Brian John Havens

It is with warm memories of a life well lived his way, that we share the news of the passing of our beloved Brian, 68, after a yearlong battle with cancer. He will be missed and lovingly remembered by wife of 46 years Cheryl, sons Jay (Aaron), Corey (Tina) and best Papa ever to Jonathan and Claire.

Brian was born in Brantford, Ontario to parents Betty and Earl and was the younger brother to Bob and Bill. In 1993, BJ/”Beege” moved to Abbotsford, British Columbia with his young family and carried on with his job at Kraft Foods where his career spanned over 30 years in Ontario and BC. He was endearingly known as “The Cheese Guy” due to the passion for his work which won him sales awards and respect in both the food industry and his community. Brian spent many years outdoors camping, golfing and spent many years coaching minor baseball.

Brian showed his love for others through his generosity and random acts of kindness. He was always there for his family and friends, even in his days of illness he would check in to make sure we were doing OK. He had a great sense of humour and found joy in making people laugh. He loved to entertain and cook for family and friends. Brian’s parties were legendary. The more the merrier was his motto and no one ever left hungry! Of course, his love for music helped to set any mood with a collection of non-stop tunes and genres.

After retirement, Brian fulfilled his dream of being a snow bird during the winter months in Palm Springs where he made a new circle of friends in his desert oasis. A new retirement skill that brought him much pleasure was the making and sharing of his homemade berry jam.

A celebration of Brian’s Life will be held later in the year when outdoor gatherings are permitted. In lieu of flowers, a donation to the Cancer Society or your local Food Bank would be appreciated. Our family offers our heartfelt thanks to those who provided the many forms of support during this difficult time. The phone calls, cards, floral tributes, messages of condolences, as well as those who made food and charitable donations, please accept this acknowledgement as an expression of our deepest gratitude.

To view a picture tribute of his life go to – bjhavens.com

Your presence we sorely miss, your memories we will always treasure.

Loving you always. Forgetting you never.