Advocate Jan 2014

118 VOL. 72 PART 1 JANUARY 2014
THE ADVOCATE
ice for the G & T’s in those days! Today his seven grandchildren and 11
great-grandchildren (the fifth generation on the island) are still able to be
exposed to many of the same experiences. Baba, as he was known to all in
the family, will always be in their memories.
Arthur was a loyal follower of many sports but particularly of the Lions.
He was one of the original season ticket holders. There was an audible sigh
of relief from Darrel when I became his seat partner as, eschewing the parking
lot at Empire Stadium, he preferred to walk blocks up the hill, rain or
dry, to park for free. He belonged to numerous service and social clubs
through the years, with perhaps his favourite being the now-gone Capilano
Winter Club, of which he was a founding member—more likely it was
because he once scored the elusive 8 ender curling there. Summer family
bonspiels in Nelson were a tradition. As he withdrew from practice at a far
earlier age than most of us, he turned to golf at Capilano Golf and Country
Club, where he and Darrel met yet another group of friends. Year after year,
they would pack their travel bags and head off for a month of golfing
through England and Portugal.
Arthur and Darrel travelled extensively and for extended periods, returning
many times to England and Europe, as well as in the other direction,
touring China when it was not yet stylish to do so. He loved fishing and
cruising the passages of B.C. in his endless string of boats, which he did well
into his 80s. That is no small undertaking, even for the younger among us.
Darrel loved just the cruising. Always ready to accept a challenge, they
moved their centre of operations to Vancouver Island, spending 12 idyllic
years near Duncan perfecting their golf and making yet another circle of
friends. At age 88, while both he and Darrel were in good health, Arthur
decided the time was right to be closer to their children and grandchildren.
They sold their house, pared down their life’s collection of things and took
up residence at Hollyburn House in West Vancouver, where they ruled for
another ten years. They continued to enjoy relative good health until Darrel
died in 2011, four months after their 70th wedding anniversary. Arthur
bore his loss and loneliness quietly, as a gentleman would. Always eager to
hear any news of his firm, he had kept in touch with his old partner Harvey
J. Grey, Q.C. Harvey died on February 8, and at his memorial on February
23 Arthur was able to hear the many fine tributes not only to Harvey
but also to himself and what he would always think of as his firm. He visibly
glowed to be in the company of his colleagues once again.
Arthur died eight days later, at 99 years of age, after a mercifully brief
time in hospital. His birthday two weeks earlier had been a particularly
happy event for him, being surprised by little great-grandchildren holding