It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of our beloved father, on the morning of November 25, 2021. Bob died peacefully, in Victoria, with family by his side.
Bob was born in Camrose, Alberta, on July 9th, 1939, to parents Mary and Jerry Wilson. His brother Jim joined him a few years later and the family moved often, living in various locations in British Columbia. They settled in Vancouver when Bob was a young teen
Music has always been one of Dad’s greatest passions. He began learning violin as a child and later became a talented bass player. Bob discovered jazz as a teenager, and was hooked. He frequented and performed in many jazz clubs around Vancouver, most notably, the Cellar. Bob continued to enjoy and support musicians for the rest of his life.
After graduating from Kitsilano high, Bob worked in banking for seven years, before becoming a salesman. He was successful at and enjoyed this career which he continued until his retirement in 2002. Bob had a friendly persuasive knack for sales and befriended many of his customers. Once retired, Bob volunteered regularly with Sendial, which allowed him to keep in touch with his pals in the grocery business. He also helped the Salvation Army raise money for their annual Christmas kettle bell campaign. He felt strongly about this cause and encouraged everyone to donate generously.
Work brought Dad, his wife, Carol and daughters to live permanently to Victoria in 1970. In his spare time, he enjoyed hosting backyard barbeques with friends and family. Good times occurred when he had a mess of trout or a large salmon to cook. Bob loved the outdoors; fishing trips to the interior and around the island with his buddies were always a great joy to him. He was loyal and always had a joke to share.
Although Bob lived with deteriorating health problems for many months, he never complained. He faced adversity with unwavering courage and bravery. Dad was active in his church and had a strong faith.
Bob is survived by his daughters, Shelley and Nancy, their mother, Carol, grandson, Frankie, brother, Jim, (Norma), nephews, cousins and countless friends.
Those wishing to do so may make a donation in Bob’s memory to the Salvation Army, https://salvationarmy.ca/
‘We love you Dad, may you rest in peace’
A Funeral Service for Bob Wilson will be held at the Salvation Army citadel, 4030 Douglas Street in Victoria, BC at 11:00 am on December 2, 2021.
Vaccine passports, I.D. and masks required.
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com
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sharon rempel
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Brad Davies Sorry to hear of Bob’s passing, my condolences to the family. Although I hadn’t seen Bob in over thirty years, I still remember our visits when he called on me when he was with Oppenheimer. He was a true gentleman. Rest in peace.
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Norman Loy I’m so sorry and saddened to hear Bob is no longer with us. I have fond memories of working alongside Bob in a small Victoria warehouse office, going for a few “Pops” after work on Fridays and having meals together on overnight or weekend business trips. I’ve learned a lot from working with Bob, he helped brought me along in the grocery business. I regretted I didn’t have the opportunity to catch up with Bob for a coffee or so in his latter years of his retirement even though I’ve had him in mind numerous times. My deepest condolences to Shelley, Nancy and their families.
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Phil Greenhalgh Bob was one of the good sales reps and I always enjoyed his visits at the store. I also have some fun memories from attending different social events over the years with Bob. He always had a smile and a good joke to tell. RIP Bob…
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Susan Ross My condolences to Bob’s family. I had the pleasure of working with Bob at the James Bay Sendial when I first moved to Victoria. He always had a kind word and a big smile. (And he sure knew his groceries.)
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Bev Hopkins We were sorry to hear about Bob. I worked with him while he was with Oppenheimer and enjoyed the talks that we would have. We both went to Kitsilano
High school and we talked a lot about the Salvation Army. He was such a caring person and we enjoed his little jokes, that always loved sharing with everyone. My husband was also in sales and had coffee with the gang at times. His memory will always be a blessing.
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Scott Wilson So sad to hear of this, and sending lots of love to all of you. Sorry that we will be so far on Thursday when the service happens, but we’ll be thinking of you. For myself I’ll always have memories of Uncle Bob, telling jokes and talking about music. Those times meant a lot to me. He was a special guy and he’ll be missed.
Scott, Daria, and Mila
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Marge Macdonald My deepest condolences to Shelley, Nancy and family in the passing of their dad Bob. My husband and I were one of the many fortunate people that were at the back yard barbecues. Such a great memory from years ago.
Sharon Rempel
I enjoyed many Beacon Hill Park Bandshell concerts with Bob and visits to various jazz events in the city. Bob was a regular at the Oswego Hotel jazz nights. Bob’s enthusiasm for the music and deep appreciation for good wine and food was shown at the Oswego Hotel. They have a special Bob button at the bar to give him discounted rates. I walked into the Oswego one night, he called me over and said ‘have a seat’. I told him I was new to jazz; he became my teacher and friend.
The island musicians honored Bob as ‘one of their own’. I’ll miss our chats about food, the grocery business, travel and the history of jazz.
Bob’s many friends showed up annually when he was on Sally Ann kettle ringing. Informal comments made said he had the highest amount of donations in a kettle year after year.