Robert Charles Nagel

It is with hearts breaking that we say goodbye to our much loved husband, father, son, and brother, Robert Charles Nagel, who passed peacefully in the arms of his loving wife of 40 years Marie (nee Macedo) at Victoria Hospice on Friday, June 14th after a long-fought battle with cancer.

Robert is predeceased by his father, Richard Alfred Nagel (AKA “The Duke of Sooke”), and leaves behind his mother, Margaret Nagel, his wife Marie, his children Kimberly, Clayton (Darcie), and Tyler, his grandchildren Aidyn, Gray, and Nixon, and his siblings Ronnie (Lori), David (Maria), Karmen, and Kandice. He also leaves behind 24 nieces and nephews.

Born in Victoria, BC, Rob spent his youth at Belmont Park as the son of a navy man. He apprenticed as a bricklayer in his early twenties and was pleased to obtain his journeyman’s ticket. He loved his work, which took him to the farthest corners of British Columbia. As a natural outdoorsman, he loved to camp and canoe, fish and drink warm wildcat’s beer, enjoying the beauty of BC, which he always lovingly referred to as “God’s country.”

Lucky enough to find love twice, Rob married Glenda Ashton-Ward in 1972, and three years later, they welcomed Kimberly Lea-Anne to the world. Later, in 1981, Rob met and married Maria Macedo, and they soon welcomed Robert Clayton and then Tyler Andrew.

Rob loved hockey. He played for many years as a goaltender and his last team, the Wranglers, won the Pacific Cup. They went on to play in the High Roller’s Classic in Las Vegas, where a good time was had by all. He also spent considerable time at the rink with his kids, taking them to practices, games and tournaments. It was here that he made many close and lasting friendships with the other hockey parents.

Rob was also a lover of cooking. Marie would often find him whipping up a batch of banana bread for the neighbourhood or a pasta salad for a family barbeque. He enjoyed cooking for others and created some of the family’s favourite meals, despite never following a recipe.

During his illness, Rob, who was a great fan of the Seattle Seahawks, had the opportunity to take a trip to Seattle with his daughter Kim, where they watched the Seahawks defeat Green Bay in an epic game. It was a once in a lifetime experience for him.

Rob could be an enigma at times. He liked his “kitty cats” warm and his television tuned to Antiques Roadshow, but he was also always interested in current issues and had a soft spot for his kids and grandkids. Not well known is the fact that he was a lover of poetry, Robert Service being his favourite author. As Rob went through his cancer treatments, he would often read his favourite poem, “Carry On,” which ends like this:

Carry on! Carry on!

Fight the good fight and true;

Believe in your mission, greet life with a cheer;

There’s big work to do, and that’s why you are here.

Carry on! Carry on!

Let the world be the better for you;

And at last when you die, let this be your cry!

Carry on, my soul! Carry on!

–          Robert Service

In true Rob fashion, he didn’t want a service, so the family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Victoria Hospice at https://www.victoriahospice.org/donate.

Please share your memories and condolences below.

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