he won mainly gold and silver medals in sprint, relay and long-distance events.
Late last summer or early fall he was walking with his clubs playing nine holes at Mount Brenton Golf course. He and Vera spent 14 winters in California, and it was there that Byron got a hole in one.
His family wishes to express gratitude to his physician, Dr. Y. Sohn and the staff at Cowichan District Hospital for their loving care & support of Byron and his family in his final few weeks.
A Memorial Service will be held on Tuesday, August 6th at 11:30 am Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1815 Tzouhalem Rd, Duncan, BC; just before Providence Farm.