Mr. Gary Frederick Prior

Taken from us all too soon, our beloved Gary passed away suddenly at home while sitting in his favorite chair.

Gary is predeceased by his parents Fred and Irene Prior, his loving wife Ada of 44 years, and his cherished Audriana.

He leaves to mourn his sister Nola (Lorenzo), nephew Christopher (Brandy), niece Meghan (Andrew), great-niece Logan, great-nephew Colten, treasured cousin Teri Anne (Michael) and many other family and friends.

Born in New Westminster, Gary attended school at Herbert Spencer Elementary, Vincent Massey Junior High and graduated high school from Centennial Senior Secondary. He was an only child for eleven years until his sister Nola brightened his life with her presence. They had a special brother/sister bond right to the end.

Always adventurous, Gary left home at 20 to make his own way. He worked for, and retired from the Liquor Control Board. He had an avid and lifelong love for sports; in his younger years he played hockey, lacrosse and tennis. Later in life he was hooked on golfing and bowling.

At the age of 22 Gary’s life was forever changed when Ron, his best friend at the time, introduced him to Ada Margery Jacklin. Ada became his beloved wife and lifelong partner. They married in 1972 and lived all of their married life on the lower mainland.

Gary and Ada enjoyed a rich life with family and friends; favorite activities were vacationing at Cultus Lake and relaxing at their Washington State-Birch Bay property. They loved collecting trinkets of all kinds, the more the better. Gary and Ada never had any children of their own; however, their life together was enriched by Teri Anne and her daughter Audriana, whom they embraced like a daughter and granddaughter.

Gary was known for his generosity, great sense of humor and an ability to make friends wherever he went. He loved to play games, and his competitive spirit often shone through when he played crib as this was a favorite. He was an extremely shrewd poker player and often took pleasure playing at the local casino. He was a tremendous tease and could be known to think up the craziest nicknames.

Gary was known to be sentimental and would often take a drive through the parts of the city where he grew up, and talk about “the good old days”.

He loved his family deeply and was devoted to those he held close in his heart. He will be profoundly missed by all who knew and loved him.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Saturday July 6th, 2019 at 1:00pm at First Memorial Burkeview Chapel located at 1340 Dominion Avenue, Port Coquitlam with a reception to follow.