Gerald Heathcote
Passed away peacefully on a beautiful Sunday morning June 22, 2008 at Dufferin Extended Care Facility at age 91. Born in Leigh, Lancashire England on May 24, 1917, he arrived in Canada in 1921 and came to Nanaimo in 1923. Gerry worked in Nanaimo and area coal mines as a young man and later was a Pioneer in the Logging Industry on Vancouver Island.
He enlisted in 1941 and served in the Canadian Forestry Core in Scotland, France, Belgium and the Netherlands until 1945. Following WW2 he became the first Heavy Equipment Instructor at the BC Vocational Training School which later became Vancouver Island University. He was self employed from 1971.
He married Mary Beames in 1941 in Nanaimo and they have five children. They were married 49 years and six weeks. He is predeceased by his son John in 1950 and his wife Mary in 1990 and two brothers, Joseph and Leonard and sister Vera. He is survived by his three sons, William (Joan), James, Bruce (Laurie), and his daughter Rhonda (Murray) and his loving sisters Louie (Ted) Carpenter and sister in law Dorothy (Len) Heathcote, six grandchildren Douglas, Carmen (Michael), Joelene (Brent), Nathan (Kerri),
Jennifer and Mitchell and three great grandchildren, Amy, Roy & Ieuan.
Service will be held on Thursday, June 26th at 11:00 a.m. at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Chapel Street, Nanaimo, BC.
By request of the family, no flowers. Donations my be made to St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Chapel Street, Nanaimo, BC.
Many thanks to Joan Hillier and the staff at Dufferin Extended Care facility for their endless hours of care during Dads’ last months.