Obituary
Ralph Meyer of Sechelt, B.C. passed away peacefully on June 28, 2022 at the age of 91 with his loving wife of 64 years at his side. Born in England on April 9, 1931 in Rugby, Warwickshire, Ralph was the youngest and last sibling among seven sisters and six brothers to pass away. His life ended as he wished.
A highly recognized architect, Ralph and his wife emigrated to Canada in 1959. Most of his career was spent in Vancouver on projects that included Lions Gate and Saint Paul’s hospitals, Simon Fraser University, the Peace River Dam and, while based in Yellowknife, projects across the Canadian Arctic. At Penn State University in 1971, Ralph was presented with the “American Steels Award” for the design of the West Coast Transmission Building in downtown Vancouver. After retiring in 1990, Ralph continued his passion for architecture and, in 2008, designed the Suncoast Racquet Club, the first indoor tennis facility on the Sunshine Coast that is enjoyed by many today.
Ralph loved life, embraced it with both hands, and made the most of every opportunity. His favorite moments were when he was with his loving wife, children and grandchildren. During his lifetime, he traveled to almost 40 countries and learnt six languages including Japanese and Greek. Ralph enjoyed being active and played or tried more than 55 different sports. He loved being outdoors in nature whether kayaking, hiking or walking and always valued the opportunity to share these experiences with his family. Ralph put his incredible intelligence, wit and artistic talent to work creating word and board games, designing and building climbing toys for children, doing his daily crossword, and constantly working on projects, such as his memoires, even in his last days.
Ralph was a loving husband and devoted father. He is survived by his wife June, his daughters Caroline and Sonia, his grandchildren Tristan, Cayley, Eve and LilyJune, his great granddaughter Channing, and by his children’s spouses Mike, Janet and Russ. Ralph is predeceased by his son Paul.
A Celebration of Life will be held at the Sunshine Coast Botanical Garden on Monday, July 18th from 1:00 to 3:00 PM. A toast to honour Ralph will be held at 2:00 PM at Ralph and June’s bench. Friends and acquaintances are invited to come and share their memories with June and her family.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a small donation to the Sunshine Coast Botanical Garden or to the Suncoast Racquet Club for the Paul Meyer Endowment Fund.
ON THE WAY OUT…
Day by day, as time goes by,
Both sun and moon cross o’er the sky,
The clock is ticking, too loud by far,
And time is passing, like a shooting star.
What then am I to do, today,
As I watch with awe, life slip away?
My world has changed in the past few years,
As each of my faculties disappears,
My strength has waned, my patience, too,
My skin has patches of black & blue.
The hearing, which once was fine,
Has reduced itself to a continuous whine,
The eyesight, sharp and clear before,
Has left one eye with a fatal flaw.
The meals I used to love so much,
Reduced themselves to such and such,
No taste buds left to enjoy each bite
No need for food, no appetite.
It seems as though the very core
Of my bodily frame is now unsure
Of the purpose for which it’s meant
I’m getting shrivelled and quite bent.
The legs I praised, for many a mile,
Refuse to function in their usual style,
They’re like a weight imposed on me,
Each one feels like an old oak tree.
My lungs are full of water now,
My breathing sounds like a lonesome cow,
The heart is weak and very frail
No chance of hiking the West Coast Trail.
A necessary walk from the kitchen to “john”
Is like hiking miles with lead boots on.
What used to be done, in a minute or so
Now forces me to “go with the flow”
And slow down carefully, take my time
And reach my goal, end of this rhyme!
So, farewell all, especially wife,
I really have enjoyed my life.
Ralph Meyer 21 May, 2022
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A Memorial Tree was planted for Ralph
We are deeply sorry for your loss – the staff at Devlin Funeral Home
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Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Ralph Meyer April 9 1931 June 28 2022 (age 91)..
Death notice for the town of: Gibsons, Province: Colombie britanique