Harry Walker Webster
Born in Chuquicamata, Chile in 1930, Harry moved as an infant to La Paz, Bolivia. He attended school in La Paz until 1939, when at the age of nine he moved to a private school in Santiago, Chile. In April 1945 at age 15 he traveled on a liberty ship with his father and seventeen year old brother to New York, where they traveled overland to Vancouver.
Two years later he graduated from high school and entered the pre-med course at UBC. He was accepted into the first class of Medicine and graduated from there in 1954. His junior internship was spent at the Montreal General Hospital where he met his wife, Louise Colquhoun – they married in 1955 in Trois Rivieres, Quebec.
They moved to Vancouver where he trained for one year in surgery at Shaughnessy Hospital. In 1956 they moved to Port Alberni where he practiced family medicine for 34 years.
He was a member of the Kinsmen Club and later served two one-year terms on Port Alberni city council. He urged council to buy local waterfront property, which eventually became the Harbour Quay development.
He subsequently served seven years as the city representative on the Port Alberni Harbour commission. He helped form the Port Alberni Maritime Heritage Society which studied the early Spanish exploration of the BC coast.
After retiring from full time practice in 1990, Harry and Louise moved to Nanoose Bay where Harry enjoyed traveling, hiking, gardening, raising orchids, spending time at their cottage and on their boat. Harry was a charter member and past president of the Nanoose Bay Probus Club. During this time he worked part-time as a locum doctor, which included a stint on a cruise ship. Harry recently published a book about his life experiences, which was very popular locally.
Harry’s number one priority was his family. He will be greatly missed by his wife Louise and four children, Patti Butler (Len), Lynn Donn (Maurice), John and Susan Webster and Margie Radigan (Greg) and his brother Ron Webster (Elspeth). Harry also leaves behind nine grand-children; Sarah Fitton (Will), Jamie Butler, Jessica Butler, Graeme Donn, Cameron Donn, Max Webster, Riley Webster, Laura Radigan, Megan Radigan as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
Harry was always very generous with his time. He loved life and showed an interest in everything and everybody and would always be found sharing stories with friends and acquaintances. He greatly affected the lives of those he met and his passing will be a loss to many.
Service will be held at Yates Funeral Home, 1000 Allsbrook Road, Parksville BC, Monday, January 3rd
at 1pm. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made
to the Canadian Cancer Society or the charity of
your choice.