September 11, 1949 - March 17, 2018
On a bright sunny afternoon - March 17th, Gareth left our midst; much too soon for his partner, his friends and his family.
Born in Paris, Ontario or, as he would say, the other Paris, Gareth came to BC and made the Kootenays his home in the early 1970's where he met a crowd of other young adventurers looking to be part of the community that was forming in the Nelson area. Gareth, with his close friend Linda, bought a property in Sproule Creek and he had a vision and a passion to restore the house and tame the landscape.
After receiving a diploma from Selkirk College he spent most of his career in forestry reconnaissance, identifying trees and plant species. Gareth could tell you about the best hikes in the East and West Kootenays and other regions in the province, most of which he explored either through work or in his spare time.
Another of his passions was travel. Along with other parts of the world, he explored most of the South American countries extensively and lived in Argentina for a time, travelling and learning the language, culture, traditions, and food.
He was part of the original food co-op which morphed into the current Kootenay Co-op. He hosted a Victoria Day Tea on his property for the better part of 35 years. It was a quirky, colourful event attended by his close friends. He was also known for being a great friend to the community and would offer his home to those just starting out in the area or who might need a place to regroup. He was an amazing friend to many people. More recently Gareth was President of the Taghum Hall and was instrumental in securing grants and overseeing the recent upgrades. To honour his contribution there is now a room in the Hall named after him.
Gareth leaves behind a multitude of friends and family that will miss him, especially his life partner of 23 years, Peter Wilson. Peter's loving and constant support was a great comfort to Gareth during his illness. Gareth also leaves behind his sister Cheryl (Chris) and his brother Brian (Nancy). Gareth was predeceased by his father Robert and his mother Gloria. His former wife, Maggie, lives in Vancouver.
Gareth loved nature, his partner, his friends and his community. His quick wit and great sense of humour will be missed and fondly remembered by all of us who were fortunate to be part of his life.
Join us in a memorial and celebration of his life on August 11, 2018 at Taghum Hall at 1:00 in the afternoon.
Donations in Gareth's name can be made to Taghum Hall.