Clive Gerald Loader passed away peacefully at the start of Victoria’s annual flower count. He was happiest outdoors wandering in the natural beauty, enjoying the flowers, trees, and especially the butterflies and birds. Born in Burma in 1933, the youngest child of Grace and Walter Loader, Clive had a childhood surrounded by an abundance of nature. When the family had to escape to India as the war grew closer, he continued to appreciate the natural world around him. In later years he said the memories of his childhood days in Landour in the lower Himalaya would refresh his soul. He shared stories of a glade with a clear sparkling spring filled with Maidenhead ferns, of a bush covered in iridescent jewel beetles that took his breath away, and of the gorgeous, translucent blue butterflies that took flight when he approached.
In 1946 Clive moved with his family to the Isle of Man where he finished high school by correspondence. At seventeen he joined the RAF and flew fighters, but excited by the better jets that Canada had to offer, transferred to the RCAF. While stationed in Germany he met Carmel MacDonald, the love of his life, who was teaching on the base. They married in 1962 and returned to Canada a few years later. Clive served in the Air Force for his entire career and spent many years flying patrol aircraft on both coasts.
Clive didn’t stop serving after retiring from the Air Force. Through his parish, Holy Cross Catholic Church, he visited the sick and shut-ins, chauffeured parishioners to church, served on the Parish Council, and lovingly cared for the church gardens for many years. He also led ecumenical services at the Berwick House and Cedars retirement homes. Clive had numerous other volunteering activities, including serving meals at the 9-10 Club soup kitchen for almost two decades; delivering Meals on Wheels; canvassing for the Canadian Cancer Society and the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and serving on the executive for the Aircrew Association. Clive will be remembered for his life of service to others.
Clive passed away on March 3, 2021 at Broadmead Veterans Memorial Lodge in Victoria. He is survived by his wife Carmel, his children Michael, Bonnie, Colleen, and Randy, his sister Laurel on the Isle of Man, his grandchildren, and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews around the world. Clive was predeceased by his son Stevie, his brother Harley, and his sisters Monica and Pam.
Clive was a wonderful husband and father and is remembered by his children and family as loving, patient, wise, and humorous. As a friend said, “Clive left the world a better place than he found it.” Clive, we all love you so dearly and will miss you daily. Please walk with us as we journey on.
The family would like to thank the Broadmead staff for their wonderful care of Clive in spite of the added pandemic stress. Due to COVID restrictions, there will be a private funeral mass at Holy Cross Catholic Church followed by a private burial at Royal Oak Burial Park. In lieu of flowers, those who desire may consider a donation to the World Wildlife Fund or Broadmead Veterans Memorial Lodge. Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com
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Carol Kinrade
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Shelley Ball Colleen, I am so sorry for your loss. I remember your Dad from your time in Ottawa. He was kind, gentle and so incredibly generous in so many ways. He no doubt touched many, many lives with all the kindness he showed to so many people. I know how much you will miss him. Hold those wonderful memories so tightly, to soothe your soul and your heart. My condolences to you Mum, brother and all of your family. xo
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Thad & Bettina (Mapa) Anglin It was really a sad day when we heard of Clive’s passing. It was our privilege to have met him. His was one of the most welcoming, friendly, and warmest smile in the Congregation. Clive was a gift to the Holy Cross Parish Church community, and he shall be greatly missed.
To Carmel, his daughter Calleen, and to the rest of his family, allow us to share your grief in losing a loved one. You shall all be in our prayers.
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Stephen Hawkins Clive was a wonderful man who always put a smile on my face with his warm heart and kind disposition.
He will be missed but live forever in our hearts and warmest memories.
With Love,
Steve Hawkins & Bettina Harvey
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Vern and Ketty Pedersen Dear Carmel and Family
So sad to hear of your loss. Clive was a fine gentle man and a gentleman. He left the world a better place because of his contributions to one and all.
Our Sincere condolences
Vern and Ketty Pedersen
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Philip & Heather Wright and family Dear Auntie Carmel, Michael, Bonnie, Colleen and Randy,
So sorry for the passing of Uncle Clive. I have so many good memories of when we all lived in Comox and then later coming to visit in Victoria. Like my sister shared, being able to put brown sugar on porridge was a big deal when we were growing up! Uncle Clive always had a twinkle in his eye and laugh in his heart! His love for God, his family and others was always evident. The first word that comes to mind about Uncle Clive is gentle.
I know this past year has been especially hard for you to be apart due to the pandemic. So many reasons to look forward to the earth made new with no more goodbyes. All our love to you at this time.
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Eric and Bobbie Waal Clive was a wonderful man, the kindest friend and neighbour one could ever wish for. We have so many warm, happy memories of our time on Fieldmont and beyond.
Our love and heartfelt sympathies to you Carmel, Colleen and Michael and all the family.
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Heather and Colin Burzacott and family Dear Auntie Carmel, Michael, Bonnie, Colleen and Randy.
Uncle Clive was a gentleman in the true sense of the word. His kind manner, his cheeky smile and his lovely sense of humour is how I remember him. We loved to visit with him and Auntie Carmel in Victoria as we got to put brown sugar on our porridge! His Christmas letters were extra special and a treat to read. Our lives are richer for knowing him. It was sweet to hear my Grandma speak of her younger brother, Uncle Clive, with endearment and adoration. We are sending much love to you all at this sad time. Xxx
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Paul and Deanna MacDonald Thinking of you today with much love and prayers. May God wrap his arms around you, Carmel and your family, as you adjust to a different year. Clive brought much joy, peace and laughter to everyone. God will welcome him into heaven with open arms.☺️ God Bless you today and always.
Love and hugs,
Paul and Deanna MacDonald And Family
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Jay MacDonald Dearest Carmel and Family,
A most gentle, kind, charitable, generous, and faith-filled man has made the final flight home into the arms of our loving God.
May you be consoled by the love and memories that you hold in your hearts and believe, as Clive did, that life has not ended just changed.
Well done, good and faithful servant and may you forever enjoy the reward you so well deserved.
Please accept my love, condolences and prayers.
Jay MacDonald
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Patricia Chura To my most loved friend, Carmel, to Michael, Colleen, Bonnie and Randy, words will never convey to you all how having met and knowing Clive since Comox days was a gift to me and my sons. Not many people are privileged in their lifetime to know a person who was the very essence of gentleness, kindness, humility family man extraordinaire. Knowing Clive was to reinforce the knowledge that there are, indeed, very good people in the world. I know he is watching over you all still with all those qualities that endeared him to so many. Another butterfly for the heavens.
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Christine Winn Our thoughts are with you Carmel and your family at this sad time. Clive will be missed – he was a kind and loving person. From Christine, Vanessa and Stephen
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BRIAN CAMERON BGen ( retd ) Brian Cameron
Dear Carmel and family:
After reading all of the fine comments, and I would endorse them all, I would add a personal anecdote concerning the relocation of the Loader family from Comox to Victoria. Clive and I had several discussions about moving a large family to an increasingly high priced area. In the end Clive and family made the move out of a well established sense of duty and he applied his talents with the same dedication that he brought to all his assignments. Carmel, thanks to you and the family for sharing him.
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Finnegan, Mary Dear Carmel and Loader Family,
My thoughts and prayers are with you now as you mourn the loss of your husband and father. I came to know him only in the past few years at Holy Cross and enjoyed his company very much. I know he is now in heaven with Our Lord.
Warm regards,
Mary Finnegan
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Jack, Elizabeth, Bob, Bonnie & Barry Parkinson Dear Carmel & family.
We are so sad to hear of Clive’s passing. As your neighbours in Gimli we have fond memories of your friendship. We extend our deepest sympathy to you all.
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Alex and Chris Spicer Dear Carmel, Colleen and family
Chris and I were saddened to hear of Clive’s passing. He was such an integral part of our neighborhood
whilst living on Fieldmont Court. He was a gentle soul who always had time to listen and care about those around him. He had an infectious laugh and always a twinkle in his eye. He took the time to chat to our boys and took an interest in their every endeavor. We have many wonderful memories of Clive as I am sure you do. May these wonderful memories give you some joy in the coming months as you grieve your loss. We are thinking of you.
With our love, Chris and Alex Spicer
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Lloyd and Mary-Lou Graham Dear Carmel and family,
We were so sorry to hear of Clive’s passing. It’s been awhile, Carmel, but we have fond memories of you, Clive and the Loader children, our dear neighbours from Greenwood, NS. Clive was the epitome of an RCAF officer, a gentleman a loving family man and community minded, caring person. We remember his warm ready smile, inquisitive nature and ready, positive attitude. He loved nature and during his Peacekeepng Tour in Vietnam we looked forward to his detailed articles in the Base paper regarding the beauty of nature and the positive aspects of life he encountered in that country. The Loader annual Christmas letter was a treat to receive and was always chock full of joy, family and their activities. Carmel, it was a privilege to have known Clive, an outstanding, dedicated individual who loved his family, community and Country. We will all miss him. Affectionately,
Lloyd and Mary-Lou
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"Butch" Bisang My sincere condolences to the family. I worked with Clive on 404 Sqn and with the ICCS in Vietnam, where he was ever sympathetic to the poverty and suffering which we encountered. He was just an all round great humane being. May he rest in peace.
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Morris Gates Col (Ret’d) Moe Gates
Dear Carmel & family my association with Clive were few while we were serving on 404 Squadron in Greenwood. I knew him to be an excellent officer and outstanding Maritime airman. I also remember Bonnie & randy when you all lived just across the street from Francie & me in the Greenwood married quarters. We never had the privilege of serving together again but I often heard from others and know that his service continued right to the end in best form.
My sincere condolences on your loss.
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Lloyd Skaalen, Air Commander (RCAF retired) Dear Carmel and family, as a member of the Aircrew Association, I had many occasions for joining with Clive in our events and was always impressed by his sincere contributions, such as our annual program of speaking to schools that had Veteran Remembrance hours. We will miss Clive’s participation. I extend my condolences.
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Jim & Dolores Terry Sorry to hear of the passing of Clive ,what a great guy he was . I knew him well , having flown with him many times &Skiing with him in the alps while stationed with him on 440 squadron at 3 Wing in Zweibrucken Germany . While there I also met this wonderful lady Carmel who was a teacher there . When I found out they had been married , I thought ‘ what a wonderful couple’ . After our retirement , my wife Dolores & I visited with them many times when we came out to Victoria as I was playing in an old timers hockey tournament.
Condolences to Carmel & family from Jim & Dolores Terry
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allen pearce Dear Carmel and Family,
We are so sad to hear of your loss. You were blessed with him as your husband and father: we were blessed to know him as a friend. We will miss him.
Al and Lucie Pearce
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Jan and Colin Corlett Dear Carmel and family,
We were very sorry to hear that Clive passed away. We all have very fond memories of him, the stories he would tell and his much anticipated Christmas letters to catch us up on all of your news. Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this sad time.
Love from Colin, Jan, Claire and Gillian.
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Theresa & Floyd Preston Dear Carmel and family,
So sorry to hear of Clive’s passing, he was a wonderful person, I will always remember when you came to visit us in Nova Scotia, I believe you were at our house for your 75th birthday. It was always a pleasure to go and visit you on our visits to Victoria. Clive will be remembered by us always. Our love and prayers
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Col (Ret'd) Terry Chester So very, very sad to hear of Clive’s passing. Clive was,to me,”gentleman” personified; I have met few who could surpass his kind and gentle manner. I had the pleasure of flying with him on the East Coast, a remarkably gifted aviator who made it all look somehow, easy, and I was glad to renew that acquaintance, if so ever briefly, through the monthly meetings of the VI Aircrew Association. RIP my friend, – tailwinds and clear skies forever!
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Margaret priske Dear Carmel
Warm wishes for you during this trying time of grieving.
The death of Clive is a sad reality but I know he was highly regarded by Paul & many others as a gentleman & Officer.
We married at Zweibrucken 12/05/62 , close to your date. Paul died Aug.8/15.. Blessings
Margaret Priske San Diego
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darlene southwell We mourn the loss of a true gentle man. We know he rests with God. He will be missed by so many.
Sadly, Darlene & Tony
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JJ, Jo, RuthAnne, and Catherine Dear Carmel and Colleen and family,
We are so very sorry to hear of Clive’s passing. We’ve missed seeing him these last few years on Fieldmont Court, and these last 12 months at church. JJ always looked forward to the chance to exchange the latest Formula 1 gossip with Clive, and we will all miss his kind and inquisitive nature. We were always amazed that he would always ask about RuthAnne and Catherine’s athletic endeavours – speed clearly mattered to him! We feel very fortunate to have known him. We had a lovely visit with the other neighbours on the cul-de-sac today, remembering him very fondly.
Love from JJ, Jo, RuthAnne and Catherine
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Bill Walsh Dear Carmel and family,
Clive was one of my favorite Holy Cross people, for his long-time caring of the gardens, and for his always welcoming smile and hello. His presence will be missed.
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Faith and Bill Dear Auntie Carmel and all the family,
We are saddened by Uncle Clives’ passing.
He was the most special uncle one could
ever wish for! We loved him so!
Never to be forgotten.
Love and Prayers
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Colonel(ret'd) Stanley W Brygadyr I know of no other colleague who was more devoted and giving of himself to Family, Church, Community and Military Service. I was honoured to serve with this outstanding gentleman and Military Officer in 404MP Sqn, Greenwood, and later in 407MP Sqn in Comox. He set the finest of example for Junior Officers, showing leadership and commitment of the highest order. Many condolences go out to Carmel and Family on this very sad loss of an outstanding citizen of Canada .
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Patrick & Ann McCarthy Dear Carmel,
We extend our deepest condolences to you and your family on the passing of Clive.
Sincerely
Ann and Pat McCarthy
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John and Marjorie Dear Aunty Carmel, Michael, Bonnie, Colleen, Randy and all the family.
We are sorry for the passing of Uncle Clive. He was the dearest Uncle I could ever have wanted. His memory and legacy will be a cherished reminder to us all.
He lived an exciting life of adventure from the jungles of Burma and India to a career flying jets and patrol aircraft over the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans in all types of weather. He served with the Peace Keeping Forces in Vietnam helping to bring peace to the lives of people there. He loved people.
Speed was part of his life and he enjoyed watching motorcycle racing in the Isle of Man to watching Formula 1 racing cars. I fondly remember going with him to watch the U.S. Grand Prix in Watkins Glen, New York on one occasion which was very memorable.
We kids, always looked forward to Uncle Clive’s visits when he would fly into Toronto and stay with us. He always brought gifts for us kids and we didn’t want him to leave, but always looked forward to his return in one of the jets he flew. Family was very important to him. His oldest sister, my Mother loved him dearly and always looked out for him. May God bless you with peace at this time.
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Vanessa and family Will miss you the rest of my life. Love you so much. I hope you’re ok Auntie Carm. Sending love.
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Mel Quayle/ Laurel Downward & Families Dearest Carmel & all the family. Although you are miles away from us in the Isle of Man, you are all in our thoughts during this very sad time. Clive was a much loved brother to our mum Laurel and a wonderful uncle to all of us Downward children and we and our families will always have treasured memories of him xx
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Helen Lane Hello Carmel and Family
Sending my sincere sympathy to you. Clive was such a nice guy. I met him many years ago at the Gordon Head Garden club where he was always welcoming. And then we reconnected when I started going to Holy Cross church. He seemed to always have a smile . He had a way of making a person always feel he cared. Yes, he left the world a better place. With sympathy, Helen Lane
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Anne Beatty Sending sympathy to you, Carmel, and family. Clive was a wonderful warm person. I will remember him as a kind and gentle man. Anne Beatty. HolyCross parish
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Janita C Mchugh Dear Carmel and family,
So sorry to read of your loss of Clive. He was such a fine man and did so much for others. Our prayers and thoughts are with you as you grieve his loss.Cherish the wonderful memories you all carry with you.
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Eva & David Loader You are all in our loving thoughts.
With love David and Eva
Dear Carmel, Michael, Colleen, Randy, Bonnie and partners,
I am so very sorry for your loss of Uncle Clive, he was such a gentle caring man whom I am sorry our children didn’t get a chance to know, except through his wonderful Christmas news letters.
One story I remember him telling us as a child that has always stayed with me, was when he was flying in the forces. He had flown a transporter plane to Vietnam, and whilst he was on down time he decided to go looking for butterflies. He said he was prancing around the forest with a net having a wonderful time, but when he got back to HQ he found out that the enemy were stationed all around and he had been so lucky.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.
All our love,
Carol, Tom, Sophie, and Sarah Kinrade xx