Delbert Hugh Bulmer

Del died on Wednesday, April 9th after a brief but heroic battle with blood cancer. Del was born on April 26, 1939 to Mary Mashiniski and Delbert Alderson Bulmer in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan.

Del led a full and varied life which began in the prairies where he grew up working in various family businesses – including ranching, transportation and fishing. He then moved to Yellowknife, NWT where he entered the mining industry, starting his career at Giant gold mine. It is in Yellowknife where his fancy was taken by a pretty young teacher named Patricia Michalik – a woman he would spend the next 63 years of his life with and who would be at his bedside the day he died. Yellowknife was also where he would start his family, having his two sons there.

After Yellowknife Pat & Del moved briefly to Edmonton, AB where they had their third child – a daughter – and where Del attended the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.

Mining then took the family to Fraser Lake, BC in 1967, a beloved place where the couple spent several decades before retiring to Victoria, BC in 1989.

Among Del’s passions were fishing, golfing and curling but his primary passion was people: he was a born storyteller who loved nothing better than being surrounded by friends and family to hear him spin his yarns – and the people he spun them to liked nothing better than listening. He was a caring, gentle human being who could always be counted on for support from everyone and anyone who needed it. To say he will be missed is a tremendous understatement.

He is predeceased by his brothers Garnet & James and is survived by his sister Helen, his brothers David, Danny & Donny, his wife Pat, his children Albert, James and Kelly, his granddaughter Athena as well as his two Daughters-in-law Monica and Lyn.

The service will be a private family affair so in lieu of flowers, donations to the Victoria Hospitals Foundation would be most appreciated as they provided excellent support and care to him in his final days.