Wood, John (Jack) Alfred
Born in Vancouver June 23 ,1918, died Aug. 1, 2013 with family by his side.
He was sadly predeceased only six weeks earlier by his loving wife of 62 yrs, Margaret (Bette) Wood.
His wife & family were everything to him. He will be greatly missed by his children, Cathie Poje (Ray), Verne Wood (Karen), Brian Wood (Lynn), Sandy Atkins (Roy) & by his 9 grandchildren & 9 great grandchildren.
Throughout his life Jack was an avid outdoorsman & athlete. As a teenager he would take the ferry from Point Grey to West Vancouver where he would hike up to Hollyburn Ridge to ski. Skiing was a sport he excelled at and in the 1930’s & 40’s he competed against some of the best skiers in the Pacific Northwest. He continued to ski with incredible grace & stamina all his life, holding a season’s pass at Blackcomb Mountain until his 87th year.
Jack had very fond memories of working on the log construction of Diamond Head Lodge in 1945, before the creation of Garibaldi Provincial Park, and ski touring in northern BC in the early 40’s. He also served with the Royal Canadian Navy & was stationed out of Digby, Nova Scotia.
Jack’s love of the mountains eventually led him to a career in Forestry and a tenure as the Ranger for Hollyburn Mountain from 1949 -1976. He was a Ski Patroller, an instructor for St John’s Ambulance & a volunteer with the North Vancouver Civil Defense (N.S Rescue).
Jack enjoyed countless trips exploring BC with Bette, from sailing the Gulf of Georgia to enjoying time at a special & remote area in the Chilcotin. He remained active with many of his favourite sports into his 90’s; curling, golfing, riding his bike (for miles!) & taking daily summer swims at Eaglecrest beach.
Jack’s early experience as a photographer enabled him to create a stunning collection of photographs over a 70 year time span. He continued to adapt to the changes in photography & technology, painstakingly converting 1000’s of his slides to digital format, a project he continued to work on even in his last few months.
Our heartfelt thanks to the nurses on the Palliative Ward at Nanaimo Hospital ~ your care & compassion for Dad through his last days carried us all.