Iain Martin died peacefully in the wee hours of the morning of December 17, 2022.
When death’s dark stream I ferry o’er,
A time that surely shall come;
In Heaven itself, I’ll ask no more,
Than just a Highland welcome.
~Robert Burns
Iain would have had us leave it there, but we want to honour the man he was, and the rich life he led.
Iain was born in 1938 near Glasgow, Scotland. He was a keen student who loved to learn. He particularly enjoyed poetry and reading the classics. He loved classical music and played folk tunes on his mouth organ. He was also known to break into song at any time of day. He was a master of trivia, and extremely well read. As a boy, he was active in the local Scout pack and earned his Queen Scout award. He loved the outdoors, and, as soon as he could, he headed for the Highlands of Scotland and developed a passion for mountaineering. He had many amazing adventures, both on the mountains and in the social scene, in the Alps as well. Iain worked only to afford his adventures, and in his spare time, he studied metallurgy at night school, and achieved a professional designation.
Iain arrived in Canada in 1966, with the intention of climbing the highest peaks around the continent. When he ran out of money, he called on a relative in Trail, and with his skills in Metallurgy gained employment at Cominco in September, which was to be a temporary measure. To his surprise, he found the mountaineering of the Kootenays kept him here longer than expected, and when he met Libby late that year, it was a done deal. They married a mere month later in January 1967, and continued their adventures together. Their family grew with the birth of Fiona in 1970, and Hamish in 1972.
Iain worked for Cominco in the north at Pinchi Lake and Pine Point until 1971, and then in Trail Operations until 1998. His last position was to keep the old lead furnaces running while the new project was implemented. He enjoyed all of the challenges that work on the “hill” provided him, but particularly loved all of the variety of experiences and the “human” challenges and relations.
Outside of work, Iain continued his mountaineering, was a regular at the squash club, fixed up old Landrovers, enjoyed photography, loved to fish, and tried his best to conquer Red Mountain. He later took up golf, and once retired, he treated the golf course like his job, out early every morning with his gang, and every Sunday with his family. His favorite job of all time has been as Xander’s grandfather.
Iain was dedicated to helping his community. He was a founding member and leader of the Kootenay Mountaineering Club. He was a Scout Leader and enjoyed sharing his love for the outdoors with the boys. Iain also served many years on the Boards of the Red Mountain Ski Club, the Rossland Public Library and the Rossland Credit Union. For many years he was also a dedicated handy-man at the Rossland Museum.
He leaves behind his wife of almost 56 years, Libby, his daughter Fiona, son-in-law Max and grandson Xander, his sister Margaret, and many nieces and nephews. We know he will be reunited with his son, Hamish, who died in 1997.
Iain’s “send off” will be on December 27, from 3-5 pm at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 14 Rossland. Please join us for a toast to the old gaffer, and bring a story to share.
Iain’s family are grateful for the care he received from KBRH surgical floor nurses & staff, Poplar Ridge staff, Columbia View Lodge staff, Drs. Sandstrom, Hjelkrem, Houde, Paul and Kerby, and finally the Trail Hospice Society volunteers. In memoriam donations can be made to the Trail Hospice Society.
You are invited to leave a personal message of condolence.
December 17th 2022
Nous offrons nos plus sincères condoléances à la famille et aux amis de Iain Martin December 17th 2022 et espérons que leur souvenir pourra être une source de réconfort pendant cette période difficile. Vos pensées et vos mots aimables sont grandement appréciés.
Décès pour la Ville:Trail, Province: Colombie britanique