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Deaths & Funerals

HALLIWELL, J.C. "Buck" March 15th, 1927 - December 7th, 2012 Buck passed away peacefully at V.G.H. with his wife Jean at his side. Thank you to Dr. J. Laing and the doctors and nurses at V.G.H. and R.J.H.

HALLIWELL, J.C. "Buck"

March 15th, 1927 - December 7th, 2012

Buck passed away peacefully at V.G.H. with his wife Jean at his side. Thank you to Dr. J. Laing and the doctors and nurses at V.G.H. and R.J.H. Cancer Care, the Lab Outreach girls and the paramedics for the wonderful care over the past two years.

No service by request.

THOMAS, Vera

January 29, 1933 (Westholme, BC) December 9, 2012 (Victoria, BC)

Predeceased by Abraham Morris her mate of 61 years; sons Abraham Jr, William, Roger (Chuck), Fred, Gerald. Vera is survived and will be missed by Arlene (Jim) Manship, Karen (Greg Seyour), Brenda Thomas, Steve (Amy) Thomas, John Thomas and Rob (Holly) Thomas; many grandchildren and great grandchildren; siblings Peter (Rose) Emery, Marie Gate; along with 100's of relatives and friends throughout the West coast of BC. Vera was dedicated to family and committed to her culture and shared her teachings with all those who would listen. She leaves many fond memories of her work ethic, her generosity and her thoughtful, respectful and caring nature.

Both the prayer service 7pm Wednesday, December 12th and the Funeral Service at 9: 30 Thursday December 13, 2012 will be held at the Esquimalt Longhouse.

BOWLES, Bramwell Lionel

Born November 19th, 1926 in Winnipeg Manitoba. Passed away December 6th, 2012. He was predeceased by his parents, William Horace Bowles and Amelia Fanny Bowles; his sister. Ellen Ivy Gold and his brother, William Horace Bowles. Bram was an expert mechanic in Victoria last working at Empress Motors before finishing his work career with Saanich Municipality. He was very involved with Victoria Minor Hockey, Greater Victoria Box Lacrosse Association and Saanich Box Lacrosse Association. Bram is survived by Betty, his wife of 62 yrs; his children Kim, Marc and Dennise, along with their families and 8 grandchildren, 3 great grandchildren and 2 in the oven and his sister, Grace Wilson.

The service will be conducted by Reverend Dave Perry from McCall Bros., Johnson & Vancouver Streets in Victoria at 11: 00 am on Friday, December 14th. Condolences may be offered to the family at www.mccallbros.com.

CURKOVIC, Mirko

September 16, 1935 - December 10, 2012

Mirko Curkovic passed away peacefully in Victoria on Monday, December 10th. He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Bozena and their child, Art (Susie) and grand-daughters, Zara and Eva. He is also survived by brothers, sisters and loving family in Hamilton and in Croatia. Mirko was well known for his business, MBC Sausages, in Broadmead Village, Victoria, BC. He had a passion for history, politics, and his poetry. Special thanks to Dr. Slobodian and the doctors and nurses at VGH, Royal Jubilee and the BC Cancer Agency.

Prayers will be offered on Wednesday, December 12th at 7: 00 pm at St. Leopold Mandic Croatian Church, 4081 Gordon Head, Saanich, BC. Mass of Catholic Burial will be celebrated at St. Leopold Mandic Church on Thursday, December 13th at 11: 00 am with interment to follow at Royal Oak Burial Park. Reception to follow at the Croatian Church Hall. Condolences may be offered to the family at www.mccallbros.com.

DAVIS, Liam

April 22, 1970 - December 9, 2012.

It is with great sadness we announce the sudden death of our beloved son Liam. He was a gentle giant inside and out, and he loved to laugh. He was a loving & caring son. He worked for BC Ferries for the past 11 years and would often tell us "I love my job". He also loved camping, nature, his motorbike and animals. My last sweet memory of Liam that day was him giving our dog Paddy a bath in the tub. Left to mourn are his parents Sean & Susan Davis, his sister Shannon Davis and his aunts, uncles & cousins.

Liam will be cremated & his family will have a private seaside farewell.

I'll love you forever I'll like you for always, As long as I'm living My baby you'll be.

Online condolences may be offered at www.hwwallacecbc.com

GRIEVE, Norman Noel

December 24, 1921 to December 10, 2012

It is with deep sadness that the family of Norman Grieve announce his passing on, December 10, 2012. He died peacefully with his loving wife Edna by his side. Norman was born in New Westminster, BC on Christmas Eve 1921. He served overseas in World War II, in the Canadian Army. After the war he attended UBC and the University of Durham in England, and graduated in dentistry from Durham in 1953. He returned to Canada and practiced dentistry in New Westminster until his retirement. After retiring he undertook dentistry aid terms in Inuvik and Montserrat, but mainly devoted his time to his gardening and other interests. Except for his times in England, Norman lived in BC, including New Westminster, Burnaby, North Surrey, South Pender Island, Creston and most recently Victoria. Norman was an accomplished amateur singer. His warm, rich voice graced the bass sections of numerous secular and church choirs over many years, and he also enraptured many with his frequent solo performances. The choirs he belonged to included the Vancouver Bach Choir, whose executive he served on as president for a time. His hobbies included golf, fishing and sailing, activities he loved to share with his son, David. Norman enjoyed classical music and reading history and literature. He was an avid walker and gardener, and enjoyed spending time with family. Norman is survived by his wife of 67 years Edna, his son David (Susan) and granddaughters Emily and Janine (Sean). He was predeceased by his brothers Donald, Gordon and Ralph.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, December 14, 2012 at 2: 00 pm at First Memorial Funeral Services, 1155 Fort Street, Victoria. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the SPCA.

HOBBS, Patrick Ross Danby

August 11, 1955 - December 5, 2012

Loving father, son, brother, and friend. Passed away suddenly in Victoria on Wednesday, December 5. Predeceased by his mother and father, Pat leaves behind his son, Ross, family and friends. He was a man who loved the bounties that living on the Coast offers, including motorcycles, canoes, kayaks, hiking, fishing and the range. He had a wicked sense of humour and loved to laugh. His mission in life was to help people "have a spectacular day!"

A Memorial Reception will be held at McCall Bros. Family Centre, Johnson & Vancouver Streets, on Friday, December 14th at 3: 00 pm. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to your charity of choice. Condolences to the family may be offered at www.mccallbros.com.

ROLLIE, Allen Bernice Jr.

September 4th, 1946 - December 1st, 2012

Allen passed away suddenly at his home in Victoria, British Columbia, on the 1st of December 2012. Born in Gallup, New Mexico, to Leone and Allen Rollie Sr., Allen is survived by his loving wife Margaret Bell, his children Matthew and Adrienne Rollie, his sisters Arlene High and Karen Head, his mother-in-law Jean Bell, and a large contingent of extended family and friends. After raising his family and practising psychology in Kingston, Ontario, Allen and his wife Meg retired to British Columbia, where they split their time between Victoria and Pender Island. He had a passion for art, music, and photography, and found the West Coast to be the perfect place to pursue those loves. Allen was a wonderful cook, who loved to entertain, and celebrate life with his many close friends. He touched the lives of so many people from many different walks of life, and will be sorely missed by all.

Visitation will be held at McCall Bros, Johnson at Vancouver St. (250-385-4465), on Wednesday, December 12th between 6: 30 and 8: 30. Funeral Service will be celebrated at McCall Bros, on Thursday, December 13th at 2: 00pm, with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to either the Stephen Lewis Foundation, or The Mustard Seed Food Bank in Victoria.

PREST, Norman J. "Pete"

December 9, 1920 - December 5, 2012

Passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family at Cairnsmore Place, Duncan, BC, just short of his 92nd Birthday. Pete was born in Drumheller, Alberta and grew up in the Cowichan Valley. He joined the RCAF in 1941 as a pilot and was discharged from the service as a Flight Lieutenant September 1945. He was active in sports, a member of the Cowichan Golf and Country Club, Duncan Curling Club, Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce, the King's Daughters' Hospital, the Zenith Gyro Club and the Victoria Chapter of the Society of Real Estate Appraisers. Pete was involved in Real Estate, insurance, mortgages, an appraiser and co-owner of H.W. Dickie Limited for over 20 years. Pete is survived by his beloved wife Elaine, and his 3 children, Jim (Suzanne), Janice (Bruce) Leaman, Valerie (Bruce) Anderson, and his grandchildren Wendy Anderson, Kathy (Neil) Bouma, Lori (Kevin) Wright, Trevor (Nicole) Prest, and Ryan Leaman. He delighted in his great-grandchildren; Alexis & Carter Bouma, Will and Emma Wright, and Luke, Sage and Jesse Prest. Pete is also survived by his sister-in-law Jo-Ann Prest and several nieces and their families. Pete was predeceased by his sister Dorothy (Gordon) Stone, and brother Doug Prest.

A memorial service will be held at the Duncan United Church on Friday, December 14th, 2012 at 1pm. In lieu of flowers donations to Cairnsmore Place or the Canadian Diabetes Society would be greatly appreciated. The family would once again like to extend their deepest gratitude to the dedicated staff at Cairnsmore Place for their tender loving care of Pete, husband, Dad, Granddad and Great Granddad. Online condolences may be offered at www.hwwallacecbc.com

REDA, Mario

Passed away at Victoria General Hospital on December 7, 2012 surrounded by his family. Born in Dipignano, Cosenza, Italy on July 4, 1934, he is lovingly remembered by his wife of 56 years, Maria; his daughter, Laura (Frank) Cortese; sons, Louie and Gino (Kelly); grandchildren, Christina, Francesca, Nicholas, Jordan, Nicole and Hayley; as well as many brothers, sisters and extended family in Italy.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at HOLY CROSS CATHOLIC CHURCH, 4049 Gordon Head Rd., on Friday, December 14, 2012 at 1: 00 pm. Entombment will follow at Royal Oak Mausoleum. A special thanks to the staff at Luther Court who cared for him, and a special thank-you to Brenda who went beyond the call of duty for him. Donations may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society.

Condolences may be offered to the family at www.mccallbros.com

VARCOE-WILLIAM, (Bill) James

Passed away after a lengthy illness on December 7, 2012 in Victoria, BC. He was born December 18, 1936 in Calgary, Alberta. Predeceased by his sister Pat and his brother-in-law Jerry Yarmie. He is survived by his loving wife Molly, his sons Dennis and Phil (Brenda), his sister Ann (Harold) Westendorp, brother Tom(Gloria) Jackson, grandson Christopher and his mother Kathy and his great granddaughter Madisen. He is also survived by his in-laws Anne (Jerry) Kirker, John (Elaine) Yarmie, Andy (Cherril) Yarmie, Steve (Carole) Yarmie, Nick (Marge) Yarmie and numerous nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 2pm on Friday, December 14, 2012 at Sequoia Gardens Memorial, 4665 Falaise Drive with Stephen Swift officiating. Reception to follow. In lieu of flowers donations to the BC Lung Association would be appreciated. www.bc.lung.ca. The family would like to thank the Staff at Victoria General and Royal Jubilee Hospital as well as Dr. Kelly and Dr. Sanders for all their care.

SIMMONDS, Brenda Lynne November 27, 1949 - December 7, 2012

Brenda Lynne (Hutton) Simmonds

Brenda passed peacefully with family by her side at her beachfront home in Royston on Friday, December 7th, 2012. Born November 27th, 1949 in Cumberland, BC, she was the daughter of John and Edna Mae Hutton (Watson). She is survived by her loving husband Richard Simmonds (36 years); three wonderful children Erin, Katie, and Greg; and sister Gail Ross (husband Ron).

Brenda was an outstanding and dedicated educator. Throughout her more than 30 years in teaching, Brenda impacted the lives of many students, parents, and colleagues. She shared her passion for reading and lifelong learning with all who knew her. As a friend, teacher, principal, and mentor, Brenda will be missed by all.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the BC Cancer Foundation. To honour her love of reading and passion for teaching you can donate a favourite book to the Victoria School District care of Mr. John Gaiptman at 556 Boleskin Rd, Victoria, V8Z 1E8.

In celebration of Brenda, we will be hosting an afternoon tea Sunday, Dec 16th from 1-4 pm at Monterey Middle School.

"May we all live lives as worthy of celebration and joyful reflection as Brenda's."