Brian George Watt

Brian George Watt, 78, of Surrey, British Columbia, died May 8th, 2024. Brian, loving husband of Eloise Watt, passed away surrounded by family after a long battle with cancer.

Brian joined the RCMP from Burnaby, BC in March 1965. He was posted to several detachments in Alberta early in his career (including the small town of Oyen where both of their children were born). After 3 years as an RCMP self-defence instructor in Regina, the family was posted to Toronto, where Brian completed an MBA and became a key investigator in the Commercial Crime Section (which took him on white-collar crime investigations all around the world) as well as teaching part-time at McMaster University. After receiving a commission as an officer he was posted to Edmonton and Ottawa, and then promoted and transferred to Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories (assuming the Commanding Officer position during his time there).

Their four years in the North was very special for Brian and Eloise. Highlights included transiting the Northwest Passage aboard a Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker, hiking Pangnirtung Pass on Baffin Island, and visiting Alexandra Fjord on Ellesmere Island.

After a stint as Commanding Officer of “F” Division, (Saskatchewan), Brian was promoted to Deputy Commissioner and returned to the West Coast (after 33 years away) as Commanding Officer of the RCMP’s “Pacific Region” (British Columbia and the Yukon). He retired from the Force in 2002, and he and Eloise remained in Surrey where they have focused their time on world travel, spending time with family and friends, cooking and hosting, attending live theatre, and of course, for Brian, golfing (where he was known for his passion for wearing shorts year-round).

Brian is survived by his wife Eloise, their two adult children, Rob and Kirsten and their two granddaughters, Mal and India.

A Memorial Service will be held at 12:00 pm on Friday, June 7th, at Victory Memorial Park Funeral Centre, in Surrey, BC. In lieu of flowers mourners are asked to make donations to the ALS Society of Canada, the Canadian Cancer Society, or Diabetes Canada.