John Milton Kuby

John Kuby was an athlete, pool shark, schoolteacher, salesman, entrepreneur, music lover, snowboarder, mountain biker, husband, father, and friend to many. He was also the biggest show off you ever met. Late into his sixties he kept up with people half his age on the trails and slopes.

He was predeceased by his parents, John and Joyce, and his sister Sharon. He is survived by Linda, the love of his life; his sons Jeffrey and Michael; Jeff’s wife Connie, and daughter Harlow; Linda’s children Kirsten and Kyle; his stepson Donovan; and Debbie Pankratz, the mother of his boys. Finally, his brother Sandy (Rita), and sisters Shenta (Gary), Callie (Tom) and D-Anne, as well as extended family all over Canada.

John was born in Sherridon, Manitoba, and lived in the small mining town of Lynn Lake until he was 13, when the family moved to Winnipeg. He was a star volleyball player at Silver Heights Collegiate and was the first line center on every hockey team he ever played on.

He taught school in Manitoba and Calgary before moving to Edmonton in 1978, where he opened a parent/teacher store called Play and Learn. That led to many contacts in the education world where John really found his niche. He founded a company called PlayWorks and grew it from a one-man operation into the largest playground and waterpark design and installation firm in Alberta, with a staff of 18 which built facilities all over Western Canada. His legacy is enjoyed by thousands of children to this day.

As an avid lover of music, the Edmonton Folk Festival was an annual ritual that brought family and friends together. It was there that he met Linda, and often felt his happiest.

In 2016 he was stricken with tongue cancer and began a long road to recovery, which began with the sale of PlayWorks and subsequent move with Linda to their dream home overlooking the Puntledge River estuary in Comox, B.C. Between John’s snowboarding and mountain biking, and Linda’s involvement in the community, they quickly built a large community of friends. John wrote a blog about his cancer journey and later turned it into a book called No Quit In Me, with the intention of helping others navigate their journeys with cancer.

John continued to be plagued by fatigue and infection issues related to the radiation treatments he received during his battle. He spent a week in the ICU at the Comox Hospital in mid October, where he finally succumbed to a heart attack. The care he received until the end was incredible, and the family would like to thank all his nurses and doctors for everything they did.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday October 29th, at the Merville Hall at 1245 Fenwick Rd, Merville, BC (15 minutes North of Courtenay/Comox on the North Island Highway). There will be a celebration service between 4:00pm and 5:00pm followed by a buffet, drinks and a chance to reminisce into the evening. We invite everyone to attend.

In Lieu of flowers, please make a donation to a charity that supports the welfare of children or the environment.

If you have any questions, please contact Jeff Kuby at 1-604-308-6175.