Skip to content

Obituaries: Hayes; Harcus; Talbot; Tatham; Valentine

Ryder Gordon Edward Hayes May 7, 1993 - January 30, 2016 Ryder passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Saturday, January 30. He was predeceased by his dad Gary in 2009 and is survived by his mom Marci and younger brothers Levi and Griffin.
Obituaries

Ryder Gordon Edward Hayes

May 7, 1993 - January 30, 2016

Ryder passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Saturday, January 30. He was predeceased by his dad Gary in 2009 and is survived by his mom Marci and  younger brothers Levi and Griffin.

Ryder will be lovingly remembered by his grandfather Gordon Hayes; aunts and uncles Cheryl and Randy Moore, Les and Michele Baloun, Keith and Pat Hayes, Mike Hayes and Diana and Grant Rogers; cousins Meghan, Ethan, Liam, Aidan, Kristen, Stephanie, Layla, Sophia, Lee, Amanda and Bryce; and two very close cousins Tyler and Kelsey McLeod.

A service will be announced at a later date.

You are my sunshine…


Roy Harcus

January 26, 1952 - November 22, 2015

Roy of my heart passed away suddenly and peacefully November 22. Roy did both the large and not so small things for me in our life together. He was always gentle, generous and thoughtful. He always spoke and acted from his heart.

Roy was an inventive, talented person, who readily shared his skills with others. He designed, initiated and worked to build the Lund Gazebo, turning it into a community project. He also worked on rebuilding the Lund boardwalk and built two sailboats.

Roy was born in Vancouver and grew up in Penticton. From catching rattlesnakes, rebuilding farm equipment, skiing and racing go carts while growing up, to organizing the water-based solar run Okeover Festival music events (our woodshed the stage, a flattened piece of beach our dance floor), Roy was always on the move.

Roy was loved and is missed by myself, his family and many friends. Family members left behind are his life partner Patricia MacPherson, her daughter Crystal Ready and son-in-law Shane; his sister Anne Gougeon and niece Kristen Hughes; and Patricia’s brother Ron Miller and his wife Allayne Ferguson.

There will be a gathering for Roy at the Lund Gazebo on Saturday, April 2. Potluck, music, enjoy your friends as Roy would have liked. Please bring your own dishes and cutlery.


Douglas Theodore Talbot

It is with sad hearts we announce the passing of Doug. He was born in the Lower Mainland on August 27, 1960, and moved to Powell River at the age of 15.

Doug graduated from Max Cameron Secondary School in 1979 and returned to the Lower Mainland. He suffered a brain injury as the result of a motor vehicle accident in 1988 and spent years recovering.

Doug moved to Texada in 2012, took up residence at the hotel and was a permanent fixture there. Very much a social person, Doug enjoyed interacting with the patrons. His favourite expression was “excuse me...” at which the standard response he expected was that there was no excuse for him.

Doug was diagnosed with lung cancer in November, and after a short but aggressive bout, succumbed on January 24, 2016. There will be a celebration of life on Monday, February 29 (because it is a leap year and Doug would have liked that), at Royal Canadian Legion Texada Branch 232, from 2-5 pm.


Charles Murray Tatham

November 8, 1925 - February 3, 2016

To the tune of a Scottish ballad, Charlie said goodbye. He was born in Woodstock, ON, the eldest of Charles (C.O.) Tatham and Anna J.J. Murray’s six children.

Charlie joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1943 when he turned 17 and became a pilot officer, serving on the east coast and in England. On his return home after the war, he co-owned a wholesale hardware business with his father and brother Sid, and in 1948 married his sweetheart, Millie Skinner. Over the next 40 years, Charlie enjoyed the give and take of municipal politics, including his election as mayor of Woodstock at the age of 32, warden of Oxford County, ON, and MPP in the Ontario Legislature. In 1963, at the height of the cold war, Charlie had the opportunity to visit Russia on a goodwill mission as a representative of YMCA Canada.

Throughout his lifetime, Charlie volunteered for many organizations, including Canadian Cancer Society, Liberal Party of Canada and local libraries. He was a member of Royal Canadian Legion and president of Woodstock Agricultural Society. Charlieʼs concern for soil conservation and land use was reflected in his membership in the Soil Conservation Society of America, Upper Thames River Conservation Authority, Ontario Forestry Association and Oxford Soil and Crop Association.

Upon his retirement, Charlie and Millie moved to Powell River, where he continued to be involved with the library board and co-founded Powell River Community Foundation. Charlie had a great sense of humour, wrote poetry, enjoyed a good read of history and politics, and loved a singsong around the piano.

Charlie is lovingly remembered by his wife and best friend of over 67 years, Millie. Together they raised five children. Charlie was predeceased by his son Andy (Pati Morton) of Toronto, who passed away at age 27 from cancer. He will be greatly missed by children Charlene (Lee) Gavel of Vancouver, Patricia (Wess) Garrod of Yarker, ON, Daniel (Carol) of Powell River and Peter (Maren) of Vancouver.

Charlie was a special grandfather to Erin, Andy, Georgia, Wes (Mel), Chad (Sarah), Kelly, Cam, Emma, Jack, Anna, Rebecca and Zak, great-grandpa to Felix, brother and brother-in-law to Margaret Lumsden of Canmore, AB, Sid Tatham of Woodstock, ON, Dr. Ruth Tatham of Guelph, ON, Ian Davis of Grand Bend, ON, Gord Skinner and Edna Chruszcz of Orillia, ON, and Don Skinner of Penetanguishene, ON. He will be fondly remembered by many cousins, nieces, nephews and their families.

Charlie was also predeceased by his brother George Tatham, sisters Elizabeth Davis, Ellen Tatham and in-laws Bill Lumsden, Marnie Tatham, Marg Skinner, Cas Chruszcz and June Skinner.

Special thanks go out to the dedicated Powell River Hospice Palliative Care team and Dr. Chao for their kind support and care. It was Charlie’s wish that his body be donated to the Faculty of Medicine at University of British Columbia.

There will be a family celebration of life later in the spring. Donations can be made to Terry Fox Foundation, Powell River Community Foundation, Powell River Public Library, Powell River Stroke Recovery Club or you can plant a tree in Charlie’s memory.

Charlie will be missed for his gentle wisdom, his consistent civility, his ready wit and his fine mind.
 

Maureen Grace Valentine (Welsh)

September 4, 1955 - January  8, 2016

It is with great sadness we announce the passing of our beloved mother, grandma, aunt and friend Maureen. She was born in Powell River and grew up on Joyce Avenue.

From a very young age, Maureen loved horses and spent time walking up to Wildwood to ride and care for them and then walked all the way back to Westview. She spent many years involved with Powell River Trail Riders Club and had a great love of animals.

Maureen would always help someone in need, lend an ear and give good advice. She worked in a shelter for women and children on the coast and more recently worked as a care aid for home support and then as a home-support scheduler in Powell River. She was a survivor and a fighter, surviving two battles with breast cancer. We lost her so suddenly, but we will always remember her laugh, her caring nature and her sense of humour and wit.

Maureen was predeceased by her parents Mary and Thomas Welsh and her brother Richard Welsh. She leaves behind her daughter Melanie Valentine, son Richard (Sara) Valentine and grandchildren “Grandma’s little angels” Xander, Mavrick and Bryce, brother Robert Welsh, numerous nieces and nephews and her many friends. Also left behind are Maureen’s little Jack Russell Terrier (Axle) and the horse (Kas) she shared with her daughter.

A celebration of life will be held at Carlson Community Club on Saturday, February 20, at 1:30 pm.

Love you, miss you, and you’ll forever be in our hearts and memories, Mom.