Former Parksville mayor and founding member of the Parksville Lions Club, Allen Hustwick, died last week in Toronto at the age of 79.
"He was very involved in the community and the bank," said current Parksville Lion Jim Hoffman. "He was one of our bigger fundraisers, very active in all of our efforts and in the club's future."
Hoffman said when he joined as a young member Hustwick, a charter member, was already one of the respected elders.
Hustwick was a village alderman from 1975 to 1981 and two term mayor from 1981-87. He also served as vice-chair of the Regional District of Nanaimo and started a family trend, with his son Dean also serving on Parksville council from 1990-93.
"My father helped to form the Parksville Lions Club in the late 1960s or early 1970s. This organization and its many activities were my parent's passions for many, many years, helping to build the community and allowing them to develop many life-long friends," Dean said.
In 2012 the Lions Housing Society honoured Allen and his family, naming the new seniors rental housing complex on Jensen Ave. "Hustwick Place," and the family was able to attend the opening ceremony.
Hustwick managed the Parksville CIBC for many years and was a senior account manager at the head office in Nanaimo, which he retired from around 1990, Dean said.
Dean said as mayor, "my father focused on building the profile and economic base of the community. A few of his councils' key achievements included transforming the municipality's financial management practices, development of the Parksville Industrial Park, successfully lobbying the provincial government for funds to reconstruct and widen the Island Highway through Parksville, successfully lobbying to host the Western Premier's Conference, incorporating Parksville as a city and improving transparency at city hall by allowing cameras in the council chamber."
On behalf of the family Dean thanked "all of my father's friends and supporters over the years, as they gave him great joy as well as many wonderful memories."
Allen's wife Sadie had died before him and he left behind sons Richard and Dean, grandson William, sister Muriel Slopak and sister-in-law Julie.
A funeral was held Jan. 27 in Toronto where Allen returned after retirement to be closer to family.