Alfred Panter

We are heartbroken to announce the death of Alfred Panter on February 26, 2019 in Sidney, BC at the venerable age of 92. Alfred lived at home with his wife Pamela until the last hours of his life and maintained warm and loving relationships with all of his family.

Alfred was extremely fond of his four sisters. Born between the World Wars in Salford, England, he had limited opportunities to pursue higher education, yet he sought to educate himself in many fields. He was proud to be a flour miller and was held in high esteem by his colleagues, who in 1987 chose him as best exemplifying The Canadian Miller in the Improvement of the Canadian Milling Industry.  Alfred held a number of positions in his field, ranging from a consultant in Niger, Venezuela and Russia, to Vice-President at Five Roses Flour in Montréal. He loved his chosen vocation and continued to maintain himself abreast of its new developments until the end of his life. Every trip our family took included a visit to the local mill.

Once retired, Alfred took on the esteemed volunteer position of “Giant Squid” at the Sidney aquarium, delighting all the children who visited. From order packer with Thrifty’s Sendial program to Sunshine Boy for the Probus Club and member of the Sidney Jolly Boys, Alfred held a number of volunteer positions in the community.

Alfred is survived by Pamela, his wife of 63 years; his children Kim, Katherine (David), Tobi (Arnim) and Stephen (Lori); his grandchildren Matthew, Gina, Kyra, Cameron, Callum and Liam; and by his dear sister Freda. He was a well-loved member of his community, a loyal friend, and an active honorary member of the Probus Club until his last weeks.

We, his family, have so many fond memories of Alfred: camping trips, road trips to Cape Cod, hockey and soccer games, ping pong tournaments, ballet performances, affectionately competitive board games, and of course, his whistling, his Jew’s harp, his silly kazoo and so many more memories.

Together with Mum, Dad always encouraged us children to follow our dreams and instilled in us the work ethic to achieve them. We know he was proud of us all. He loved his six grandchildren and they have all loved him too.

Alfred will be profoundly missed by all who have loved him, even including his cherished dogs.

He had a wicked sense of humour and a healthy streak of irreverence, and as we all know, he certainly enjoyed his martinis.

Dad was an avid Scrabble player with a prodigious furtive (and dubious!) vocabulary. In his final game at the end of January, he creamed his opponents and will now remain forever unbeatable!

Please join us for a farewell gathering in the Sequoia Centre at McCall Gardens, 4665 Falaise Dr. in Victoria, BC on Thursday, March 21, 2019 from 2 – 5 PM.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to one of Alfred’s many chosen charities, Doctors Without Borders.

Condolences may be offered to the family below.

McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com