September 17, 1946 – March 12, 2009
It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Darrell Forster. Beloved Father and Papa. Survived by son, Daren Forster (Margie); his daughter, Jenna Forster and five grandchildren, Jonah, Kendra, Nina, Toby and Brayden. Darrell will be sadly missed not only by his family but by his many friends. He was an inspiration and mentor to many that had the privilege of knowing him. With strong ties to his community, he was a dedicated coach and leader in both hockey and lacrosse. Darrell was a pioneer and industry icon within the food business. As well as his love for the food industry, his true passions were his family, friends and his time spent on the golf course. Darrell would not want to be remembered with sadness but as the fun loving, true friend and eternal optimist he always was.
A memorial service will be held at McCALL BROS. FLORAL CHAPEL, Johnson and Vancouver Streets, on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations to the local Boys and Girls Club would be appreciated.
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Karen Fraik (Slater)
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Marcy Ann Gopfert To Daren and family,
I am so sorry to hear of Darrell’s passing. My parents were also very saddened by the news. He was a good man, he was so proud, and he was there for you when you needed him !
Sincerely,
Marcy and family
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Rob Heppell Daren & Jenna…
I was sorry to hear about your Dad’s sudden illness and passing. I have many fond memories of your Dad as a goalie coach both at the Danny Gare Hockey School and at the Racquet Club.
There are other memories not so fond – but now funny, like when we were in Vernon at the Midget Provincials and Darrell caught me – he gave me that “look” of disappointment – coming out of the pub and bootlegging for the younger guys and the other team (he at least let me give the other guys their beer before being escorted back to the hotel). Scary then, funny now.
He had a big impact on a lot of other goalies and players in general, he will be missed by many. Sorry that I can’t be there with you today. Take care.
…Rob Heppell
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Wendy Canessa Darren, Jenna and family…. it was very saddening to hear of your dad’s passing. Darrell was a true gentleman and will be missed by so many people. He had a heart of gold that he shared with so many. His sense of humor and infectious laugh was wonderful.
Darrell was a true leader and always did his best to ensure everyone was successful in their endeavors.
Please know that you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers at this time.
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Elaine Opre It was with great sadness that I learned of your father’s sudden passing. I have worked with Darrell for the last ten years and loved him dearly. On my trips to the Island Darrell would pick me up and we would discuss so many things… not always work related. He would often speak of all his children and grandchildren telling me how important family was. He was so thoughtful and considerate, he always took the time to make me feel weclome and ensure that I had all the tools that I needed to accomplish my tasks.
Due to work commitments I will not be able to attend the memorial but please know my thoughts and heart goes out to each of you in the loss of your dad and grandfather.
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dave & Sylvia Biggs Dave & I would just like to say how sorry we were to hear of your dad’s passing. Many years have passed,and we have fond memories.
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David Leangen My condolences to the family.
I consider myself very lucky to have had Darrell as a coach and mentor, even if only for a short time. I learned some valuable lessons from this passionate man, lessons that I will always cherish and apply to improve my life. Thank you, Darrell, for enriching my life as well as that of so many others!
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Fran Yardley How difficult it is to express my disbelief and sadness over the loss of Darrell who I have known and sincerely considered a good friend for the last 22 years. We met via the food industry like so many other of his admirers!! My thoughts are with his family who I know he adored (as many of our conversations over the years were about family)! Good memories of Darrell will be with me for eternity so I hope for you Daren and Jenna (plus grandchildren) that your memories will be of great comfort!!
My sincerest sympathies!!!!
Fran Yardley
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Barb Elder Darrell will be sadly missed by his family, friends and many business associates. Always willing to lend a hand. Never too busy to answer a question or offer fresh perspective based on insight gained by his many years in the industry. I very much appreciated all the guidance he gave to me. Darrell was well respected & will be thought of often by his colleagues – we will miss his sense of humor. Sincere condolences to Darrell’s loved ones. May your happy memories carry you through this difficult time.
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Don Gilliland My deepest sympathies go out to Darrels family.. Darrel was one of the true gentlemen in the food business and a great friend. Darrel always had a way of putting things in perspective and I will miss his quiet handshakes , his advice and his sense of humor.
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Herb Walters I worked for Darrrell back in the 70’s one of the good people that has passed through my life.He all ways took the time over the years to stop and talk about the old days. He will be missed by all.
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Bill and Paul Switzer The world was made a better place by Darrells determination, hard work, trust and loyalty. He will be missed.
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Kevin Falconer Darrrell was the best hockey coach i ever had. From bantam AAA, midget AAA, and even in jr.B. Always calm and always said the right things to motivate. My thoughts go out to Darrell’s family and all of those who’s lives he made an impact on. You will always be my favorite coach “big guy”!
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Michael Oughtred It is with heavy hearts that my family learned the news of Darrell’s passing. He will always be remembered for his professionalism, kindness, integrity and family values; but it will be the friendship and support he shared with my family that will be truly missed. To his family, our thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult time.
Rest in peace my friend!
The Oughtred Family
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John Oughtred my sympathies on behalf of all of us at Oughtred Coffee and Tea.
Darrell was one of a kind and will be deeply missed by all of us and those who’s lives he touched. I will always remember Derrell as the eternal optomist who’s glass was always a percentage of “full”. He enriched our lives just by knowing him and I trust he is in a better place where he has already found a friendly foursome and is playing much improved golf……
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Kersten Mittelberg It is with my deepest sympathies to Daren, Jenna, and family left behind that I send this message. I wish you well through this difficult time for you and just wanted to give my condolences to you! I enjoyed eating nice food with you and sharing some fun times and laughs. Your Father was a great guy who loved life!
My deepest wishes to you!
Kersten
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Helen Copley having known darrell during years of hockey, his son and mine played at the same time, and also knowing him while i worked with k&r foods and his distributed to our wharehouse, i grew to respect and care about him and i am so sorry for the loss to daren and janna. our condelences to you both and to your children for their loss. cliff bates and helen
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Dallas Nisbet Rest in Peace Coach, you will be missed.
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Barry and Sig Williams To Darrell’s children: We are so sad that you have lost your dad. We remember him well from the old sports days and always thought he was a delight. Saw him at the recent Health Show and he hadn’t changed a bit. Darryl sends his condolences from Calgary and is sad to see so many of his former teammates losing their parents. We are sorry that we are unable to attend the service for your dad but we will remember him with great fondness. Barry and Sig Williams
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Terry & Gillian Johnston For the past 30 years I have known Darrell as a competitor and as a friend and have had tremendous respect for him on both areas. Over the years my wife Gillian got to know Darrell as a friend. It was great seeing him in Palm Springs last month and we cherish those wonderful times we had with him.
We will miss him.
Our hearts go out to Daren, Jenna and their families. You can be very proud of your Dad and Grandfather. He had a way about him that will long be remembered in the food industry, in his community and most of all by his family and friends.
Please accept our condolences.
Terry & Gillian
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Randy Alsip What a great, great loss. I am saddened for the passing of my friend, mentor and industry icon. I will miss his wonderful sense of humour. To the entire Forster family, I send my condolences on the loss of your loved one.
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Eugene Schley I am very sorry to hear the sad news of Derrell’s passing. He was a very possitive person, and was always a pleasure to be around.
He will be missed by all.
Eugene Schley and Family
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Kristie Elder From our family to yours, we send your our deepest condolences. We are so sorry for your loss. Our thoughts are with you. Stay strong.
With Sympathy,
The Elder Family (K3)
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bob and lorna nicholson darrell you where a great friend and I will always remember the great stories you told and your amazing laugh. It has been awhile seens I was you but I will always remember our coaching days together and us working together at the start of the BC Jr. olympic program. You where a true friend and ypu will be missed. To darren and jenna your dad had alot of great friends and he was so proud of his kids.
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Caryl Worden Though I didn’t know Darrell, I have recently come to be an associate of his daughter Jenna; a wonderful, caring, dedicated woman and certainly a tribute to him. Having lost my own father four years ago, I send my sorrow and condolences to you, Jenna, and to your entire family.
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Mike and Donna Mitchell To Darren, Jenna and family – what wonderful memories we have of our many years of hockey and lacrosse – we were all family back then -going from Seaspray lacrosse to Racquet Club hockey with camping, road trips and lots of celebrations and always with your dad leading the way as coach, manager and good friend. He has a special place in our hearts.
ps we are in Charleston, S.C. visiting Darryl, Laura, Grayson and Briggs so will not be able to attend Dad’s service but will be thinking of you all. – Mike and Donna Mitchell
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bill/june Decaria please accept our condolence to the family. I have had the pleasure to know darrell since 1968 .we share a lot of time together over the years on the road. Iwas with kraft foods and he was on his green isle sales. he also offered me a job as well.it would have been a pleasureto work. with.him I watched him through the good times and the bad times .with his son and bus. both servied well. untill we meet again have a brandy with brother ron.. your freind the deackon…………..bill
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Jim Wood I really only had a chance to get to know Darrell since joining Sunrise Soya Foods over the last 18 months but discovered quickly what a true gentleman he was. I will miss our time together. My prayers are with his family and loved ones. It never rains on the golf courses where you will be!
Jim Wood
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Tony Myers I met Darrell several years ago when Inteplast purchased the PCL Plant in Delta. I had the pleasure of working the Island with Darrell and making several calls, among them Thrifty’s where he was highly regarded. We later went to his favorite Pub and enjoyed a nice lunch together and dare I say a beer. We talked about business, life and the Industry in general, as well as, you guessed it, golf. He showed me around Vancouver Island and invited me back to relax sometime. He was proud of the area. I later saw Darrell a few months back when I was in Vancouver again and true to form, he was all smiles and looked at things in a balanced and positive way. While I have spent limited time in Darrell’s Company, I felt a sincere and thoughtful human being I had met. He made you feel like a friend even if he didn’t know you that well. He had a way of making you feel comfortable and at ease with almost any conversation. And when you looked into his eyes, you just new you could trust him. My sympathy goes out to his family and friends. My only regret is that I didn’t know him longer. Even in the short span I was around Darrell, I felt great things were always possible and I was blessed to have had the chance to meet him and spend quality time together, albeit, not nearly enough.
Sincerely,
Tony Myers
Director, Grocery/Retail Business
The Inteplast Group
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Marge Macdonald I was truly sorry to hear of Darrell’s passing. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends and those in the food industry.
Darrell alway had a smile for me when we met, and it was a pleasure to have known him.
Sincerely Marge Macdonald
(Darrell – Be sure to say hello to Bev)
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Bernard Gauthier It is with sadness that I write this message of condolence. I have work with Darrell just a few time but every time I learned something positive about him and his sense of business. I know that he was very much appreciated by every one he dealt with on and off the Island and I will miss meeting with him on my future trips to Victoria.
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Dave Anderson My sincere condolences on the passing of Darrell. In my capacity as Western Regional Manager with Ganong Chocolates I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with Darrell on many occasions over the past 10 years.
He was a really good guy to work with and his sincerity and professionalism made him very highly thought of in the business community.
Sincerely,
Dave Anderson
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Bill Anthony Please accept my most sincere condolences on the loss of Darrell.
Many of us in the food industry had so many great times with Darrell, there are too many to mention but always remembered.
Darrell always had a great sense of humour with a very distinct laugh. He organized many events and outings for his business associates and friends. I was lucky enough to be a business associate with Darrell and of course take part in many great business and social activities. Darrell will be missed by all of us but always remembered for his thoughtfullness, kindness, generosity and friendship. My thoughts are with Darrell and his family. Bill Anthony
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Tom Renney Please accept my condolences on the passing of Daryl.He always had such a terrific outlook on life and was a pleasure to be around. I admired him a great deal. The hockey world has lost another terrific leader.
Sincere regards.
Tom Renney
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dave andrews Sincere condolences on Darrell’s passing. It has been many years since I had the pleasure of spending time with Darrell, but the memory of his wonderful personality and my appreciation for his dedication to hockey on vancouver Island remain strong.
My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Dave Andrews
President
American Hockey League
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Taylor Johnson Jenna, Daren and family,
On behalf of Joe, Pat, Marvin, myself and the entire CHEEMO family please except our deepest sympathies. Darrell was a mentor and inspiration to all. He was also a leader. He single handedly grow the CHEEMO brand on the Island. We could never thank him enough. I enjoyed going to the Island for business trips, him picking me up from the airport then going about our business and then an afternoon of golf at Royal Colwood. This became a great routine with a lot of great memories. He became a great friend.
Sincerely
Taylor Johnson
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Mark Wilson Please accept our deepest sympathy. We have been fortunate to have known Darrell both through our business as well as sports. It was always great to have a chat and he was always there with a smile. He will be missed greatly.
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Roy Rocheleau Darrell will be sadly missed by our family. We all got to see him each year in Palm Springs and golf with him. We golfed with him on Feb 12th. I spent a few hours with him one of the last nights he was down there and he talked of his family, the treehouse he helped build and all of his grandkids. My sons got to know him as well as their girlfriends and wives. He always came and saw us and always had the same temperment and smile. He has left a good impression on all of my family.
Roy Rocheleau
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Peter Taylor Darrell,
No one had more passion for our business than you! I only had a chance to work with Darrell a few years on a few occasions .. however, he has left a lasting and incredibly positive impression on myself and our business.
Darrell, I can only imagine the impact you had to your family, friends and community! Your loss will be tough! My prayers are with you all.
Peter Taylor
WhiteWave Foods
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Darlene Humbert Darrell will be greatly missed. His sense of humor and his laugh will be remembered. My deepest sympathy to his family.
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Louise Doheny It has been a pleasure to know and work with Darrell.
Very few have the same enthousiam and commitment.
He will be missed.
My sincere condolence.
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Stephanie Hodgkinson I am so very sorry for your loss. It was my pleasure working with Darrell for the last 7 years. Darrell was a wonderful man, and I will miss him very much. My thoughts and prayers are with your family at this difficult time!
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Murray Stadnyk Darrell, I only had the pleasure of meeting you a couple of times so I didn’t know you as well as some other colleagues, however I did think we were a true gentlemen in both times that we met.
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Graham R. Briggs My deepest sympathies go out to Darrell’s family and friends. Darrell was a true gentleman, who always would extend his hand if help was needed.
Darrell made is condo unit in Palm Springs available to myself and friends, which we enjoyed for several years. A lovely spot, and you could tell talking with Darrell that it was one of his joys in life.
Darrell will be missed but always fondly remembered.
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Glenn Jones I humbly submit my condolences to the Forster family…..he was a fine man.
My heart is with you.
Glenn Jones.
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Brian Konar We were saddened to hear of the sudden loss of our friend, Darrell. Darrell was an icon to many of us out West in the Canadian food industry and someone who was well-respected and highly thought of.
Darrell was a great guy to spend time with, enjoyed his golfing moments at the annual SNUP gathering with his buddies in the food business and he has left a true legacy with his family. We will miss Darrell and his cheerful presence and smiling face.
Our condolences to his son Daren, his daughter Jenna and the grand-kids. Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this time.
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Michelle Earl (nee Forster I will Miss Darrell. He was a great comfort to me last year, when our Mother was so ill.
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Ken Prout Darrell was a true icon in the food industry and was known by everyone. He will be missed as he always had a big smile and a hand extended in friendship. I will miss seeing him on my visits to Quality Foods and at industry functions. Please accept my condolences on the loss of your father and grandfather.
I loved getting roses from him. I asked him why – and it was just because he could… he was known for this.
His greatest passions were his children, Daren and Jenna, and of course hockey. We enjoyed seeing them each time they came to the mainland.
He was a wonderful man and will be greatly missed by all who knew him. He touched so many lives.
My heart goes out to you.
Sincerely,