April 23, 1932 - June 30, 2021
It is with sadness that Bob's family announces his death on Wednesday, June 30th, 2021 in Nanaimo, B.C. at age 89.
He was born on April 23rd, 1932 in Moncton, New Brunswick to Bessie Beryl and Arthur Jackson Shipley who had arrived in Canada from England a few years earlier. The family moved to B.C. in 1935 and Bob spent his early years on the Gulf Islands before moving to Victoria in 1940.
He attended University School from 1944 -1949 and was active in many sports and activities while there. Bob had good memories of his time there and maintained a connection to friends he made, through involvement over the years in Old Boys activities.
As a youth, Bob was a good all-round athlete and particularly excelled at rugby; he was a member of several senior rugby teams in Victoria, speci cally the Crimson Tide and the Oak Bay Wanderers during the mid to late 1950's.
After his formal schooling, he was accepted into the Chartered Accountant program and worked at the firm of Ismay, Boiston and Dunn, becoming a CA in 1958. This would lead to his chosen career which Bob thoroughly enjoyed in the finance area of the consulting and mining industries.
Bob married Jacqueline Riecken in 1956 and over the next five years they had 3 children - Susan, John and Peter. As a result of his work, they lived in the U.S. and Venezuela before settling down and raising their family in West Vancouver in 1964.
Upon retirement in 1996, he and Jacqueline moved to the Parksville- Qualicum Beach area. Since then, Bob enjoyed playing golf, travelling, reading and meeting with his men's bible study. Another favorite pastime was spending time out at Nanoose Bay, where countless hours were spent maintaining the family vacation cottage so his children and grandchildren could enjoy time there.
As a result of many years of studying the Bible, Bob accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior and was baptized on December 8, 2002.
Bob is survived by Jacqueline, his wife of 65 years, their children Susan (Erroll), John (Alison) and Peter (Leora), eight grandchildren and three great grandchildren. He was predeceased by his older brother, William John, in 1955.
The family is very appreciative of the Oceanside Palliative Care team, the Palliative Care Ward at NRGH and the staff at The Gardens at Qualicum Beach for their care and compassion for Bob over the past few months. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Canadian Cancer Society or the Salvation Army.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 7th, 2021 at 1 pm at the Parksville Fellowship Baptist Church, 550 Pym St, Parksville, B.C.