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Roy Hewitt passed away peacefully in Powell River on the evening of September 14, 2016, after a brief illness.
He is survived by his two remaining children, Lawrence and Alison (Mark).
Roy was born in Southport, Lancashire in August 1925, where he spent his childhood and school years. He was an avid athlete, becoming captain of both the first nine and the first eleven during his later school years. (You can just look that up).
At the age of 16, he met Doreen Redmond, a dynamic, high-spirited girl, and while war and a term in the Royal Navy patrolling the Adriatic Sea intervened, she remained the love of his life until the day he died.
They married in Roby, near Liverpool, in 1948. Two boys, David and Lawrence, were born in Lancashire during the time Roy worked as a bobby with the Lancashire Constabulary. With the advent of the Suez crisis in 1956, they decided to emigrate to Canada, and came directly to Powell River in 1957. Alison was born in the Powell River General Hospital the following year.
Roy worked as an electrician with MacMillan Bloedel for the remainder of his working life. He was active in those early years with the Boy Scouts and as a parent with the Highland Laddies Pipe Band.
He loved to go out dancing with Doreen, and they spent many an evening at Hitching Post square dances, dances at the Legion or Dwight Hall or taking ballroom dance classes.
After retiring, Roy loved to go fishing and hiking in the bush, and with a couple of buddies, he rounded up a few other retired guys to help build a trail and a small footbridge. So the BOMB Squad (Bloody Old Mens' Brigade) was born. Roy reaped the benefits of fresh air and exercise and enjoyed the camaraderie as the group grew. Shep, Roy's devoted border collie, was a constant companion on those outings. Many others still enjoy the activity of the BOMB Squad as it continues to thrive.
Roy and Doreen traveled extensively in their retirement, with many trips to the UK with friends, to New Zealand to see relatives, and of course to Hawaii, which they loved.
In the seven years since Doreen passed away, Roy has lived quietly at home with the Cat, not able to get about as briskly as before, but with a life full of memories; a life well-lived.
We would like to thank the many friends and helping hands who have taken care of Roy over the last while, particularly the staff of Community Health, who helped Roy stay in his home, Dr. Rossouw and staff, whose compassion and concern were a constant reassurance, and the staff of PRGH and Evergreen, who looked after him at the end.
A simple gathering for friends will be held at Stubberfield's on Thursday, September 29 at 3:00 PM.
