Obituary
It is with sadness that we say goodbye to our father, Alan George Taylor, age 95, on December 30, 2021 at Cowichan District Hospital in Duncan, BC. He leaves behind his and Adele’s three children, Susan Gates (Peter [deceased]), Wendy Martin (Alan) and David Taylor (Janet), his grandsons Sean Gates and Rob Gates, plus the children of his late wife Dori, Michael Treadaway (Darlene), David Treadaway (Rose) and Francine Treadaway and Dori’s grandchildren Mathew Treadaway, Scott Plager and Amanda Lee Plager. Alan also leaves behind his sister-in-law Elizabeth Taylor, nieces and nephews Lynne Knox, Gerry Taylor, Debbie Taylor, Heather Wall, Alan Galley, Shirley Madden and Robert Taylor, and their families.
Alan was born in Onoway, AB on June 7, 1926, in a small cabin in the woods. His family moved to Toronto in 1927 and he spent many years living in Thistletown (Toronto), ON with his brothers Edward, Roy and Gerry, and his sister Dorothy, riding bikes and getting into all kinds of mischief. Alan married Adele Meles in 1954. They lived most of their years together in Maple, ON during which time they enjoyed the challenges and joys of raising their three children.
After Alan left school at age 16, he helped his father run his gas station for a number of years and later opened Weston Marina, a small engine and outboard motor repair shop. In the late 60’s, Alan went back to school and earned a degree in teaching while working at De Havilland in a machine shop, and driving delivery trucks part-time for Eaton’s. He was a high school teacher at Orangeville District Secondary School and at Yorkdale Secondary School until his retirement in 1991. Within months, he and his wife, Dori fell in love with Chemainus, BC and made it their home.
As a life-long volunteer, he was a member of the Lion’s Club in Maple, ON and again in Ladysmith, BC. He and his wife Dori were also volunteers at the Chemainus Tourist Information Kiosk where they answered questions and gave walking tours to visitors who wanted to see the many murals. As a result of their dedication to their new town, there were named “Chemainus Citizens of the Year” in 1994.
Alan was a handyman. He could fix engines, do home repairs and build anything. In the classroom, he came up with innovative but simple items the students could make in the workshops such as light fixtures of coloured plastic with woven designs made of string. His creativity continued at home with an indoor planter box that had a water feature and a spot light to make it appear like sunlight for our basement ambience. Alan helped to build and paint sets at the Chemainus Senior Centre for the many plays that he and Dori were involved with. Once, he re-created the “YMCA” dance video by building a line of dummies that were attached to a dancer’s hands and legs so it looked like 5 people dancing together to this song. If he could think of it, or see that someone else had done it, he worked hard to figure out how to create it himself.
Alan loved to dance. He told stories of hitchhiking down to the Palais Royale on the waterfront in his younger years to go dancing with as many pretty girls as he could. He loved the dances held at the Maple Community Centre, and later the Maple Arena, where he and Adele would appear to be dancing on air, so graceful were their steps as they moved across the floor. Later, in Chemainus, Alan danced in many of the musicals that were put on at the Senior Centre, most notably when he danced with two other ladies at the same time in a comedy routine.
Alan was a private pilot and flew out from the Maple airport. Twice, he flew across the country in a little airplane. Some of the stories were a little hair-raising, such as crossing the mountains by following the hydro wires as a guide and running up against thick low clouds that blocked his view, forcing him to turn back and try flying through another way until finally locating an airstrip on which to land.
Alan and Dori loved to travel and they visited Mexico, Egypt, many European countries with multiple trips to Spain, and enjoyed cruises to Alaska plus various whale watching trips, as well as numerous trips to Texas and Ontario to visit family and friends.
As a younger man, Alan played hockey and softball, and his love of softball followed him until he was 85 as he played for the Senior Men’s drop-in softball team in Chemainus. Phone calls to family after a game would bring tales of running the bases for the “younger guys” who had knee replacements and he’d say, “I don’t know why I’m so tired!” which made us laugh.
Alan was an extremely active person who didn’t like to sit still. When he found that he had too much time on his hands in his 80’s, he volunteered part time at the Raptors Centre in Duncan, BC where he repaired fences, cages and perches which gave him such joy and sense of purpose.
The family will have a private memorial at a later date.
To send flowers to Alan’s family, please visit our floral store.
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Alan George Taylor June 7 1926 December 30 2021 (age 95)..
Telford, Toneff and Boyd Burial and Cremation Centres
Décès pour la Ville: Ladysmith, Province: Colombie britanique