A former Lantzville councillor has died.
Rod Negrave died from colon cancer on Nov. 23. He was 51.
Negrave served as a member of Lantzville council from 2008-11 and from 2014-15.
“I think everybody that met him thought he was a very intelligent man and very kind hearted,” said Louise Negrave, Rod’s widow.
At the time of his death, he and Louise were in the process of moving from Lantzville to Nakusp.
“He passed away in the middle of the move,” she said. “It was our dream property.”
Rod Negrave was born in Kamloops but graduated from high school in Chase. Having spent the majority of his childhood on farms, he attended the University of British Columbia, where he studied agriculture and forestry. It was also where he met Louise.
Described as a lifelong learner, he later received his master’s degree from the University of Alberta and a doctorate in forestry from UBC. He was also a program director and instructor at Northern Lights College in Fort St. John.
Louise said her husband had a passion for agriculture.
“For both of us, agriculture was our first love,” she said. “Neither of us ended up working in agriculture because the jobs weren’t there, but it was very much where his heart was.”
Professionally, Rod Negrave spent a number of years working for the B.C. Cattlemen’s Association and also served as a consultant to the Alberta and British Columbia governments. He was also a research section head for B.C.’s Ministry of Forests.
While in Lantzville, Rod was also a volunteer leader for Scouts Canada and was an active member at St. Philips Anglican Church.
“He’s always been involved with the community,” Louise said.
Funeral arrangements are being made and will take place in the new year, although no date has been set for now.
Louise said her husband’s death was made even more difficult because it happened in the middle of their move. However, she said she’s received plenty of support from residents in Lantzville.
“The timing couldn’t have been worse,” she said. “The house had sold. We had to get out of the house. Friends helped us pack, which is most appreciated and the community of Lantzville as a whole has been absolutely marvelous.”
Rod Negrave is survived by three children.