A life well lived. It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Ronald Wilfred Steele on October 14th at the age of 82. Ron battled Parkinson’s and Lymphoma and passed peacefully at home with Lori and Michael by his side. He will be deeply missed by his close family, including grandsons Andrew and Benjamin, daughter Lori (Nickerson) and son Michael, sister Lois (Thompson) and brother-in-law David, brother Alan, sister Norma, brother Murray and sister-in-law Corinne, dear friend Gudrun as well as a community of extended family, friends and neighbors.
Ron was born in Naicam Saskatchewan, and only a year later his family moved to the West Coast – first Victoria, then Prince Rupert (where his dad served as a shipwright in the war), Port Alberni, then Parksville where Ron and siblings enjoyed many happy years fishing, boating and living life on 10 acres by the ocean. They took trips back to Saskatchewan to visit grandparents on the farm, and in 1954, the family moved back to Victoria.
Ron attended the carpentry program at Victoria High School and learned mechanics by fixing up vintage cars. He enjoyed being a YMCA camp leader and taking family trips to Mudge Island where he helped his parents build a small cabin on the ‘sunny side’. After he graduated, Ron and brother-in-law David raced canoes along the Gorge waterway with the Victoria Canoe Club and won three years in a row. He helped build the Green Mountain ski lodge (now a Marmot reserve) and skied the Alps during a six month trip to Europe.
Ron worked on the tugboats for a few years, hauling booms up and down Vancouver Island before he started working as a firefighter with the Victoria Fire Department in 1962, retiring as Assistant Chief 35 years later. After retirement, he stayed connected to the Victoria Fire Department as a volunteer with their Historical Society, fixing up vintage fire trucks and steamers and driving them in parades.
Ron married Joan (Dickinson) in 1970, and they designed and built their home together before bringing newborn son Michael home from the hospital. Daughter Lori arrived two years later and the busy parents built an off-grid cabin on Ruxton Island with help from friends and family. Ron volunteered as a Cub and Scout leader and also worked as a tile setter on his days off to bring in extra money for his family.
Ron was an amazing father and grandfather, passing on his love of nature, strong work ethic, practicality and most importantly, his wit. He stayed fit by taking long (fast!) daily walks and pulling out invasive scotch broom plants along the way. He had an eventful life full of many ‘Snowbird’ ski trips, river trips, cruises, camper trips, sailing, crabbing and fishing with friends, but his favorite destination was always Ruxton Island. He spent many sun-filled days at his cabin with his son, daughter, grandchildren, and neighbors, hosting happy hour swim parties at the beach. We will remember Ron sitting happily on the deck of his cabin, gazing out to sea, watching the boats go by.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Dec. 3rd at 2pm, at First Memorial, 4725 Falaise Dr. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the BC Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund at burnfund.org.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.17