Wayne Hanna

Wayne Hanna was born in 1942 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. His grandfather had worked building the railroad through the Canadian Rockies, acquiring a land grant that eventually brought the family to a farming community in Manitoba.

Tragedy struck early when Wayne’s maternal grandmother passed away, leaving her husband with three sons (one of which was Wayne’s father) and a daughter. Unable to manage on his own, he placed the boys in the Knowles Orphanage in Winnipeg, while his daughter was taken in by her maternal grandparents.

Wayne’s father left Knowles at age 15 in 1928 and began working with North Star Oil. Wayne’s mother was born in Birdshill, Manitoba. She and Wayne’s father married in 1940, just before the war.

When World War II broke out Wayne’s father enlisted. Due to a vision impairment, he was assigned administrative duties and served as an adjutant to a general. With his mother working during the war, Wayne was largely raised by his maternal grandmother. As an only child for the first six years of his life, he had a quiet and self-reliant childhood.

Wayne’s father returned from the war in 1947. Using the ‘war times home program’ the family bought a home on the northern edge of Winnipeg — at the time, the last street before open prairie. The family grew by two brothers. 

Moving to a growing part of the city, Wayne only moved once but attended six different schools, always getting there by walking or biking. At age 12, Wayne began working as a paperboy — first for the Winnipeg Free Press after school in the afternoons, and later for the Winnipeg Tribune in the early mornings. The experience of managing his own route and collections gave him his first taste of business.

He became deeply involved with the YMCA in downtown Winnipeg, eventually serving as a junior leader. His bicycle remained his primary mode of transport, except during the brutal Winnipeg winters, when he relied on the bus.

By age 15, Wayne worked part-time at the YMCA and soon decided to pursue a career as a YMCA professional. He studied at George Williams College in Chicago — one of only three YMCA training centres in North America at the time.

Because he had started school young, Wayne graduated from high school at 17. With a scholarship from the Y’s Men group in Winnipeg and $500 from an education insurance plan his father had set up, he set off— traveling alone by train to Minneapolis, then to Chicago, where he quickly discovered that Canadian money wasn’t the accepted currency by local bus drivers.

At George Williams College, Wayne supported himself with a series of part-time jobs, including work at a Chicago Boys’ Club, a local YMCA and as a watchman.

Although Wayne’s focus was on Group Work, he became increasingly aware of his interest in administration.  During an internship with the Chicago YMCA’s Human Resources Director, he was encouraged to apply for an MBA at Northwestern University. Though he never heard back, he later discovered he had been accepted — but the letter had been sent to the wrong address.

Each summer between his semesters at George Williams College, Wayne returned to Winnipeg where he ran a summer camp program for teenagers with emotional problems.   Impressed with his work, the organization offered him the Program Director’s position while the incumbent was on education leave. There, he was encouraged to consider a future in social work.

Wayne enrolled in the Master of Social Work (MSW) program at the University of Manitoba and was awarded a bursary from the Saskatchewan government. In the summer of 1965, between his Master years, he was assigned to a project to assist the Social Workers in Prince Albert to catch up on their foster home applications.

It was during this summer that he met Marga, a child welfare worker in one of the regions in which he was assisting with the foster home applications.  They bonded over shared values and a mutual love of canoeing on the Saskatchewan River.

Marga, a talented artist, had been studying Fine Arts at the University of Saskatchewan but lacked the funds to continue. Wayne encouraged her to move to Winnipeg with him to pursue a Master’s degree at the University of Manitoba. They married and began their life together.

Wayne completed his MSW, and Marga completed another year of her MFA.  After graduation, Wayne was offered a social work position in Regina and Marga assumed a child welfare position in the Qu’Appelle office there.  After one year in Regina, Wayne was promoted to a supervisor and relocated to Prince Albert.  Marga transitioned to a role with Canada Manpower.

Later, a colleague invited Wayne to join him in Quebec to help change a custodial program into a treatment program for delinquent boys. Known as the Boys Farm and Training School or “Shawbridge”, it was funded by the Quebec government and served Anglophone youth throughout Quebec. Alongside his colleague they faced significant resistance from existing staff as they worked to change the institution. After a few months, they presented a plan for transforming the organization, which was accepted by the Government.  To implement the plan, Wayne was promoted to the role of Director of Treatment.

In this new role, he focused on implementing a professional staffing structure by hiring trained social workers, child care workers, tradespeople, and teachers. Wayne travelled extensively to England and across North America to recruit qualified professionals. On one of his recruitment trips, Wayne visited Ohio State University where a professor encouraged him to pursue a PhD. He applied and was accepted.

At the time Wayne began his PhD studies, Marga was pregnant with their second child, but still the family moved to Columbus when their baby was only six weeks old.  Wayne’s continuing interest in administration was rewarded by the opportunity to take courses at the business school as part of his PhD.  Wayne spent two years completing his coursework and then returned to Montreal for the third year to work part-time while finishing his dissertation, commuting monthly to Columbus. His dissertation explored how the relationship between professional attitudes and organizational structures impact job satisfaction.  He graduated in 1975.

In 1978 Wayne led a new Anglophone organization in Quebec called “Youth Horizons”.  This organization integrated the anglophone services for children with mental health issues.  Although the integration process went extremely well, Wayne felt that his lack of French fluency had a negative impact on the organization’s ability to develop.

Seeking a better fit, Wayne accepted a position in Toronto as the National Director of Programs for the Canadian Red Cross, prompting another move. It was during this time that Marga discovered her passion for art therapy, which became a significant part of her career.

Though Wayne enjoyed his role with the Red Cross, he experienced a clash in management style with a colleague. Through one of Marga’s contacts, he was introduced to a partner at Coopers & Lybrand, (C&L) who was looking for someone with organizational development expertise.

Wayne joined C&L (now part of Price Waterhouse Coopers, PWC) as an Organizational Development Consultant and worked with organizations throughout Canada.  Because of his social work background, he often worked with not-for-profit organizations to improve their effectiveness and develop strategic plans.  Wayne also worked with corporate clients.  While working on one World Bank assignment with a mining company in Bolivia, he met the partner responsible for the C&L Mining Practice in Canada.  As this relationship developed, Wayne was invited to become part of the mining practice.  He was transferred to Vancouver in 1989. 

An important part of Wayne’s work focused on leadership and team development.  As a result, he became a trainer with the Blanchard Situational Leadership and Team Building program.  This prompted him to leave Coopers & Lybrand and establish an independent practice in 1993 which resulted in several international assignments (Saudi Arabia, Dubai, and Mongolia) in addition to projects in Canada and the USA. 

Wayne has always been willing to share his knowledge and interest in organizational functioning.  He has been the President of two Professional organizations and four social service organizations, and the Treasurer of three social service organizations.  In recognition of his commitment to the consulting profession, Wayne was made a Fellow (FCMC) in the Canadian Association of Management Consultants.

Despite his demanding travel schedule, Wayne prioritized family and community life. Outdoor activities like canoeing, hiking, and camping were core to their family time.

After settling in Lions Bay, Wayne and Marga began looking for a faith community. Having attended various churches during their many moves — Anglican, United, Lutheran — they eventually found a home at the North Shore Unitarian Church (NSUC), a denomination Wayne had first encountered in Chicago.

They quickly became active members. Marga served twice on the board, sang in the choir, and chaired the Heart, Mind & Spirit Team. Wayne served for two years as board president and four years as treasurer. Their spiritual and community life at NSUC became a deeply valued part of their journey together.  Wayne has been a member of a men’s group for over 20 years and considers that a significant part of his life.  Wayne is presently the Chair of the Heart, Mind and Spirit Team and a member of the Finance Committee.

Most recently, they have become active in the North American Unitarian Association (NAUA) where Wayne provided support for a strategic planning project and is an active member of the International Alliance Committee.  Through NAUA’s membership in the International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF), Wayne has explored other approaches to spirituality and has found this particularly rewarding.

Marga Hanna

Margarete “Marga” Hanna was born in 1941 in the Polish city of Łódź, to Alfred and Else Hein. Her father, a chemist, passed away from leukemia just months after her birth. Her mother, employed as a secretary, was left to raise baby Marga and her older brother, born in 1939, on her own.

 As World War II came to a close in the winter of 1944, the Allied leaders (Churchill, Stalin, and Roosevelt) enforced the expulsion of ethnic Germans who had settled in countries to the east of Germany. It was, in part, a retributive act following the horrors of the war, and as many as 14 million ethnic Germans were disowned and forced to flee their homes with only what they could carry. Of these, between 500,000 to 2 million died during their expulsion and flight west. It is important to note that Germans had been invited by various rulers to re-settle into countries like Poland, Czech, Hungary, Russia, Serbia, Romania, Yugoslavia as early as the 12th to 14th Century. Marga’s family tree traces her father’s family’s arrival in Poland to the 17th Century.

Marga’s mother was among those disowned, displaced, and expelled, journeying with her two small children (Marga just four years old) by foot and whatever transport they could find. The chaos of war still raged around them. Marga’s memories of that time are vivid, witnessing frequent bombings, Russian tanks and soldiers on the move west, artillery fire, burning buildings, and lifeless bodies scattered along the roads. It took weeks before they reached the border between East and West Germany.

There, the Red Cross took responsibility for the exhausted and starving refugees or what was left of them, attempting to place them in towns and villages where residents might take them in. Arriving in one such village late at night on an open truck, Marga, her mother and brother were the last to be placed. This is a moment which Marga recalls clearly: a woman owner of a substantial village home, sitting in her large kitchen peeling hot boiled potatoes, responded with open hostility to the Red Cross worker and refused Marga’s mother and her children shelter and food. They had to go back into the cold night to keep searching for a place to sleep.

Eventually, they found a newly widowed mother who had lost her husband to the war, and her son. They were kind and allowed Marga’s family to stay in their home, making them feel welcome. Marga, her mother and brother lived in the village for the next ten years, and her mother became a valued member of the community.  When Marga was 14, her family emigrated to Canada on the invitation of relatives who had left Germany shortly after WW I.

The small family joined relatives — cousins of her father — who had settled on farms in Saskatchewan. Their first Canadian home was in Saskatoon. Family members welcomed them. Marga completed her high school education there and went on to earn a Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree at the University of Saskatchewan.

Marga was soon hired as a Social Worker and transferred to Prince Albert, where she carried a large rural child welfare caseload managing adoptions, foster home placements, and child protection. It was there that she met Wayne, a Social Work student from Winnipeg completing a field placement as part of his Master’s program. He was assigned to Marga’s caseload, which introduced him to the responsibilities she carried in her large region.

Marga and Wayne married in 1965 and moved to Winnipeg, where Marga completed her BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) at the University of Manitoba. The following year, they relocated to Regina, where both worked as Social Workers. 

In 1968, Wayne was invited to help redesign a program for troubled youth at Shawbridge near Montreal —formerly a punitive institution modeled after England’s Borstal system. The goal was to transform it into the Shawbridge Treatment Center. Marga taught there for a year and continued her education. By 1971 she had earned her diploma in Art Education at Concordia University. While Wayne continued work at Shawbridge for three years, Marga transitioned to teaching within the Protestant School Board of Montreal. 

Their first child, Damon, was born in 1971 at Montreal General Hospital. Their second son, Ryan, followed in July 1972. Marga decided to focus on mothering. As Wayne was accepted into the Ph.D. Program in Organizational Development and Social Work at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, the family moved there in 1972. They lived there for the next two years. Marga did part time studies at the Columbus College of Art and Design.

They returned to Montreal in the summer of 1974, and Marga resumed her Master’s studies, specializing in Arts and Psychology. She graduated with her M.A. in 1981.

While living in Montreal/St Therese, as a stay-at-home mom/student, Marga also taught art classes from home, though the demands eventually proved too great to balance with family life.

In 1980, Wayne accepted a position with the consulting firm Coopers & Lybrand and the family moved to Toronto. Marga enrolled in a two-year diploma program in the emerging field of Art Therapy at the Toronto Art Therapy Institute. On successful completion, she accepted a new position as an Art Therapist at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, where she joined a multidisciplinary treatment team serving youth with moderate to severe psychological disorders. She remained there for five years.

In 1989, Coopers & Lybrand transferred Wayne to Vancouver. Marga left a meaningful role behind to support the move. Their younger son Ryan, still a teenager, chose to stay behind in Toronto, living with a friend’s family, to complete his high school studies in a special school for gifted teens. He later completed studies and worked in both filmmaking and acting before choosing a more financially stable career as a lawyer.

Their elder son, Damon, found success in Vancouver organizing large-scale musical events, but later, having returned to school to complete an MBA, launched his career as a management consultant in Toronto.

In 1994, Marga assumed a two-year administrative and teaching position in Australia, at the University of Western Sydney, with the assignment of developing and establishing a new M.A. in Art Therapy in collaboration with a colleague from the University of London, Goldsmith College, in England. The venture proved a success, and the program is now firmly established within the Faculty of Psychology there. Australia proved to be an unforgettable adventure. Years later Wayne and Marga circumnavigated the Australian continent to explore its natural marvels and see old friends.

On returning from Australia in 1996, Marga accepted a position as a Registered Clinical Counsellor with Vancouver Family Services, specializing in Trauma Treatment for Adults. For a number of years she also developed courses at, and taught, Art Therapy at the Adler University in Vancouver. She retired in 2015, at the age of 74, but continues to stay active as a volunteer in the community at large.

Marga’s German ancestry has always been an important part of her life. She has visited Germany often to maintain her language and connections with her beloved relatives. 

Faith, Community, and Legacy

Although Marga was raised Lutheran and fondly remembers attending church in the village where she spent her early school years, she cites Cologne Cathedral as a deeply spiritual touchstone. Throughout their many relocations, the Hanna family attended a variety of churches. Once settled in Vancouver, Marga felt the need for a lasting spiritual community.

Wayne, raised in the United Church, had long been influenced by anthropologist Margaret Mead, who was connected to the Unitarian Church in Chicago. This connection led them to explore and ultimately join the North Shore Unitarian community.

Since 1988, Marga has been a faithful choir member and has twice served on the congregation’s Board. She has also made a significant and lasting impact as the leader of the Heart, Mind, and Spirit Team. Marga’s gentle yet steadfast presence has made her a quiet force and a guiding influence within the NSU community.

Truus Clark

Her quiet presence denies the challenging life Truus has experienced. She admits knowing four different languages: Dutch, Indonesian, English and Japanese.

Truus was born in 1932 in the small town of Lahat, Sumatra. She had an older sister Hanneke and brothers Kees (Jr.) and Bram. Their Dutch family, Kees and Johanna de Voogd and their older children had arrived in this part of the world as Kees, a forestry engineer, worked for the Dutch government, developing the forestry industry in Indonesia.

When Truus was four years old, the family moved to Bali where she and her siblings spent a delightful couple of years. Around 1939, the family moved back to Java where they had a big home, giving the children the opportunity to have pets. Truus and brother Bram had two herons, a rooster, chickens, ducks, a rabbit, and even a native coconut rat. The children roamed freely, always carrying their water bottles in that hot climate. However, in 1942 their lives changed dramatically when the Japanese invaded and occupied Indonesia from 1942 to 1945.

Initially, Truus’s father thought the Japanese would not cause them harm. For awhile, the family was still together, living in a garage and eking out a living. But eventually, all the Dutch people were interned in camps. The family was split with their father in a men’s camp, her two brothers in two different camps, and her mother and the two girls in yet another. Conditions were appalling and all were starving. Truus says she was the same size physically at age 13 as she had been at age 10 when they were first incarcerated.

Of great significance to her mother and the girls was the one postcard their father was allowed to send during their incarceration. He wrote, “Don’t be afraid. God shall help.” To this day, Truus treasures that thought. She feels that it has sustained her.

In 1945, their Japanese captors told them that the war was over and they would be released. However, in order for the Dutch to be kept safe at this stage, the Japanese still kept them in their prisons until secure transport could be arranged. The problem was that many Indonesians wanted their country rid of the Dutch — so they attacked and killed Dutch people indiscriminately.

Finally, military trucks brought drivers and armed guards (British army Sikhs and Gurkhas). This security was essential as they needed protection from the Indonesian extremists who wanted all the Dutch out of their country. The trucks had mattresses on the roof as protection. A convoy took them through burning villages to a harbour, where they boarded what was called an American victory ship.

On this ship with many others, it took three weeks to reach their home port of Utrecht in Holland. En route, the ship stopped in Egypt where the folk from the tropical climate of Indonesia could be outfitted with warmer clothing (provided by the Red Cross), which they would need in the Netherlands.

Fortunately, once they arrived in Holland, their father Kees’ sister (who lived in a village near The Hague) took them into her family home.

Once in Holland, the children were able to restart their schooling after the three year lapse. For Truus it meant jumping quickly from elementary school in Indonesia to high school in Holland! Initially she was known as a child who never smiled. She was placed in a high school designated specifically for those children repatriated from the colonies. She was a quick learner and caught up to her peer group, graduating at age 17 with a B designation (which in Holland meant a mathematics focus).

Truus, however, chose to take a three year physiotherapy training program. Soon after this training, she met and married Peter Scott, a Canadian electrical engineer from BC. They moved to London for about 2 years and it was here their first child, Colin, was born.

By 1960 they moved to BC, settling in Vancouver where their daughters Johanna and Carolin were born. Truus embarked on a creative journey making large tapestries for commercial buildings. These were made from sisal and ranged in size from five to twenty-five feet in length. The name Truus Scott became well known in the local creative sphere.

With a young family, Truus decided that the children needed some religious education. In the Netherlands, she was familiar with a Free Thinking church and she knew something of Unitarians through them. Truus decided to join what she thought was a similiar church, but it was actually the United Church of Canada. Their philosophy didn’t quite fit her own theological thinking. Nevertheless, she became a Sunday school teacher and basically became the ‘arts and crafts’ teacher in that community.

After 20 years, her marriage with Peter was failing and Truus needed to find employment to support herself and her family. Her first job as a bank clerk in a TD branch in Pacific Centre was brief and not to her liking. She then applied for the position of Recreation Director at South Granville Park Lodge. In this role, she became well loved and appreciated. She stayed with them for the next 8 years before retiring to be with Carolin and her new baby Els.

We know her as Truus Clark. How did that happen? It was actually 40+ years ago that she met David whose good friends, Keith and Marion Goddard, persuaded six couples to take up bike touring. The group included other Unitarians such as Dennis Wheatley and George Cross. Cycling was to become a significant part of their life together as they’ve travelled through France, Spain and around North America on bike trips.

Truus and David’s marriage was unique in that they didn’t want a church wedding but needed a legitimate chaplain. David knew Barry Cook who was an ordained minister and worked for Human Resources for the United Church in Toronto. He was in Vancouver on his way to a Saltspring Ministry; Barry was happy to perform the ceremony in David and Truus’s back yard.

One of their wedding guests that day was Keith Goddard, who at that time was to become Board President of the North Shore Unitarian Church. Keith remains their close friend, and they occasionally persuade him to come to our services.

David Clark is actually one of the founding members of our North Shore Unitarian community. Truus and David were part of the choir for a short two years. Because of their ties with us, they make it a practice to drive to our services from their Vancouver home.

Watch for a Mini Bio about David Clark, coming soon!

Julia Covell

Julia was born after the Second World War in a town called Herrenberg, Germany. Her parents, Rose and George Kowalow, were Ukrainians who had been assigned to a DP (displaced person) camp with others of the same nationality.

In due course, her father contracted a placement in a mining camp in Belgium as a means of getting out of the refugee camp. His wife and Julia were able to follow him to the area of Ghent. This is where Julia spent the first four years of her life and where sister Nella was born.

In 1951 the family was allowed to emigrate to Canada. It was in Toronto where Julia started kindergarten and eventually completed high school.  A brother, Peter, was born in Canada but has recently died, as did her parents (both in their mid 90’s).

This family was overjoyed at being able to live in peaceful Canada and always felt immense gratitude for the opportunities provided.

At the age of 20, Julia moved on her own to Vancouver and fell in love with the city.  Her elder parents followed her to North Vancouver forty years later as did her two siblings. 

To expand her higher education, Julia completed courses at Langara and Capilano College before attending BCIT where she embarked on what would be a 12-year process of becoming a financial planner.  Having assisted other planners, she eventually became a Registered and Certified Financial Planner — eventually setting up her own business.  Julia truly loved working as a financial planner as she helped people plan and secure their financial futures. It was personally rewarding.  She retired from the field about 10 years ago.

Julia makes it clear that even though her parents were Ukrainian, they absolutely loved Canada for the opportunity of life, liberty and freedom they had here. Though Julia considers herself as part Ukrainian, she describes herself as a passionate Canadian!

Julia was married in 1969 to a legal student named Richard Covell.  They had two sons, Gregory and Christopher, both born at Lions Gate Hospital in the mid 1970’s.  Julia worked and supported the family while her husband attended University and then law school. She also financed a home for them during that time period. . . and paid off the mortgage in 7 years!

While they lived near UBC in the early days of their marriage, near them also lived Jane Rule, a writer and feminist.  One day, upon chance meeting in the neighbourhood, Jane invited Julia to join a women’s group having a ‘consciousness raising’ party at her place.  This became Julia’s introduction to women’s rights and the early stages of the feminist movement. The group acquainted her with the books available then, raising her awareness significantly of evolving social changes affecting women.

Also in the late 1960’s, a Women’s Studies program at Capilano College helped the local feminist movement to thrive. Julia and her feminist friends became spokespeople for a woman’s right to choose abortion. At that time there was a strong anti-abortion faction at LGH so petitions were made and information distributed to the public about a woman’s right to choose. Some North Shore Unitarians were also involved at that time.

Julia’s husband left the family in the early eighties and Julia basically raised their two boys on her own. She is really happy that both sons have grown to become responsible adults and excellent parents. Her youngest is in permanent residence in Japan and her eldest lives in Maple Ridge with his family.   She now has four grandchildren.

Julia has many interests. At various times she has participated in a gardening, Bonsai and flower arranging clubs. Recently she attended the Northwest Flower & Garden Festival in Seattle.  However, despite having a lot of balcony space where she now lives, she prefers to spend time traveling (which inevitably leads to neglecting her plantings). Her musical interests are widely varied but she is especially fond of Persian music and loves to dance West Coast Swing, as well. 

And then there are her other physical activities. Julia describes herself as an avid cyclist from her childhood.  She belongs to three different cycle groups, a hiking and walking group, and since 1982 is a member of the North Shore Recreation Centre where she has tried various aerobic classes over the years. She believes strongly in the value of exercise for good health because she knows it has kept her really fit for her age.

Julia’s great curiosity makes her a fan of the North Shore libraries because of the many events, speakers and activities that are available to the public. She also attends many programs offered at Silver Harbour Senior Centre. Politics, philosophy and historical matters are of keen interest to her. Julia plans her calendar to have something to look forward to each day. She admits though, like many of us, to being constantly frustrated with the rapidly-changing technology we are forced to learn!  The libraries are a goldmine of information and assistance for digital education.  She blesses the libraries and their staff! 

Julia says she can’t sit still hours at a time so makes great use of audio books while doing housework or when she is on the move. 

A very significant component of her earlier life, and even now, is her association with the North Shore Women’s Centre. She was one of the early founding members 50 years ago in 1975. Over the years, many women have worked tirelessly to develop and broaden the scope of that organization.  Some of their work included speaking to high schools students, emphasizing the need for girls, especially, to prepare themselves for a career beyond marriage.   Out of about 20 original, there are only 11 remaining of the ‘old guard’ which still meet for lunch once a month. Now younger women have taken on the ‘heavy lifting’ but the “F Group”, as they call themselves, still donate money and take a keen interest in what the North Shore Women’s Centre group are doing — which is a lot!

The other significant community in Julia’ s life is our North Shore Unitarian community, which she first attended in 1982.  In the fall of that year, services were still being held in North Shore Neighbourhood House before we acquired and moved into our current building.

*Editor’s Note: Julia and Ruth Sherwood both attended NSUC for the first time on the same day — and sat beside each other, having never previously met.

Julia rapidly became involved with our community‘s activities and has served in many roles as on many committees and teams over the years. The one she now feels most attracted to is the newly-renamed Joys and Concerns Team (formerly called the Cares and Concerns Team).

Julia continues to serve us well! We are thankful to have her in our community.

Ron Jones

I was born in 1936 in Peterhead, Scotland (a small fishing town on Scotland’s northeast coast). For most of World War 2, my family lived in Aberdeen, a city that was heavily bombed by the Germans.  I can still remember the whistling of the falling bombs, the explosions, the fires, and the piles of rubble the next day. One day a German plane strafed our building, shattering the glass behind me as I raced down a stairwell to the air raid shelter below.

Every June, I returned to Peterhead to spend the summer holidays with my grandparents. They lived in a tenement flat that was very primitive by today’s standards.  No electrical appliances and no electricity. Cooking was over a single gas ring and a coal fire. No indoor toilet, no bathtub. Nevertheless, Peterhead was an idyllic place for a small boy:  I caught little fish in the tidal pools along the rocky shore; I watched fishermen land their creels full of  slippery, silver herring; and I rode on my grandfather’s horse and cart, sometimes holding the reins, as he delivered sacks of coal from off his back.

After the war my family immigrated to Canada.  We crossed the North Atlantic in a small boat carrying only 20 passengers. Not an easy undertaking in the middle of winter.  When we encountered gale force winds, the boat had to do a complete 180* turn-around.  At the time I was seated in a big leather chair, which careened form one side of the lounge to the other, and then back again.  But Santa Claus managed to find us, and made his way down the ship’s funnel. 

As a teenager in Toronto, I worked at several jobs: delivering newspapers, cashiering at a Canadian Tire store, and working night shifts for several summers at a Canada Packers meat processing plant making wieners and baloney.

In high school I took three years of German, five years of both French and Latin, and one year of Greek. And in my final year, I took both piano and bagpipe lessons. Together with good marks, this unusual resume earned me a fine scholarship to McGill University in Montreal.  I took a mixed bag of courses at McGill, both sciences and the humanities. My mother wanted me to be a doctor, and I did enter med school at UBC. But after my second year I decided I didn’t want to be a doctor and I dropped out.  Meanwhile, however, I fell in love with Vancouver and I have spent the remainder of my life here.

New to Vancouver, I heard the mountains calling to me and, with a group led by Philip Hewett (who was then the minister of the Vancouver Unitarian Church),  I climbed Mount Sedgwick, a fine mountain on the west side of Howe Sound above Woodfibre.  The weather was wet and miserable on that trip, but I felt exhilarated, experiencing the mountains for the first time.  I joined the BC Mountaineering Club and climbed other mountains like Sky Pilot and the Black Tusk in BC, and Mount Rainier in Washington. Over the years I continued to climb: Volcano Acantenagua in Guatemala, Mulhacen in Spain, Popocatepetle in Mexico, Mauna Loa in Hawaii, and Mont Blanc in France.

Kayaking also appealed to me, and for many years together with two other couples in our church, my wife Beth and I went on trips to all the major inlets on the west coast of Vancouver Island and to Haida Gwai. Travelling in the wilderness we had to pack everything we would need into our kayaks before setting out.

Walking the Camino de Santiago has been another of the great loves of my life. There are many different routes and I have walked 7 of them: Camino Frances, Norte, Le Puy, Vezelay, Arles, Primitivo, and Via de La Plata. I am often asked why I like to walk the Camino, and I reply: There was a time when we hung our clothes on a clothesline to dry.  And there in the sun and wind, the clothes not only dried, they were brightened and freshened.  When I walk the Camino, each morning I hang my spirit on an 800 or 1600 km long moving clothesline, and as I move it along my spirit is brightened and refreshed.

I have travelled to India and Nepal, and  to many countries in Central and South America, and in Europe. In the year 2000, I shipped a small camper van to Germany and lived in it for about 9 months, mostly around Paris, but all the way up to the Orkney Islands north of Scotland. Occasionally in my travels I have been privileged to pass through the veil that separates the surface of places from the life that lies behind that veil.  One such experience was living for a week with a peasant family in Molinalco, Mexico. There I tried my hand at ploughing a corn field behind a team of oxen with my host Ysidro.  And I watched Altagracia, my hostess, grind corn using a metate, a stone kitchen tool like a rolling pin, that has been used in Meso America for more than 5,000 years.

Another such experience was volunteering in Honduras. There, I helped to build one-room cinder- block schools and kindergartens for impoverished communities in remote mountainous parts of the country. People there lived  by subsistence farming, growing corn, beans, and a little coffee, and keeping a few hens and animals.

My life’s work was teaching in Burnaby — first teaching high school history and geography, and later doing learning assistance in primary school.  I enjoyed history, but sometimes I got into trouble for things like teaching in a critical way about the war in Vietnam.

After living for many years in West Vancouver, Beth and I moved to Bowen Island, where we lived in a waterfront house for some 20 years. I enjoyed island life.  As I drove across the island returning home from work, I felt like I was going down a rabbit hole into a different world — a rural world with big trees and sandy beaches, populated by deer, ducks, eagles, otters, and seals.  We used to kayak to a lovely little archipelago just offshore. Sitting on our rocks, looking out at the water, we sipped sherry and nibbled tortilla chips and salsa, before going in for dinner.

As we left the Island, Beth and I split up after being married for 47 years. Fortunately, we have managed to remain good friends.  We often invite each other for dinner or a picnic.  And we have gone on trips together to France, Iceland and Scotland. We have three grown-up children: Leslie, David and Sheila, who have all turned out very well. Leslie is now a retired lawyer, a great knitter, and the former owner of a specialty yarn store.  David is a Supreme Court judge.  And Sheila is an events planner at BCIT.  We have five grandchildren who are also all doing well.

My spiritual and religious journey has followed a trajectory from evangelical Christian to Unitarian atheist with a stop along the way as a member of the Student Christian Movement. The most influential book in my life was Patterns of Culture, by the anthropologist Ruth Benedict. Reading it, I could see that all cultures and religions (including our own) are relative — that none of them reflect an absolute truth or an absolutely ideal way of life.

I suppose I have been a “seeker “ as I have been making my journey through life. In the 1960s and 70s there was a new social movement called the Human Potential Movement, and I jumped on board.  Hoping to improve my performance as a human being, I spent three months at the Cold Mountain Institute on Cortez Island attending workshops and encounter group sessions.  Sometime later, after a painful romantic breakup, I spent two weeks at Findhorn in Scotland, also hoping for some kind of self-improvement.  I believe these psychological excursions were helpful but not life-transforming.

I have been living now for 19 years on False Creek near Granville Island.  I like it here. Most of my destinations (like Costco, the Granville Market, and my local library) are easily reachable by bicycle, and so I ride my bike more than I drive my car.  Several busses will take me downtown in not much more than a few minutes.

The Unitarian Church has been a great influence in my life’s journey.  My first foray into the mountains was on an excursion led by Phillip Hewett. My friend Rose Nauman (now deceased) was a member of our church, and a big influence in my love of travel and my journey to Nepal. I was one of our church’s Lay Chaplains for some 20 years, a position I highly valued as it let me work with couples and families at critical moments in their lives. I find our Sunday services full of intellectual nourishment. I often hear ideas and principles that I can apply to my every day behaviour. I value being a member of our church community.

Bob Rentz

Bob Rentz grew up in Berkeley, California, where in those postwar years his father worked for Pacific Gas and Electric, and his mom ran a nursery school. There was ministry in the family – both Bob’s grandfather and his great-grandfather on his father’s side were ministers. And his mother would not have been displeased if Bob had gone a similar route.

So when Bob graduated from high school in Berkeley, and moved north to Canada to major in religious studies at McGill, she was thrilled. In fact, Bob says, it was more to save his behind than his soul: he aimed to gain a draft exemption (and succeeded). He stayed long enough to earn a bachelor of theology degree, and emerged with … a clear view of his purpose? Not exactly. “It actually muddied the water even further.”

(To spend any time at all with Bob is to be treated to his self-deprecating humour.)

Now footloose in Montreal, his future a lump of wet clay in his hands, he landed a job as an orderly at the Montreal Neurological Institute. And he got involved in the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada. That experience would help find work in Vancouver with Cedar Cottage Neighbourhood Services, where he organized recreational programs for kids.

Bob had fetched up in the hippie stronghold of Kitsilano – though he would not have described himself as a hippie; the draw of that neighbourhood was the cheap rent in his shared house. He loved Vancouver. The clear air was a tonic, and on long hikes with friends he mused on what his next career move might be.

He enrolled in Simon Fraser University’s teaching program and got as far as his practicum before deciding it wasn’t for him. Bob’s life has been a testament to the Turkish Proverb: “No matter how far you’ve gone down the wrong path, turn back.”

His next post was as a customs broker (these companies pay import duties and taxes to the Canadian government on behalf of companies bringing goods into the port of Vancouver). He worked that job for a decade, and it led – in no direct line anyone but the gods could trace –  to a position within the BC Coroner’s Service. (His brother observed that Bob had moved  “from taxes to death” – life’s two immutables.) He then moved to the Public Guardian and Trustee of BC, and worked there for 19 years. Bob seemed determined not to do any job you could imagine when you were ten.

It’s fair to say it was Bob’s avocations, more than his vocations, that truly lit him up. He sang in a choir. He co-founded a Toastmasters club and cultivated a surprisingly dynamic speaking style that belied his mild-mannered exterior. And he took up contra dancing, which would become an increasingly large part of his life.

In the summer of 2016 he found his way to the choir that Alison leads every summer in downtown Vancouver, and (like so many) became ensnared by her charms. He learned that she was music director at North Shore Unitarian Church. “We’d love to have you in the choir … give it some thought…” A charismatic new husband-and-wife ministerial team was in place at NSUC. Bob checked it out. It wasn’t long before he was signing the church membership registry and accompanying the choir on a trip to NSUC’s sister church in Hungary – a crash-course in the roots of this faith.

He’d ended up Unitarian the way most Unitarians do: roundabout. Had he finally found something that was a good fit for his temperament and spiritual yearnings? On this there is no equivocation: “Yes.”

Twelve years into his retirement, there is a service dimension to Bob’s life that would have made his mother proud. He is a contra-dance “caller,” and he mentors other callers, on both sides of the border, who are learning the craft. He makes monthly visits to his sisters in Washington State. He shares his house with a refugee from Afghanistan whom he and a handful of others sponsored to bring to Canada. That gentleman, named Murtaza Mohseni, has already found steady work in the hospitality industry and folded seamlessly into the community. “He’s made a place for himself better than I ever did,” Bob says with a twinkling eye.

That twinkling eye is Bob’s calling card. You cannot miss it on Sunday mornings, as Bob is often poised at the church entrance as a greeter, his warm and open smile a kind of tractor beam. It says: Please come in. It’s lovely to see you.

Liz Moffitt

Liz was born in Montreal towards the end of the war years. She attended school there, including her McGill years studying for a degree in Music Education.

Liz’s mother’s parents lived with them in their late years. Her mother was their caregiver until her grandparents passed away. Her grandfather, a feisty Welshman, had been a choir conductor and organist for over 40 years in Montreal, and he no doubt influenced Liz’s connection to music, which impacted her later life choices. As Liz was an only child, she was very aware of the care provided by her mother to both her aged grandparents.

Liz’s father had an interest in religion, so the family was expected to go to the United Church twice on Sundays. Liz later conducted the children’s choir in that same church.

Liz met her first husband in high school. They married when she was 21 and were together for six years. She taught music in the schools in Montreal and later focused on pre-school education.

At age 27 after the breakup of her first marriage, Liz decided to go to the University of London to study deaf education. However, this did not suit her. She ended up doing many different activities such as pottery making, yoga, meditation and waitressing (it was the early 70’s, after all!)

Eventually she was hired by the London County Council to set up a preschool for immigrant children from Uganda. Idi Amin had ousted all Asians from Uganda overnight, wearing just the clothes on their backs. For a time they were housed in the London Army Barracks. The families were of both Muslim and Hindu heritage…most of them professional people.

Liz became very aware of the cultural and social issues affecting these folk. She found them to be amazingly cooperative with each other despite religious and cultural differences. They would organize weekly feasts and dancing every Friday — and all would pitch in together to create the event. Ultimately, these folk were sent to various other parts of England and the barracks were closed down. This rich experience also impacted Liz’s later life choices.

Because of the work she’d done with this group, Liz was offered a position as a part of the London (England) County Council to help set up preschool programs affiliated with the Parent Participation Preschool Association. She became a peripatetic inspector, travelling by bike with her bag of musical instruments, braving the London traffic from one preschool to another, learning more about the social, emotional and economic challenges for the families in many parts of London.

During this time Liz became interested in a part time self-development school that was becoming popular in London and in North America. This involved training in San Francisco for a year, and then New York, and eventually to Vancouver.

In 1976, after a year working at the preschool at the Downtown East Side Residential Association in Gastown, Liz began looking for a career change. She heard about a new program opening at Capilano College (now called Capilano University) in music therapy. Liz felt this was a perfect blend of her past career experiences. This new program was being developed by a woman named Carolyn Kenny, along with our Nancy McMaster. Hans Krebs was one of the early instructors as well!

Kerry Burke was in the first class of 18 students! Three years later (1979), Liz and Kerry were married by Philip Hewett at the Vancouver Unitarian Church.

Upon graduation, Liz’s first part time music therapy positions were at UBC in psychiatry. She also started the music therapy position for seniors at the Purdy Pavilion.

Additionally in 1979, Liz filled in part time for an instructor teaching one course in the music therapy program. This began a 40-year career of teaching and program coordinating at Capilano University. These were busy years of teaching and also raising their two sons, Mat (who, for a time was a tenor in our NSUC choir) and Jonathan (JJ), with Liz and Kerry trading roles as needed between teaching and parenting.

In time Liz realized she needed more education for her position. She completed a MA part time, and three-year Gestalt Therapy training. In the early 1990’s, Liz and Nancy McMaster trained in an advanced music therapy named Guided Imagery and Music. Liz became a Primary Trainer in this method and offered trainings for over twenty years, here and at other Canadian universities in Edmonton, Waterloo, and Montreal. Liz is now retired but she still occasionally works as a Guided Imagery counsellor.

As the children were growing up, Liz and Kerry’s neighbour (the minister of the Alliance Church) urged them to join their church. One day, their son JJ (who was buddies with the neighbour’s child), came home announcing that “they were likely all going to hell”! That prompted Kerry and Liz to do something in the way of a religious education for their boys. They knew Kathryn Nicholson through their children’s preschool program. (At that time, Kathryn had just taken the music therapy program at Capilano, and she was in a new role of choir director with the North Shore Unitarians). Kathryn suggested that Liz and Kerry might like to try out her church. They knew something about Unitarianism, and so came to meet with Lynn Sabourin. Liz remembers being somewhat tearful after saying to Lynn “You won’t let our boys think we are all going to hell?”

During her years at NSUC, Liz has served twice on the Board, has chaired the Lay Chaplaincy Team, been on the Care and Concerns Team, and sings in the choir. During her most recent time on the Board, she coordinated the Ushers and Greeters and liaised with the Hospitality Team. Liz, along with Kerry, is very grateful to have found this NSUC community.

Kerry Burke

Kerry arrived in Vancouver at St. Paul’s Hospital in the early years of 1950. His parents, Stanley and Daphne Burke, already had one son Brian. Shortly following Kerry’s birth, his father Stanley was sent to the nation’s capital as the Ottawa correspondent for the Vancouver Sun.

Kerry’s first comedy routine occurred during christening at St. Francis in the Woods. When the priest placed his fingers on his brow, Kerry let out an almighty burb, an oft repeated family story.

The family were to spend the next four years in Ottawa, where the family grew to include sister Holly. In Ottawa, Stanley was employed by the CBC. During this time he won a trip to the United Nations and from there he received a posting from the CBC to New York.

For the next four years, the family resided in Connecticut and grew with the birth of brother Randy.

This was the era of hope that this organization would prevent any further wars. Sometimes Kerry played in the BBC offices adjacent to the CBC studio while his Dad attended the general assembly and Security council meetings. A favourite toy were boxes of multi coloured unused UN tickets.

Kerry attended kindergarten in Ottawa and repeated it in New York. He finished Grade 1 and part of Grade 2 when they sailed on the Queen Mary through a hurricane to Paris for his Dad’s new posting.

Kerry had difficulty learning. In those days, a child with attention difficulties was thought to be either stupid or lazy. It was very apparent that he was not stupid — but, unfortunately, it became a nightmare of punishments through the following school years.

The first year in Paris, Kerry attended the English Speaking School of Paris along with brother Brian. It was housed in Alexander Dumas’ former home. The school was for military kids and had a four-month rotating curriculum. There were many military personnel in Paris connected with NATO.

France had an ongoing civil war over leaving Algeria. A bomb exploded at the end of their street their first week in Paris.

The local children called the family ‘Sale Etranger’ or dirty foreigners. A curse was to be called ‘piece of green bean’, which sounded rather uncurse-like. When the chef of a local restaurant shot himself upon losing a Michelin star, they realized how serious the French took food.

Younger brother Randy was sent to a French school while his parents struggled over sending their two oldest boys for a British or a French education. Brian and Kerry ended up in a British boarding school in Kent called Marlborough House — an elementary level prep school. Brother Brian did really well both academically and athletically and ultimately became headboy. It was a disorienting and at times difficult experience for both boys. Kerry’s learning problems led to pretty awful times. There was fear of being caned for infractions of unknown British norms.

Finally after four years, Kerry wrote his O levels and then was sent to a high school called Lancing College in Sussex. This was, like many similar British schools, a training ground for civil service. You could choose to engage with navy, army and Air Force cadet opportunities with planes, boats and army equipment. In a future war, they were prepared to be leaders.

Their parents lived in France for the first 2 years the boys were at Marlborough House. Their parents finally moved back to England and lived in Seven Oaks, their mother’s birthplace, until 1967 when the family returned to Canada. The voyage home on the Empress of Canada and along the St. Lawrence river to where Expo 67 was happening was a thrilling experience for 14-year-old Kerry.

The family settled in Toronto. Brian and Kerry attended Upper Canada College. Kerry couldn’t understand a school with no caning or the earnest Canadian teaching staff. They were a bit boring. By comparison, one of his English high school teachers was a mountaineer and while teaching would climb the stone walls and over the classroom ceiling, even with a broken leg. The German teacher would stand up on his desk every week and pretend to be Hitler while playing Nuremberg speeches on the gramophone. The Latin teacher, a minister, claimed to have served dog food in the meat sandwiches for the new boy tea with the parents.

Kerry had difficulty understanding other things about Canada… was hockey as a sport, or a brawl? Did Canada have history other than paddling up and down rivers?

The children wondered if their father really was on TV as he claimed. They did not see him on TV in the States, France or England. In Toronto, Stanley Burke read the nightly news and was recognized everywhere he went.

At Upper Canada College, Kerry made it to grade 11 and then came down with severe mono. He was ill for many months.

After high school he went work as a farm hand near Orangeville, Ontario for 2 years. Here, he learned Reflexology from a specialist in that field. Also he took up the guitar and taught himself how to play it.

He spent the next year in New York, staying with his sister and her boyfriend. These three and one or two other musicians formed a band to entertain in local bars.

In 1975 his folks had moved back to Vancouver so Kerry came to B.C. and enrolled for a year at VCC. At the end of that year he heard about the new Music Therapy program starting at Capilano College (later called Capilano University), which to him sounded like a great possibility. He joined the program and very soon met Liz — and they became a couple. They married in 1979 by the Rev Phillip Hewitt in the Vancouver Unitarian Church.

After three years at Cap, Kerry went to work at Valley View hospital in the psycho geriatric area. He was part of a new team system which assessed individuals having challenges in their own homes. People could possibly return home with appropriate supports from all over B.C.

He next had a teaching opportunity open at Capilano College. Nancy McMaster was coordinating but didn’t want to continue. Kerry took over from her and coordinated for 7 years.

The Children’s Festival was a new development and Kerry seized the opportunity to run a children’s improvisational music tent. As a summertime occupation, this fitted into his life quite well.

Kerry went on tour with different festivals across western Canada. This led to bigger fairs such as the PNE, Exhibition Days in Edmonton, and then the CNE in Toronto for 25 years.

He began reducing his teaching at Capilano College and embarked on programs for preschool and daycare children. It was his favourite — so he decided to stay with just preschoolers, doing 40 sessions in a week. Kerry finally retired when Covid hit.

He still teaches one course in the Music Therapy Program. His association with Capilano College has lasted 48 years.

In our NSUC community, Kerry has been on the Board, and has organized men’s groups and retreats. Also, he has presented services to the congregation on a number of subjects. He’s been an organizer of three bands involved with our church going back 20 years.

Kerry and Liz have two amazing married sons and four incredible grandkids all living on the North Shore. It’s been an wonderful life!

Jasha Ramsay-Latter

MINI BIO   JASHA RAMSAY-LATTER                                                                                DECEMBER 2024 

Gord Latter & Jasha Ramsay-Latter

Jasha was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in June of 1944 to Margaret Thomson, a governess and artisan, and Edward Olejnik, a Civil Engineer who had fought as a Captain in the Polish Cavalry. 

In Jacobean times, Scottish Catholics were invited to come to Poland to escape religious and political oppression after the Battle of Cullodon. (Bonnie Prince Charlie’s mother was a Polish noblewoman, Clementina Sobieska.)  Scotland and Poland had a close relationship during WW2, and Polish military were welcomed in Scotland. 

The English family for whom Margaret was governess often entertained foreign troops, and Edward was stationed in England after escaping France. They were married in North Berwick, Scotland, and three children were born to them: daughter Irena, Jasha, (christened Janina), and son Krys. 

As a governess, Margaret made certain the children were taught reading, writing and basic arithmetic before they attended school. This became a double blessing for Jasha, as she, unlike her siblings, was a “leftie”, and also dyslexic, dismorphic, disgraphic and disnumerate (although these challenges remained undiagnosed until her adulthood). 

After the war ended, times were hard in Scotland, and because Poland was occupied by Russia, Margaret and Edward decided to emigrate to a Commonwealth country. As there was Scottish family in New Westminster, Canada was their destination, reached by ship (Empress of Canada) and train to their new home. 

Initially they stayed with relatives, but in September 1948, as the maple trees were turning crimson, they purchased a 49-acre farm near Aldergrove in the Fraser Valley. The land came with some dairy cows, two enormous Belgian horses to pull farm implements, a flock of chickens, a Border collie to herd the cows, and a black cat. Jasha developed a fierce love and respect for animals, particularly working animals, and she chose early on to become a vegetarian. 

The children had a three-mile walk to and from their school, Otter Elementary. Jasha remembers walking with snow up to their shoulders, and their father having to dig through the drifts to the well, as the farm had no running water. They also had to plough through snow to feed the animals and make a path for them to the water source. 

Margaret learned to can and preserve vegetables from their large garden and fruit from the trees planted years before.  She did all her cooking and baking on a wood stove, with wood cut from their property that the whole family hauled and stacked. Everyone helped to bring in hay in summer, and everyone had farm chores. 

The three children became 4H members, and showed their calves at the PNE and local fairs. Margaret taught Jasha and her sister to sew and knit and embroider, and they followed her passion to read a broad swath of literature. Jasha and her siblings are grateful to their parents for the courage it took for them to leave everything and everybody they had known to move to Canada. 

Jasha and her siblings were raised in the Catholic faith, as this had been a requirement of the church when Presbyterian Margaret married Catholic Edward. She became enthralled by the power of ritual and the strength and significance of many religions, particularly the Celtic traditions.

When Jasha graduated in 1963 she enrolled in Grade 13 at Langley High School, the equivalent of first year university. Her marks enabled her to get into UBC where she earned an Elementary School Teaching certificate with the proviso of completing a Fine Arts course to secure her permanent certificate. She shared off-campus housing with her older sister and a friend, and it was there she met Neil Ramsay, the eldest of seven siblings. 

Neil aspired to become a pilot and moved to the Centralia RCAF air base to take the training, while Jasha shared an apartment in nearby Exeter, Ontario, with a woman friend whose husband was also training there. Neil and Jasha were married on the air base by the base chaplain. Unfortunately, Neil’s poor depth perception proved too challenging for the visual training, but he was offered navigation training, so they briefly moved to Winnipeg. Eventually Neil chose not to continue with the Air Force and they returned to North Vancouver. 

In 1965 they were both employed as management trainees at the Northlander Hotel in Roger’s Pass in the Selkirk Mountains, where Neil ran the bar and Jasha worked in the gift shop, housekeeping, front desk, dining room and café. The hotel was modelled after the European “ski in, ski out” design, and attracted visitors from all over the world to ski the pristine powder snow of the Bugaboos. 

Back in North Vancouver, in 1967 they drove to California in their Mini Cooper to San Francisco to visit Neil’s relatives and discovered the “summer of love” hippie life there. Jasha said she had “found her people”. . . Neil was less enamored.

In 1969 they decided on an amicable separation.  Jasha attended Capilano College to take the course she needed to earn her permanent teaching certificate.  She worked at the Danish Pastry Shop in Edgemont village, decorating wedding cakes and working the front of shop. In 1972 Jasha attended Continuing Education at Douglas College, to learn shorthand and typing, with the aim of becoming a legal aide assistant. 

The seventies were an exciting time to explore alternative lifestyles and world travel. Jasha went to Scotland where she visited many historical sites and made her way to Findhorn, and then Greece and Turkey with friends. She spent much of the decade travelling and living in America (in Chicago, Dallas, Memphis and New Orleans). To support these travels, when back home in B.C., she ran several sub post offices around Vancouver. 

In 1978 Jasha settled back in Vancouver and with a musician friend who had become the manager of a rock group called Sweeney Todd.  They opened an office in Vancouver, booking gigs and accompanying the band locally and across the country. The group had won a Juno award the previous year, and put out another album, but eventually dissolved in that particular incarnation. 

Jasha took a job as Office Manager for Volunteer Grandparents, a small nonprofit that sought to match families without elderly members with older folks in the community who wished to have contact with young people. Many of these relationships lasted years, to the benefit of both parents and children as well as folks whose relatives were not in the community or were estranged. 

Jasha trained and volunteered as a phone counsellor at the Vancouver Suicide Prevention Centre. After the mandatory year on the phones, she was hired as the Office Manager, Secretary, Receptionist and Bookkeeper, and through the eight years she worked there, moved to Programme Manager, Volunteer Coordinator and eventually Interim Executive Director when the director resigned in 1988.

In 1980 Jasha and Gordie Latter were introduced by a mutual friend. Gordie was an IBM executive from Toronto and had a six-year-old daughter named Lindsey. Jasha decided she would like to marry him, as having a delightful ready-made family was a wonderful plus! They were married by Rev John Quirk of the Vancouver Unitarian Church on Thanksgiving 1980, as they wanted their family involved in the ceremony and appreciated the non-dogmatic but spiritual nature of the UU church. They lived in Lynn Valley, in North Vancouver. 

At the time, Jasha was taking Volunteer Management courses at Langara’s Continuing Education Department. She was invited to join a committee which eventually developed a certification program for managers of volunteer programmes. This course taught recruitment, training, support and evaluation of volunteers, and was offered through the continuing education department. The six women on the committee have been close friends for 45 years.  

From 1980 to 1988 Jasha was heavily involved in volunteer development and participated with United Way reviews of member agencies, with a view to supporting standards and best accounting practices. In this capacity, she first met Doug Sabourin, of the North Shore Neighbourhood House. As a member of the United Way Speakers roster, she was introduced to many of the agencies and individuals working with volunteers, and joined the Western Association of Directors of Volunteers, an organization formed to support volunteer managers. 

In 1988, her growing interest in New Age ideas led her to work at the Serenity Shop Bookstore, dedicated to material for 12-step recovery and support for Adult Children of Alcoholics. She facilitated free weekly workshops in the store for all subjects to do with wellness and recovery. The shop sponsored well known speakers and writers in the field of ACOA such as John Bradshaw, Terry Kellog, and New Age teachers Shakti Gawain and local adventurer and writer Brock Tully. One of her colleagues was Alice Mc Sherry, now a member of NSUC. 

In 1990 Jasha attended a channeling workshop given by Shaari Kamil, and for three years supported her gatherings in Vancouver.  This was a wonderful time to engage with the growing interest in New Age thought. There were many opportunities to engage with people all over the world who were committed to envisioning and working to create a more loving world in every area of life. 

In 1993, Jasha took a job with a local property developer who introduced her and Gordie to a small resort on Roche Lake, an internationally famous fly-fishing lake near Kamloops. For 25 years they enjoyed the resort and their fellow owners, using their cabin as a home from which they explored as much of B.C as could be visited in their Jeep. Now their daughter and son-in-law and two grandchildren use it as their vacation home. 

It was 1996 when Lynn Sabourin came into Kidsbooks where Jasha was working in Edgemont Village, to buy a book for a new baby’s family. Lynn’s invitation to visit NSUC struck a chord with Jasha and Gordie, and this chance meeting became significant for them as well as the church. Initially, they sat at the back, admiring the etched glass of the Sanctuary windows, and appreciating the courteous greeting given them every Sunday by Dorothy Kent. Gordie and Jasha found that the seven principles expressed by the UU faith were a match for their desire to live intentional lives.  Even through challenging times, they felt this community was a home for their hearts and minds, and are grateful for the inspiration and friendship they found there.

Harold Rosen was minister at that time, and had led a course called “Building your Own Theology”. Jasha offered to edit his sermon notes and arrange for self publishing a book with those sermons for his 50th birthday. There used to be copies of Harold’s book in our library. 

Gordie and Jasha officially joined the church in 1996, with Gordie volunteering on the Finance Committee. Jasha joined the Membership Committee and became involved in decorating the church for services and events and creating costumes and sets for Christmas children’s pageants and FundFest (now called “FUNfest”) events.  

In 2000 while working at Kidsbooks, Jasha contracted a bad case of shingles, which knocked her out of commission for almost three years, as she was virtually bedridden. Becoming involved with NSUC again in 2007, she was invited to apply to be one of the Lay Chaplains. With encouragement from Karen Funt and Frances Gray, she held that position for seven wonderful years, officiating at or celebrating some thirty plus weddings, 24 memorial services and one special child dedication. 

Gordie and Jasha also joined the Vox Lumina choir and participated in concerts and two productions of Amahl and the Night Visitors produced and directed by Alison Nixon.

From 2015 on they made several trips to Scotland and England, visiting many of the famous sites in both countries. After a trip to Scotland in 2019, they both became ill with what turned out to be Covid19 and were sick for several months. In 2021 a routine heart test discovered Jasha had a congenital malformation of a heart valve requiring open-heart surgery. In 2022 and again in 2023, she had a broken bone removed from her left foot – and in 2023 she had covid again, which left her with long covid or chronic fatigue syndrome. Gordie is her champion for recovery and makes an excellent nurse, according to Jasha. They enjoy their friends and family and community and their tuxedo cat, Mister Beans. 

Jasha considers herself to have had a very lucky life, and she and Gordie continue to be involved with NSUC. 

Brian and Norma Blann

Brian was born in 1930 in his maternal Grandmother's house near the town of High Wycombe, west of London. He was the middle child with an older brother and a younger sister. His father worked at a variety of jobs and his mother was a housewife. His father had been badly wounded in WW1 and had been sent to a convalescent hospital for returning service people at High Wycombe. It was a very long convalescence and the young women in the area visited these soldiers in the hospital to bolster their spirits. Brian's mother had an older sister who suggested she should visit one particular fellow that she thought was very nice but was too young for her. His mother did, they hit it off and eventually married in 1921.

Brian developed a bond with his maternal Grandfather, who, although illiterate, had made a good living for his family by having a large garden plus an allotment where he raised fruit, vegetables, pigs and chickens.

Brian attended the local school until age 14. In the mid 1930's the family moved to London near Heathrow Airport. When WW2 began, the bombing surrounded them and they suffered through the Blitz and the flying bombs. Fortunately, their home was not destroyed. However, two of his schools were destroyed and Brian's schooling suffered from the many interruptions due to the war. If Brian was at school when the sirens went off, they had to run to the bomb shelter which was created from the dug-up playing field in which large concrete lined pipes were laid — like sewer pipes — with benches lining each side of the pipe.

After 1944 the family moved to Poole in Dorset, where Brian attended grammar school followed by Southampton University, a satellite of the University of London. He received a general degree in mathematics and physics. It was during this time period when the Korean War was being fought and the Berlin Airlift was happening. Brian joined the army and spent two years in national service followed by two years in the reserves. His service was spent in England, ending with the rank of Captain.

In 1953 Brian married Pauline, his high school sweetheart and twin sister of his best school friend.

While Brian was in the army reserve, he took the opportunity to do a graduate apprenticeship in electrical engineering. This program involved moving from one factory to another in order to learn the various aspects of the field with time off to attend classes. From this training he was accepted as a member of the Engineering Institute and in 1954 was hired to work in London with the export division of a large electrical industrial firm.

In the spring of 1955, the Canadian government offered individuals with needed specialized skills to come to Canada for 50 English pounds. This fee included transportation, all necessary visas and documents for the two of them. They took the offer and travelled by ship, the Empress of Australia, to Montreal. Following the unloading of the ship in Montreal, the Empress of Australia sailed its last voyage to Japan, where it was demolished for scrap.

Brian was most impressed when he found out that as soon as they set foot in Canada, they were eligible to vote because they were landed immigrants from the UK.

Friends they had known in England gave them a place to stay. However it meant sleeping on the floor. They had no money but Pauline was able to find a temporary secretarial job. Even with his skill set, Brian was unable to obtain work in Montreal. Consequently, he set out via Greyhound bus for Toronto and Hamilton looking for work. Fortunately, Westinghouse in Hamilton, Ontario hired him. While there, he secured accommodation in a small suite above a garage where the landlord was willing to forgo the month's advance security deposit because she knew they were nearly penniless.

Brian made comment that they found Canadians were really friendly and helpful to them as newcomers. He reiterated this again when describing their move to Vancouver.

In Hamilton, in 1957, their first son Chris was born. Shortly after, Brian decided he wanted to try life on the West Coast and got a job offer from Boeing in Seattle. To keep him at Westinghouse, his boss made arrangements to transfer him to Vancouver as a service engineer dealing with major equipment such as required by B C Hydro — high voltage switching gear as well as equipment used in pulp and paper mills. To arrive in Vancouver, the family drove from Hamilton through the USA to LA, up to Seattle and on up to Vancouver, visiting friends along the way. Brian's qualifications were accepted as a Professional Engineer in Ontario and he was able to transfer this status to B C, making him a Professional Engineer for over 60 years.

To find living accommodation, Brian checked a bulletin board at UBC and found an ad for a small house available for a 4-month period. It turned out to be a large mansion with maid's quarters and weekly gardeners. It cost them $500 all included for the 4 months. The owner was travelling in Europe and really just needed a house sitter while away.

Next, they built a new house in Glenmore, in the British Properties. At the time the cost of the lot, the house and all the furnishings came to just under $20,000. In 1961, Brian and Pauline's second son David was born, completing their family unit.

While working with Westinghouse in Vancouver, one of Brian's workmates (who was a member of the Vancouver Unitarian Church) told him of a fellow he knew who was looking for a business partner in his small company. This workmate knew Brian was interested in ownership and in 1968 Brian joined Chutter Hydraulics as a partner.

How did Norma and Brian become acquainted?

In 1976 Chutter Hydraulics needed an office manager and Brian interviewed a young single mother with two daughters who had the necessary skills for the job. Norma Fish was hired and worked there happily — except for the fact that the business was housed in what had been a horse stable for Johnson Terminals and the building was alive with rats and mice that even weekly exterminators could not control. In 1978, after two years with Chutter Hydraulics, Norma received a phone call from an employment recruiter inquiring if she was happy with her job? It was suggested she would be a good candidate for a job that was located in the Bentall Centre —far from the rats and mice. Norma took the opportunity. Since she had made friends with the Chutter staff, she would be invited back for Christmas parties and other events. Also, she had the occasional lunch with her old boss, known to her as "Mr. Blann" (this was during the era when you called your boss by his/her surname). One day Mr. Blann phoned her to say they had not had lunch for a very long time but as they talked Norma could tell by his voice that something was amiss and asked him what was wrong. After a long hesitation he replied that he and his wife, Pauline, had separated after 27 years of marriage. Norma and Brian's first 'date' was to a Whitecap soccer game - a totally new experience for her. After about three dates, Brian finally convinced Norma to call him by his first name but after four years as Mr. Blann, Norma found it very difficult to switch, but switch she did.

About 1981 Brian attended two different memorial services at the Vancouver Church and was most impressed how the adults and youth were so supportive of the grieving families. This triggered Brian's interest in visiting the North Shore Church. Brian and Norma attended Sunday services for a couple of months, discovered and attended the New U program, became members and were married in the Church in 1984. At that time the Church was lay led, but wanting a minister they requested the Assistant Minister at the Vancouver Church, John Quirk, to perform the ceremony.

In 1986 Brian and his Chutter partners bought a manufacturing firm in Surrey called Singer Valve Inc. The company prospered and another partner was added. In Brian's early days with Singer Valve, Norma organized her holidays to accompany Brian to different parts of the world seeking networking agents for the business, which later became a worldwide organization.

In around 1992 Norma decided it was time to retire from the firm in the Bentall Centre. Two days into her retirement the telephone rang and it was Brian phoning to say his accountant at Singer Valve was leaving and would she please come and help him out until he found a new accountant. Norma said she would come for a short while. However, as she was handling the accounting for Singer, she noticed that the rest of the office was not running as efficiently as it should and as soon as an accountant was hired she moved to another desk and took over running the office. Four years later she retired permanently!

For those four years, the two of them drove an hour each way to and from West Vancouver and Surrey, working 9 to 10 hours a day — and they thrived on it. Brian loved the business and, in particular, felt blessed with the employees he had working for him. Of the approximately 50 employees, several of them had been with the company for 25-30 years! Some had never worked anywhere else.

Believe it or not, time was found for Brian to engage in activities other than business. Since age 14, he loved sailboat racing and became very fond of hiking, especially in mountain terrain. In his university years he had been on the boxing team and rowed in an eight. Norma has expressed herself in creative ways as an artist and paints weekly, for pleasure, with a small group of artist friends. The Blanns have celebrated Brian's decade and mid decade birthdays by taking their family, usually numbering 12-15 people, on a total of five cruises. It has been their way of "making memories for their grandchildren", of which they have eight.

Brian was a Member at Large on the NSUC Board and a keen supporter of the "Save the Lot" plan.

Norma became NSUC president in 1988 and then co-president with Blanche Howard in 1989 when, then president, Norma Elrod and Mac moved to Metchosin on Vancouver Island. Norma, as Board President, was heavily involved with a group of Montessori parents who wanted to build on the Church property. They had the funds and guaranteed our Church would not be asked for any funding. This seemed propitious for the Church at that time but legal guidelines needed to be established. One member of our Church, lawyer Harry Slade, was a tremendous help in this regard and with his advice an agreement was made with Montessori which included the fact that if they ever chose to move from the Montessori building the Church would retain their building — which we did and have made good use of it since they vacated it in 1993.

Aren't we glad they chose to join us!

Incidental fun information:

The hospital in High Wycombe, near where Brian was born, was where Dr. David O'Hanlon, one of our Church members, did an internship many years later.

Brian's paternal Grandfather, for many years, held the job of raising and lowering the Tower Bridge in London, England.

Norma’s volunteer work relating to the Church Office goes way back. For many years, she was one of the church’s authorized cheque signers, and has been assisting Janni with bank deposits since 2017.

Joanna Cary Vaughan

Joanna was born in 1948 to Mary and Stewart Symons in the community of St. Eustache, twenty five miles outside of Montreal.

Joanna’s dad, Stewart, worked in the sales department at Cominco. He had come from Rye, New York, but had been widowed in 1945 and was left with two small children (Joanna’s half siblings), Betsy aged two, and Frank age five.

Stewart and Mary met at the Unitarian church in Montreal. He had been a lifelong Unitarian; Mary came from a Presbyterian background in Windsor, Ontario. They married in 1946 at the Montreal Unitarian Church.

Three more children were born to the family: first Linda, then Joanna, and Paul three years later.

The whole family was involved in the Montreal church, first Sunday School, then the LRY (Liberal Religious Youth) which took them to age 18.

When Joanna was 11, The family moved to Westmount area in Montreal where she attended Westmount High school. Here, she was involved in several sports and became President of Girls Athletics.

Following high school graduation, Joanna took a year-long secretarial course at Sir George Williams University. Following this, she enrolled in nursing at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

At about this time, Cominco established their business in Vancouver, so Stewart and Mary planned to move there as well. Stewart had spent 39 years with Cominco, but soon after they moved he decided to retire from the firm. Joanna had to decide whether or not she might join them or stay in Montreal.

The Symons rented their first home on Bellevue in West Vancouver in 1970, later purchasing the property. Stewart’s sister (Joy McKim and her family) were already in West Vancouver. Joy had become very involved with NSUC .She was our church pianist for many years.

Joanna came out from Montreal after completing her nursing degree in 1971. She stayed in her parent’s home for 6 months before moving with a nurse friend into an apartment on Victoria Park in North Vancouver. She was hired by Lions Gate Hospital within two weeks of arrival in the area.

In 1972, Joanna and a friend spent three months driving in a Volvo station wagon across Canada, south to Florida, and across the United States. On returning to Vancouver, Joanna didn’t go directly back to nursing but took the Christmas night shift at the main postal depot before returning to LGH.

Sister Linda persuaded Joanna to join her to travel to India. After 6 more months of nursing to earn travel money, she and Linda took off from Greece for 3 months of bus travel to India. From there, Linda flew back to England but Joanna took the bus to Switzerland to visit with her friend Yvonne (Nuss).

Joanna went back to nursing in April of 1974 and met Bob Vaughan on a blind date in October of that year. They married in 1976. They have two sons, Andrew (born in 1980) and Graham (1983). Joanna was in the nursing field for a total of 20 years but went to part time when Andrew was born.

When the children were a bit older, Joanna worked as a special educator with the North Vancouver School Board from 1989-2007. Bob worked in management at Woodwards until that store closed. He stayed at home for 1 1/2 years, and then joined management at Pharmasave Drugs in Langley.

Both Joanna and Bob retired totally in 2007. They have 3 grandchildren.

As a family they have done trips to Hawaii, Disneyland and Mexico. Joanna and Bob later travelled to Europe touring Germany, Spain, Italy, France and Switzerland. They also did a 3-week guided tour of South America. For about ten years, they travelled with their ‘Escape’ trailer through the western U.S. and B.C.

Joanna and Bob joined NSUC in 1982. Joanna was familiar with the Unitarians from Montreal and her parents had been heavily involved with the North Shore Unitarian Church since 1971. To start, Joanna was involved with the All Ages Committee which planned family get-aways to places like Birken and Mount Baker. This involved organizing accommodations, travel sharing, and much more. Later, she took on the role of Membership Chair for a few years. She has been in the choir for many years, having joined when Kathryn Nicholson was our choir director. Our Buildings and Grounds Team needed a female on the team so Joanna took this on. The men didn’t want to be involved with the women’s washroom or the kitchen. Joanna has taught Sunday School and was a part of Hospitality offerings (including many of our past big Christmas dinner parties). FUNfest, too, was included in her résumé. (It was originally called Bid Night).

In her spare time, Joanna’s hobbies and favourite activities include Scrabble, crossword puzzles, and involvement with Beta Sigma Phi sorority; exercising with Live Well; and volunteering with North Shore Volunteers for Seniors as both a volunteer and as Chair.

What more should we ask her to do? After all, she Is a life-long Unitarian which implies she has purpose!

Historical Addendum: Joanna’s father, Stewart, served many years as our Lay Chaplain and had the pleasure for his first dedication to be that of welcoming his grandson Graham into our church community.

Her mother Mary served many years as our Board Secretary but was well known for producing her monthly Inter Alia which kept us informed of the activities of church folk, achievements and notable happenings in people’s lives.

Brian Welwood

Brian Welwood was born in 1948 to Stanley and Pauline Welwood in the city of Edmonton. Their residence, however, was in McBride, British Columbia. Brian’s father worked with CN Rail which provided the family with free transport to and from Edmonton and elsewhere on the CN line. Brian has two older brothers, Lorne (five years his senior) and Hal (one and a half years older), and a younger sister called Mim who was born a year and a half later.

When Brian was 6 years old, his father was “bumped” due to a seniority issue and the family moved to Prince Rupert where his grandparents also lived. They found accommodation in a tin roof shack in the intertidal zone near the government wharf. They shared this area with some Indigenous people and other families of limited means. Their home had only two bedrooms for 6 people.

It was an adventurous but scary time for the family. On one occasion an older boy persuaded Brian, age 6 (a non-swimmer) to go out in a rowboat with him. They ended up beyond the breakwater in a raging storm. His mother spotted them and started screaming! They returned safely but that older boy was never allowed back in their home.

After a year, Brian’s father returned to his old job and they returned to McBride. They were fortunate to have church friends who owned a small grocery store there. That family wanted to sell and the Welwoods were given a chance to gradually buy the business. Here, the whole family worked (including Brian’s mother’s younger sister). Brian remembers stocking shelves at an early age. Because the store had a contract with a Robin Hood franchise, it was necessary for them to pick up supplies from the railcars when goods such as flour and feed grains were shipped in.

Brian, along with the other children, attended the local school where the PE teacher encouraged sports. Brian took up weight lifting and at age 14 was carrying 100 lb. bags of flour and grain from railcar to their pick-up truck and to their store. His Dad decided for that reason Brian should get a man’s wage of $1 . . . up from 50 cents.

Trouble was easy to find and one of Brian’s older brothers got into a bit of bother for a short while. By the time Brian and his other siblings were teenagers, there weren’t enough productive activities in McBride for this age group, so Kelowna became an attractive place to visit . . . beaches and girls!

At age 15, Brian found a summer job in a McBride sawmill and worked in mills in both Revelstoke and Kelowna. He bought a Honda motorbike and became more independent as a result. (Note by Ruth Sherwood: Thanks to Brian, I learned what a “green chain” is as well as some other aspects of the industry which I found fascinating. It’s apparently the most labour-intensive role in a sawmill).

In McBride, the family had been associated with the evangelical Pentecostal church but their take on Christianity wasn’t exactly comfortable for the Welwood family. Church membership included a tithing requirement. At one point, Brian’s father was chastised by the minister (whose education consisted of maybe Grade 12 plus 2 years of Bible College) for not tithing 10% of their gross store sales, as opposed to what should be only 10% of net income. As it was, their family was struggling to get by — partly because Brian’s parents were generous in giving credit to their customers.

In 1963, Stanley and Pauline asked their older children where they would like to move! Before this time, Brian and one of his brothers had gone to Bible camps in the Okanagan for a couple of summers. The family decided to move to Kelowna to work and live. Fortunately Stanley and Pauline obtained several good janitorial contracts there, and the children could finish their high school years (which included grade 13 for Brian). During his time in Kelowna, and until age 18, Brian worked at the sawmills in the summer and in winter months helped with his parents’ janitorial duties. On weekends, Brian worked in a gas station.

It was in Kelowna in 1966 that Kay and Brian met at the beach and started dating. As he still had to grow up and acquire a career, they dated for four years, marrying in 1970. Brian moved to Vancouver and took 2 years at BCIT studying financial management (a heavy load of 8 courses all at the same time). He found accommodation first with his oldest brother’s family until Lorne, who had become a lawyer, moved his family to Prince George. For the remaining time, Brian found room and board with another family.

In 1970 the Bank of Nova Scotia offered a management training program for which Brian was accepted. At the same time, he was taking Certified General Accounting studies at UBC at night! Overall it took him 5 and a half years to complete that program, as he had received credit from his earlier studies. In 1971, the Bank of Nova Scotia sent him to be their accountant in the Kerrisdale Branch. It was a great gig but he found that the income potential as a future in management was not really significant. For that reason, he left the bank and found work in the income tax field with Revenue Canada (now CRA). Here there was far greater opportunity for career advancement.

He went from doing field audits to working with estates and trusts. The sought-after job in the department was SI (Special Investigations) for which Brian was selected. This involved working with police and the drug squad who were dealing with tax evasion on drug profits. These were complex and often long-term investigations.

Brian worked on one project for literally years. It involved a hashish importer . . . a man who knew Brian as just an auditor . . . but ultimately the man gave himself away to Brian during a casual conversation. The man was murdered before the case went to court.

After this project, Brian had the opportunity to go to Iran to work with Dillingham, a Canadian construction company which was brought in to complete a stalled project that included a pulp and paper mill, sawmill and plywood plant. Brian worked in the accounting department and was responsible for getting tens of millions of dollars of purchases approved by the auditors for Chuka, the Iranian government company that owned the project. Brian says that he was a “clapper” when the Shah came to officially open the mill in 1978. He was not high enough up in the chain to shake the Shah’s hand (“the shakers”)

When Kay and Brian were first married, they rented In Burnaby and in 1976 bought their first home in East Vancouver. Because the Iran job came up quite suddenly, they had to rent their new home quite soon after they’d acquired it.

Work in Iran was challenging for Brian with 6-day work weeks and 9-hour days. Nonetheless, he found it exciting. They lived in a housing complex with other expats. As a woman, Kay couldn’t get a work permit, so she and Brian decided it was a good time to start a family. Clayton was born in Tehran in 1978.

There was increasing political chaos around this period and many people in the company were leaving the country. Brian, Kay, and baby Clayton were evacuated on an American military transport plane in February of 1979 , the day before the Ayatollah Khomeini arrived to challenge the Shah’s regime. They returned to their home in Vancouver but soon bought their current home in North Vancouver. Brian continued working with Dillingham for about 15 years. During those years, they were moved to Montreal in 1987 but returned to Vancouver in 1989. They were now a family with four children. Aimee, Jennifer and Denyse had arrived.

When their children were entering teenage years, Brian and Kay did a lot of church shopping. Kay had come from a French Canadian Catholic background and the couple were seeking a youth group similar to what they had experienced in their Montreal parish (where the priest there was a bit of a rebel). That community had suited their family well. Here in Vancouver, they investigated not only Catholic but several other churches including Alliance, Baptist, United and Anglican — but none suited because of the dogma. Finally on the last church service before summer break, they arrived at the North Shore Unitarian Church. Harold Rosen was preaching and they met many people of their age group. They’d found a place with no dogma!

Importantly , there was an active youth group where Clayton, at 13 years, could be involved as well as a thriving children’s program for the younger children. They joined and within the first year Brian became the Treasurer and started going to Board meetings. He is on the Board again currently.

But this is definitely not this family’s only claim to fame in our community. Kay, too, immediately became involved with the Finance Committee as she had taken 2 years of business and finance training at BCIT. She did bookkeeping for our community for 22 years. Between them they coached new Board Treasurers as needed.

Brian has always been on the Finance Committee and is heavily involved with Buildings and Grounds. (He was basically Project Manager for our recent renovations). In addition, Brian was the point person for the Partner Church Team. He and Kay maintain connections with that church community in Hungary called Hodmezovasarhely. They’ve made four trips there, along with some other church folk, on behalf of our community. This included two wonderful choir tours led by Alison Nixon. On top of this, Brian has done for himself something he loves! For 30 years he has sung in our choir.

Brian and Kay operated their own business for 30 years doing accounting and personal taxes. There’s no question that Brian and Kay Welwood have contributed hugely to our beloved community!

Alice McSherry

Our ever-cheerful Alice was born in 1950 in a cottage hospital in the community of Johnston located near Glasgow, Scotland. Her parents, Sheila and James Kirwen, resided in Glasgow at that time. James was Scottish and Sheila was from Yorkshire.

Alice had three older sisters: Jill (8 years her senior), Jean (4 years older) and Margaret (3 years older). Alice says that later in life, lacking any brothers, she recruited her sister’s boyfriends to pretend they were related. She had always wanted a brother.

Jill was actually a half sister born to her mother during a previous marriage. Tragically, her mother’s first husband, Kenneth, had been killed in a wartime training accident in Saskatchewan.

Sheila and James had known each other previously and were actually engaged but then Sheila fell in love with Kenneth (the man who had died). James and Sheila subsequently reconnected and married. . . eventually adding Jean, Margaret and then Alice to their family.

James worked full time and studied engineering at night school, becoming a certified engineer. He was then hired by the major Scottish engineering firm of Redpath Brown. Alice was only 9 months old when her father was recruited with several other engineers to come to Canada to work with the firm Western Bridge. This firm took over work on the Second Narrows Bridge rebuild before and after the disastrous fall of the first structure that had been built by Dominion Bridge.

Arriving in Vancouver, the family were housed in the Sylvia Hotel until they could find their own lodgings. Their father continued working for Western Bridge for many years, ultimately becoming chief engineer. Eventually, though, James decided to start his own engineering firm called Kirwen Engineering. Sheila remained a housewife looking after her young family.

The family lived in several different areas of Vancouver including Narvez Drive, Kerrisdale and Oakridge. Alice attended school at Maplegrove Elementary (starting at age 6), Point Grey Junior High School, Magee High School and finally Churchill High School.

Here is a mystery that was never really solved. Authorities at Magee insisted that Alice couldn’t really graduate Grade 12 with a full certificate because, supposedly she hadn’t passed one of the courses … a course she had not even taken! She did attend graduation events there, though.

At this time, Alice was sent for a summer holiday and when her parents picked her up from that vacation, she was told the family had moved to the Oakridge area. Next she was told she had to take Grade 12 again — this time at Churchill High School. Unfortunately this became an unpleasant year for her as it was not a very welcoming community. Alice did not feel that she fit in as the students seemed cliquish. So athough Alice received her transcripts at year’s end, she didn’t bother to attend grad ceremonies at Churchill.

Following her second year of grade 12, Alice worked for a couple of years at what was then the office of the Medical Services Association in Vancouver. She wanted to go to Vancouver City College to take Early Childhood Education but she had to be 21 in order to do so. Later when enrolled in that program, Alice took certificates related to various age levels. Some of her training was also done at Capilano College.

During her lifetime, Alice has spent 16 years caring for children in daycare or in preschool care. It was during a practicum for infant care that Alice suddenly experienced what she calls a “nervous breakthrough”. She had begun to experience mental visions outside of her body and needed help.

Her sister Margaret was working in the field of Ayurvedic medicine and did some work with Alice. Alice also attended spiritual events seeking answers. Finally she was directed to a sessional counselor at Family Services. His name was Dr. Jim Browning, a psychologist. With his help, Alice came to understand that her emotional distress was related to sexual abuse. He later directed her to a Dr. Brasfield, a psychiatrist as well as a psychologist. Consequently, Alice has undergone a lot of intensive counselling over many years, learning to function again and developing her bright personality.

Unfortunately, many years have passed since two of her sisters were in touch. Alice had reached out to them, but finally gave up. They were resentful of what had evolved within the family after her nervous breakthrough. However sister Margaret surprised Alice recently by visiting her on her 74th birthday at Churchill House. Sister Jean is in Quebec and now is in contact on line.

For a period of about 5 years in the early 2000’s Alice worked as an executive assistant to the Executive Director of the BC Psychological Association. Later, after taking courses on lay counselling and with the mentoring support of psychologist Dr. Jim Browning, she established a practice of counselling women who had been sexually abused. She always referred clients to qualified psychologists if their situation was more complex.

In 1995, Alice began experiencing Multiple Sclerosis (MS) symptoms, but it was four years before she was actually diagnosed with the disease.

Alice had a brief marriage with an amicable divorce. Following their separation, Alice returned to the dating world and had some other great friendships.

She has lived on the North Shore for much of her life, renting and then purchasing her own apartment. Because of increasing physical difficulties, she moved into Churchill House 18 years ago but still manages to retain a great deal of independence.

How did Alice arrive at our NSUC door? She met Jasha working at the Serenity Shop. Jasha told of our then minister Stephen Atkinson, who liked to pair his sermons with movies. Intrigued, Alice visited and felt she had come home! She became a member in 2010 and still has the certificate hanging on her wall.

Showing great inner fortitude, Alice once presented at our church on the topic of Courage and explained some of her life at that time. Over the years, she has attended many church events and participated in various meetings. She was even on our Board for a year but found it too physically demanding.

Alice’s heart is with us, but increasing fatigue related to MS limits her involvement. She does love to chat though!

Ruth Sherwood

Ruth Sherwood was born in 1934 in Manitoba. For the earlier years of her life, she lived on a family farm that was originally homesteaded by her great-grandfather. Her paternal grandfather was not just a farmer, he was also an ordained United Church Minister and represented the region as a Member of Parliament in the late 1920s. With this, and a farm background, Ruth was exposed at an early age to political discussions and community values.

Ruth had a happy childhood under the watchful care of her parents, two sets of grandparents, and two maiden aunts. Ruth had a brother three years older — and later, a younger brother as well.

Early memories include standing and rolling on gasoline barrels on the lawn to improve her balance; raising chickens; and climbing her favourite maple tree in the pasture near her house so she could read in her little “nest”.

Food was plentiful on the farm. The family had an orchard and a large garden, so fresh fruits and vegetables were plentiful. Canning the surplus ensured a steady food supply during the winter months. Ruth’s Grandpa had dairy cows, so they had fresh milk and churned their own butter. They picked berries during the summer. During the war when sugar was rationed, Ruth’s father tapped some of their Manitoba maples. The children collected the sap for their mom to boil down to maple syrup in an outdoor kitchen.

Ruth was surrounded by cats and kittens while growing up (and still has a cat today!) At age 10, she inventoried the cats in her family — and there were about 30 between her grandparents house, her house, and the barn! She remembers helping her aunts hide newborn kittens from her Grandpa, afraid he might drown them.

During the winter months, Ruth and her siblings rode a neighbour’s horse-drawn sleigh for the 3-mile drive to and from their 1-room schoolhouse, which had a total of 13 students (grades 1-9). The same building served as a church on Sundays, where her grandfather preached.

In 1945, Ruth’s family moved to Winnipeg where she attended a larger “city” elementary and secondary schools. In Grade 11, Ruth received the Governor General’s medal for academic achievement, leadership, and involvement in sports. Following high school graduation, Ruth enrolled at the University of Manitoba, earning a degree in Home Economics. This helped launched Ruth’s career as a dietitian.

Ruth did her internship at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan, and then went to work as staff dietitian first at the Victoria General Hospital in London, Ontario, and then in the medical ward of University Hospital in Saskatoon. For fun, Ruth enjoyed playing badminton, which is how she met her future husband (Edwin “Ed” Sherwood) while living in Saskatoon.

Ruth moved with a friend to London, England for a year and a half where she worked as a dietitian at the Paddington General Hospital. Ruth kept in touch with Ed during this time by mail. Ruth returned to Saskatoon in 1961, working at University Hospital as a staff dietitian in the surgical ward. She and Edwin were married in 1963.

Ruth and Ed’s family grew as they welcomed two children born 20 months apart: Richard in 1967 and Gillian in 1968. As a new mother, Ruth quit her full-time job but continued working part time doing research work for a doctor. Ed’s training was in making custom orthopedic shoes and other devices to help people with mobility issues, but he specialized in arch supports. His work led to him and a partner setting up a business making and selling custom arch supports in North Vancouver. So they relocated here in 1970. Ruth worked as a dietitian in Surrey Memorial Hospital to support the family while Ed’s business grew. In the 1980s the business was picking up — but their relationship was deteriorating. Ruth and Ed separated, and then later divorced.

Ruth continued working as assistant dietitian at Surrey Memorial Hospital, where she had a 17-mile commute to/from work. There, she and another staff nurse set up a diabetes program. But Ruth longed to be more hands-on in community work. So she changed jobs becoming a Nutritionist in the Burnaby Health Department’s continuing care program — eventually retiring in 1999.

In 1982, Ruth joined NSUC in 1982, serving at various times over the years as Board Secretary, Membership Chair, on the Hospitality Team, and Usher/Greeter coordinator. Through her NSUC friends Gary and Sandra Robinson (who had an healing clinic at that time), Ruth learned about energy work in a 6-month intensive program. She later also took a Reiki course and used it for friends, as needed.

It seems that wherever Ruth goes, she ends up forming friendships. She joined two women’s groups (one in the building where she lives and another at NSUC). For about 5 years, Ruth participated in a support group that was an offshoot of an event sponsored by the Unitarian Church of Vancouver. She even tried setting up a singles group at NSUC, but said it was tough because “You can’t dance on carpet”.

Ruth volunteered at the BC Mills Museum (in the Lynn Headwaters regional park) for a number of years, participating in activities with them. She also joined the Vancouver Hiking Association, meeting new friends through hikes and overnight camps — often in groups of 40 or so people!

She joined the Keep Well Association (a group started by 5 nurses), which included doing mild group exercises followed by blood pressure checks, shoulder massages, coffee and conversation. Ruth served on their Board and as a volunteer for them in an administrative role at the North Shore Neighbourhood House. She continued her work with them until right before the Covid pandemic.

In 2015, Ruth bought an iPad and joined a class to learn how to use it. She struck up friendships with some of the other participants. They formed an iPad social group that still meets weekly at the Parkgate Rec Centre.

In the 1990s, Ruth went on an adventurous trip to Ayrshire Scotland to track down the gravesite of one of her ancestors (John Brown, who was murdered in 1685 for being a non-conformist lay preacher). Her travels over the years have taken her to other countries as well, including Italy, Austria, Portugal, Bali, Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Costa Rica, and the Galapagos Islands.

Ruth has no grandchildren, but remains in close contact with her two grown children and their spouses. She talks with her son by phone every few days, and sees her daughter regularly for lunch and other meet-ups. Beau, her cat (formerly owned by Karen Patrick) keeps Ruth busy and provides endless entertainment. (Ruth says she is addicted to jigsaw puzzles on her iPad; she can’t do REAL puzzles because of her cat!)

Earlier this year, Ruth celebrated her 90th birthday. In spite of the essential tremors (which she inherited from her mom), she is still going strong! She has enjoyed getting to know some of our congregants more deeply through the “Mini Bio” program she launched recently, and is doing a fantastic job of helping us all get to know each other better.

Thank you, Ruth, for all you do to bring people together. You are an example and inspiration to us all!

~ Janni Kretlow

Nora Coates

Nora was born in the early 1930’s in Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia. Her father was an electrical engineer and was Director of the city’s electrical power plant. Nora’s mother came from a successful and respected merchant family. In fact, the patriarch of that business was so successful that as each of the children matured, the patriarch gave each of his offspring a store of their own to run . . . except Nora’s mother! She had run away to get married, despite parental disapproval.

Nora’s only sibling was Doris, five years her senior. Initially, the girls they were sent to a private French school. Nora was only there for 2 years before the Russians invaded the Baltic states and put a stop to any private education (although her sister was allowed to continue in their school because she was close to graduating).

The Russians were greatly feared for their brutal ways, so Nora and her family fled to eastern Germany for sanctuary. During the following years they had had to flee their homeland several times. The Germans would liberate the Baltic states and the Russians would again invade and occupy.

The Russian invaders were illiterate and trusted no one with an education. Even wearing glasses marked you as an undesirable as it meant you could read. Nora’s own uncle was sent to a Siberian prison camp where he died. A close girl friend of Nora’s was also sent to Siberia simply because she was a social elite. She eventually returned but was never the same person again.

When Estonia was under Russian control, people were starving, living on potatoes three times a day plus any mushrooms or blueberries they could find. Nora hated the Russians and described them as looters, rapists and pillagers. The Germans, on the other hand, provided food and were considered gentlemen for providing protection to the population.

Nora was 10 years old at the start of the Second World War. While their family was in refuge in Germany, she attended school. But with such constant interruptions in their lives, it was impossible to obtain adequate schooling. Nora actually lived in Germany until age eighteen.

In 1947, immigration for Europeans opened up and Nora’s sister Doris made her way to Montreal (since she could speak French). In that period, new immigrants had to be at least 18 years old and were expected to work in Canada for a year before becoming independent. Females had to work as maids in a household, and men had to go into logging or mining.

Sister Doris was assigned to a family in Westmount. It seemed a good system as you were housed with a family, had food and shelter, learned the language and culture, and were made familiar with the community. From there, Doris went on as a student at McGill. One of Doris’ teachers in Montreal mentioned to the Symons family that she had a very bright student who had won scholarships and bursaries to McGill, but that this girl had no place to live. Frank and Betsy Symons (grandparents of Joanna Vaughan and her siblings) immediately offered their home to Doris while she was studying.

Nora had to wait to turn eighteen before entering Canada. She was very fortunate, though, because she took over as a maid with the same family where her sister had been. When Nora first arrived in Canada, she was severely malnourished and unwell as a result of wartime deprivation. While working as a maid, Nora did a little cooking but the lady of the house did most of it. Apparently her menu was simply a rotation of the same seven items and any leftovers were simply thrown out. This waste definitely went against Nora’s principles, considering how she had lived in Europe. Consequently, Nora taught her mistress how to make potato pancakes from leftover mashed potatoes. This recipe became another staple in the household rotation.

Because of Nora’s poor health, she was finally tested and found to have an overactive thyroid requiring major surgery. Her physician said that she needed a year’s rest, but of course Nora had no resources to enable this. The Symons family generously came to the rescue and invited Nora to be a guest in their home during recuperation, as they already were hosting Doris while she studied at McGill.

While working as a maid, Nora studied shorthand and typing at night school to earn qualifications as a secretary. Frank Symons was the Canadian president of an American Insurance brokerage (Johnson and Higgins) with its Canadian head office in Montreal. He arranged for Nora to become secretary to the that company’s treasurer. It was at this firm that Nora met Garth Coates, a marine insurance adjuster that had been transferred from their Vancouver office. They lived in the same neighbourhood of Westmount, and both travelled to and from work by streetcar. It seemed natural that they should start to date.

When asked about her European religious background, Nora describes their family as being lukewarm Lutheran. While living in the Symons household, they invited her to the Unitarian Church ,which she soon joined.

Nora and her sister lost their father during the war. (He was buried with honour in the Tallinn cemetery). Again through Frank Symons’ aid, their mother (at age 50) was sponsored to enter Canada.

Nora and Garth Coates were married in 1953 with the bride being ‘given away’ by Frank Symons. In those days husbands and wives were not allowed to work in the same office, so Nora worked at various temporary or part time jobs in Montreal. Later, she worked with her mother in the Registrars printing department of McGill University. Nora recalls with delight the tea parties at McGill where the various professors came to talk and to flog their autographed books. She bought 13 of them! Later, she had to move and sold them — but she discovered the autographs were more valued than the books.

After Nora and Garth bought a house in the suburbs, Nora no longer needed to work. The couple adopted two girls: an infant they named Maris and later a nine-month-old child called Gwen. Nora became an active suburbanite with children, dogs and a garden. She took pottery lessons and still has some of her pieces today. When Nora’s mother wasn’t working at McGill during the summers, she stayed with Nora and Garth and their children.

Not surprisingly, Nora organized a small library in a hockey shack. It grew and finally was taken over by local authorities as a proper building was being established.

Separatist troubles in Quebec ultimately led to Garth’s transfer back to the Vancouver office. Here, they bought a family home in Kerrisdale, where the girls attended school. Soon Nora became involved with the Vancouver Art Gallery — and for 10 years she was the Executive Secretary of their volunteer committee.

Nora and Garth attended the Vancouver Unitarian Church, where Nora became involved in issues of recycling and conservation. Their daughter Gwen went into the field of nursing, married, and continued working in that practice once her children were older. She and her husband built a large home in Seaside Place, a gated community, with an inlaw suite for Nora and Garth. Gwen still lives in an apartment in West Vancouver, and her two sons also reside in West Vancouver.

Maris married and has two daughters who also live in the Vancouver area. Maris and her husband built a secluded home on Quadra Island where he works online.

With Nora and Garth living in West Vancouver, it was logical that they join the North Shore Unitarian Church. One of Nora’s early activities at NSUC was starting our library with donated books, as there was no budget for this.

The couple continued their interest in recycling, conservation and the environment. In fact, Nora has been our chief recycler for many years. Nora ran our church’s grocery receipt program for many years (taking over where Marie Bensley had left off), collecting grocery slips from a West Vancouver store in exchange for a small refund from the store. This program has raised thousands of dollars for NSUC over the years and is still going strong! Nora still collects grocery receipts to contribute, although she doesn’t attend church personally anymore. (She recently handed Ruth Sherwood an envelope full of grocery slips when she visited!)

Sadly, Garth passed away in the 1990’s. For a number of years, Nora lived alone at Tudor Gardens in West Vancouver where she hosted several church social events. As well, sister Doris died a few years ago. Her life had taken a different path. As a highly educated professional, she married another intellectual and produced two equally bright sons.

Nowadays, Nora lives in the Westerleigh which has an abundance of activities for seniors. She makes good use of the available programs such as Scrabble, exercise, and lectures. One of the church activities that Nora really enjoyed (and led for many years) was the Cronies (later known as the “Lunch Bunch”) which provided opportunities for women to socialize and share their stories.

Although we don’t see Nora at church much now, we are obviously still in her thoughts. She declares she is truly Unitarian at heart and she has certainly done her share for our community!

Jutta Wiedemann

Jutta (pronounced “You-tuh”) was born in the German town of Bad Salzuflen. When she was 3 years old (in the early 1930s), her family relocated to a place called Lemgo. The move was forced upon them as her father was a judge (and therefore, a civil servant) who refused to join the Nazi party, so he was demoted to a lesser jurisdiction. Jutta’s mother was a nurse midwife.

Jutta and her two older sisters were schooled in Lemgo from ages 6-10. From there they were sent to a semi-private high school called Lyceum where both Latin and French were taught. Jutta graduated in 1945 at the age of 17. To further her employment possibilities, she then enrolled in a high-caliber trade school where she learned Spanish as well as typing, dictation and shorthand.

The expectation in her social milieu was that she would ultimately employ a housekeeper/cook once she had her own home. Jutta’s mother insisted she should have practical experience in that sort of role. However, in postwar Germany, there were few families that could afford such a servant.

In that same period, Sweden was inviting German youth who were impoverished after the war to come to their country to live and to work. Through a neighbour, Jutta learned of a Swedish family with 5 children who were desperate to have a housekeeper. She immediately wrote to them and applied for the position. Within a week she had the job and a train ticket to Stockholm. Her plan was to stay in Sweden for just one year.

Of course things changed for her when, while working in Sweden, she met a German fellow named Wolf at a party. The lumber company he worked for in Germany had sent him to Sweden — but he ended up working for a Swedish company in Stockholm instead.

Jutta and Wolf dated. Though living accommodation was scarce, they finally found a place to rent: the lower level of a house with a fireplace and garden access.

Their marriage was planned for 1953. They returned to Germany to be married in the Reformed church where her grandfather had once been the minister. This was 25 miles from her family’s home but a bus was rented for family and guests. As the car carrying the wedding couple was spotted from the church tower, the bells started to ring out long before their actual arrival. This made it an even more festive celebration!

The couple returned to live in Stockholm for the next three years. Jutta worked in an office where she created her own Swedish version of shorthand as she had also become quite fluent in spoken as well as written Swedish.

Wolf knew a German fellow who had visited British Columbia and talked in glowing terms of the lumber industry in Vancouver. Wolf and Jutta decided to try working in Canada for two years. Once in Vancouver, though, Wolf was unable to find any work other than basic factory work in his field. Though he checked for the potential to work back in Germany, the industry there was failing.

Circumstances finally changed for them when they met some immigrants from the Baltic states. They socialized with these friends at parties and camped together as well. Their support was instrumental in Jutta and Wolf finally settling in Vancouver.

Wolf took an aptitude test with results indicating that he could become either a mathematics professor or an accountant. He went to night school, studying to be an accountant and did some accounting work at the Vancouver airport. From there he applied to work with the Canadian Pacific Airline. He was hired and ultimately progressed to become Assistant Vice President of that Airline.

Because of his employment with CPAir, he and Jutta were able to travel over the years — often to Germany, as well as places like India and Brazil. By this time, the couple had two children: a boy and a girl (both of whom were born on the North Shore, attending Cyprus Elementary and then Sentinal High School in West Vancouver).

In the meanwhile, because of a slipped disc, Jutta visited a yoga specialist for treatment. This person then encouraged her to become a yoga teacher herself as there few instructors in the area at that time. Jutta embraced the idea, as yoga was becoming increasingly popular. She taught yoga for 40 years up to the age of 73.

In 1982 there was a sudden change in their marriage relationship which precipitated Jutta and Wolf’s divorce. This was an emotionally challenging time for her and the family. Under these changed circumstances, Jutta decided she should go into the real estate business — but she needed training.

Her son happened to pass the Real Estate Board’s main office at 10 o’clock one evening, saw a line up of people outside and inquired as to what was happening. Because the housing market was hot at this time, these folk were applying to become realtors. Jutta’s son phoned to tell her of this, and then stood in the line-up until she could get there herself. Once she arrived, her son set her up with blankets, coffee and a place to sit. It was going to be an overnight wait.

Jutta stayed there all night, put in her application, and was accepted! The next challenge was eight weeks of intense study and training at UBC in the real estate field, but she was up for it … and she passed! Jutta spent many years in that business.

For her mother’s 85th birthday, Jutta planned a visit to Germany. Soon after her arrival there, she suddenly developed a violent headache. Fortunately a niece contacted a surgeon whose time was available. They discovered a tumour at the base of Jutta’s skull! She had had absolutely no awareness of anything amiss until the sudden headache developed. Jutta underwent immediate surgery in Germany and required 5 weeks of convalescent care before returning home. Her children had flown to see her after the surgery as her condition was considered grave.

When asked about her outside interests, Jutta shared that she volunteered for 40 years on the board of Friends of Chamber Music. However, when asked specifically about hobbies, her quick response was “People!” She just loves to talk with the variety of people she meets.

It was from her many social connections that she met June Hahn and her family. June introduced her to our North Shore Unitarian community during the tenure of Stephen Atkinson as our minister. Jutta has been a faithful and interested pillar of our church since then — and still attends regularly.

Jim Bensley

Jim was born in Hartlepool, Durham, a seaside area of northern England in June of 1934. He has one older sibling, Betty Macmillan, who is also a Member of NSUC. Their father, James served in the army in the First World War. Their mother, Florence (who was known as “Nellie”) had experienced severe bombing of their small community by the German navy in WW1.

When WW2 came to Britain, their mother Nellie evacuated them to the countryside to live with one of their grannies (who ran a pub), and a nanny. (Jim remembers his mother instructing Betty to “look after your little brother” -- and maintains she still does to some degree!)

James (Jim & Betty’s father) did electrical work. The family also ran an arcade business. Both children were involved in the business and were allowed to help by counting the large English pennies from the various rides and shows, and scooping ice cream.

During her growing-up years, Nellie’s family had lived in a caravan and had moved around a great deal. As a result, she had been illiterate but was taught to read by her husband. She then became a voracious reader and would give the children 10 books at a time at Christmas to further their interests.

While the war was still waging, they were returned to Hartlepool as they needed to carry on with their schooling. Their parents had just bought a new home. Ten days later, their previous home was totally destroyed by a bomb! Jim says he’s been called “Lucky Jim”. He says this was one of several circumstances when the term seemed valid.

Both children had written the traditional 11+ exams and done well, so at this point, Jim and Betty were sent to separate “better” schools: one for boys and one for girls. Jim describes his experiences there as absolutely brutal! He will never forget the abuse.

The children’s father had a sister who had been widowed prematurely. She really craved travel but wanted company so asked Betty, age 13, to be her companion. Their tour was a long one via Cape Horn but finally they ended up in British Columbia in Langley, where lived some people known to the family.

This was 1947 and times were tough in Britain, so Betty didn’t want to return to England . The family finally decided to sell up and move to Langley B.C. The parents set up a candy manufacturing business here and ordered candy-making equipment from England. This business prospered and the family eventually moved to New Westminster. Jim was 13 and Betty 4 years older, and they attended the local high school. Jim thought he was “in heaven” after his previous school experience!

Jim started in Grade 8 but soon advanced to Grade 10 by Christmas and finished Grade 12 at age 16. From here, he went to UBC where he’d been encouraged by a mentor to take architecture since he had exhibited artistic potential. As he was younger than the usual university entrance students, it wasn’t ideal for him socially. However, he remained in the architecture academic field for 3 years. He then switched to Commerce. After two years in that field, a professor who had done an assessment on him told him “Don’t go into sales”.

During his summer breaks, Jim had found work as a deck hand for two years and then worked on the huge Kemano project at Kitimat, living in a camp of 5000. He says he learned more from those experiences than from his university years.

Once he gave up on university, he went to the unemployment agency seeking a new job. Luckily for Jim, he was hired by a well-established British firm, Grosvenor-Laing Developers, where he was given training to become a project manager. From here, his work life took off and he was involved in many large projects, first to Powell River for an office building for the company and later construction projects were with Woodwards and then the Vancouver airport.

While at the airport site, the carpenters went on strike and he was able to take time off from his management responsibilities to have some essential surgery that required hospitalization at the Royal Columbian Hospital. Lucky Jim struck it lucky again! He met and fell in love with a nurse in training named Marie. They were engaged within 4 months and married in a year.

Jim’s working life seemed to just flow from one major company to another. He didn’t apply but was head hunted to work in roles such Assistant Personnel Manager for a chainsaw factory and later as Advertising Manager and VP at KVOS (which was for 14 years) where he was in charge of advertising and sales with the Vancouver Board of Trade.

Jim and Marie’s first home was in Norgate, where they raised three children: a girl and two boys. They have 4 grandchildren. They moved to Calder Ave after 6 years at Norgate. All of their children live in the North Vancouver area.

Initially, Marie attended the Anglican Church in their area and had been active there. Jim wasn’t so keen as this was a very “high” Anglican service.

At this time, Marie was doing private nursing care and had time to do a lot of knitting for charitable projects. She obtained the wool for free from the Vancouver Unitarian Church — and they donated the knit items to the Unitarian Service Committee.

In 1967, Marie heard of a meeting to be held at the West Vancouver Rec Centre. They were planning a new Unitarian fellowship on the North Shore. Jim & Marie attended meetings held at North Shore Neighbourhood House, joining NSUC when the Mathers property was purchased.

Jim served as the NSUC Board president in 1987. He and Marie were instrumental in organizing the Save the Lot Committee. Marie has always been heavily involved in church matters and in fund raising projects.

Outside the church, the Bensleys operated a business that organized conventions and special events all over North America. (Jim’s early days of arcade experiences obviously paid off!)

In visiting Jim and Marie in their new abode, Ruth Sherwood (the author of this Mini Bio) learned that Jim has a genuine talent for art. His subjects are various but ships figure prominently.

Marie passed away on February 20, 2025. Jim is now retired in the Amica Care Home in Edgemont area. He comes to church when someone (usually Malcolm Mallory) can drive him. Both Jim and Marie have contributed significantly to our UU community over the years.

Sonia Mackrow

Our beloved 100-year-old Sonia was born in April of 1924 in the small community of Whitley Bay, Northumberland. She was the only child of the Bell family. The Bells moved to Newcastle on Tyne  when she was about 5 years old, where Sonia started her schooling. A nasty incident occurred  when Sonia was 11. She was unfairly “thumped” by a teacher — and consequently her mother moved her to a private school.

In 1940 with the war underway, Sonia (then 15) obtained her school leaving certificate. In those days, it was expected that youth begin working at that age, so Sonia took a course in shorthand and typing and went to work in her uncle’s accounting firm. Her clerical experience here also taught her to do auditing. As the war was on, everyone took extra roles. Sonia became a volunteer with both the Red Cross and St. John’s Ambulance services. Twice weekly she served at these posts, as well as once  a week at the hospital. She wished she had become a nurse!

Because of its shipbuilding facilities, Newcastle was heavily bombed in the early part of the war, but later London became the major target. How did Sonia’s family deal with the bombing? They didn’t have room in their garden for an Anderson Shelter, but they had a steel table to protect them — or Sonia would hide with her mother under the stairwell in their home. (Sonia’s father, a veteran of the First World War, was out doing Warden duty). Despite these hardships, Sonia grew up finding pleasure in her young life.

Sonia’s old passport photo

Sonia met her first husband, John Atkinson, in 1940. He had been in the army but was invalided out due to pneumonia (which was then a more serious disease as treatment was so limited). They married in 1944 and had their first child, Penny, in 1945, followed by son Michael in 1947. That same year, like many Britons who were finding their country depleted, emigrated to Canada. They found transport on a cargo ship carrying only 12 passengers and disembarked in St. John, New Brunswick, on December 13, 1947. (The St. Lawrence river was frozen, hence their arrival in the Maritimes). From there they flew to Montreal where a couple they had known in England found them a place to live in Cartierville, Quebec.

Sonia’s husband John was an accountant and was quickly able to find a job, ending up at Price-Waterhouse. Sonia found her schooling in French paid off in Quebec as she could make herself understood well enough to get by. But John seemed to be restless, though. He found a job in London, England, and moved the family back to Britain in 1952 . Their son Richard was born there. They first lived in Dulwich Village and later in Romney, Kent, in a newly-developed housing estate.

In 1953, John was offered a job as a national director of finance at African Oxygen in Johannesburg, South Africa — which led to yet another family move. As Sonia said, in those days you just followed your husband wherever his job led him. But Sonia loved this new setting. She had a lovely home and a nanny/cook to help with the children, as well as a houseboy for the outside work.  Sonia’s daghter Margaret was born while they lived in Johannesburg. Sonia was fond of their nanny Martha, and took her to family gatherings where Martha would be the only black person present.

For reasons not shared with Sonia, her husband’s job was not working so the family returned to England. Things were tight financially but eventually her husband got a job working at Trevelyan Estate run by the National Trust. They lived at Wallington Hall village in that area. The two older children took jobs: Michael as a farm labourer, and Penny as a dental assistant. Sadly, John was let go from that job, and the family went back to Wallsend. Sonia now needed to work — and she found a clerical job in a clothing factory.

Early one morning in 1966, Sonia found police at her door who told her that her husband had committed suicide in a park nearby. He had taken an aspirin overdose. She had to then tell her children this awful news. This was, as Sonia stated, the lowest point of her life. After the death of his father, Sonia’s son Michael emigrated to New Zealand.

Sonia had good friends in Vancouver and they encouraged her to emigrate — so she and Penny with the two younger children moved yet again. Friends in Vancouver helped them find a rental apartment. Almost immediately, Sonia found a job working for an international importing company. Her role involved dealing with their many financial transactions. Penny at age 21, headed off to New Zealand.

Sonia attended the Vancouver Unitarian church in the 1970’s and knew Isabelle Ennis. It was through her Unitarian connections that Sonia was invited to the dinner/dance event where she met Don Mackrow who worked with the Grosvenor Development firm. They connected immediately and were married in 1980. He had two teenage daughters from his previous marriage who were very welcoming to Sonia .

This marriage was a very happy time for the couple. Sonia’s family managed to stay in touch despite geographic separation. Sonia’s beloved Don died suddenly in 2009, after a very happy 10 years of marriage.

Sonia’s son Richard was engaged in the oil business working out of Brazil. Sonia and one of her granddaughters visit him and his wife in their home near Rio. Then came the shattering news that Richard had been murdered in his own home! Despite efforts made to find the people responsible, no one was ever identified. Richard was brought to Canada for burial in a West Vancouver cemetery. Daughter Penny died in New Zealand in early 2024.

When Sonia celebrated her 100th birthday on April 21st of this year, her son Michael and his family came from down under to celebrate.

Sonia has withstood so many challenges in her life but she continues to live with the pleasures she has found in her present life. She lives alone in her lovely apartment, having help only from a cleaner and someone to drive her for groceries. She cooks for herself and socializes at church and with the NSUC book club. She still has her piano, which she learned to play in her childhood years. When the church pianist was absent, Sonia was a ready stand in. Sonia says “ I must get back to playing it” That’s our Sonia!

Sonia passed away peacefully on March 7, 2025 in the presence of her family. We will miss her greatly!

Inge Bachrich

Inge was born in Hamburg in 1928 of non-practicing Jewish parents.  She had only one sibling, a sister Ilse, five years her senior. They lived in what was considered the red light district of  Hamburg, an area near the docks, where her father had established a  medical practice. He had become a well respected and popular physician. Although Jewish, her father had no interest in religious practice. Her mother was half Jewish but her maternal family had adopted Protestantism.

Inge and her sister attended a small school in this area until Hitler started closing local schools down. Following this closure, Inge and many other children were instead being taught in what were family home settings. Also, at this time her father was no longer being allowed to work as a physician, so their main source of income was jeopardized.

In 1938, Inge was 10 years old when on November 9th the terror known as “Kristallnacht” (the Night of Broken Glass) besieged Jewish-owned properties. Someone had managed to warn her parents just prior to that night, so they managed to flee the  family home.

Previous to this, her parents had been told of a secure evacuation process established by the British called Kindertransport. Through the auspices of this organization, Inge’s older sister left on a ship for England. Shortly, thereafter, Inge was taken by train via Holland and ultimately arrived in Liverpool. (Inge remembers that in the Netherlands, Queen Wilhelmina greeted the children from this train and provided them with lemonade).

When the girls left Germany, there had been no discussion as to when their family would ever reunite. The girls found later that their parents had died apart, in different concentration camps.

In Liverpool, Inge (with her name tag attached) was one of several children picked up by strangers who had previously offered their homes. She was taken by ferry to Ulster in Northern Ireland to a boarding home run by two elderly ladies. Here, she was finally reunited with her sister. These two women provided food and lodging but were very strict in their care. They  were staunch Methodists and required all the children in their home to attend religious services every day and twice on Sunday.

They had arrived in this small community of Bangor just three weeks before the Second World War actually began. Inge has memories of the kindness of the teachers in that village school, enjoying her school experience more than life in the boarding house.

Because of the war, the entire school had to be evacuated to a more remote area of Ulster. As this school taught children only to age 17, Ilse had left  at that age to attend Queens University in Belfast. There was a Jewish refugee committee in Ireland at that time; through their auspices, Inge was also able to attend Queens University. Her interest was to work in the field of community care. Inge graduated in 1948 with a General Degree.

Inge found employment with the Housing Trust in the Ulster region. This involved working with families needing homes and following them to ensure the assigned housing was adequate and that the families were doing well. Her role included picking up their rent — but it was really an early version of social work. Before fully qualifying in this role, however, she was required take courses in subjects as diverse as accounting, legal matters, and surveying. Inge even had to be knowledgeable about plumbing!

After 7 years of this work, Inge wanted a change from Ulster so she applied and got a similar position in Tunbridge Wells in Kent. However, after two years here, she relocated to London where she took a 3-month secretarial course and found a job with a publishing firm. The company found, however, she was much more useful to them translating German articles. She even translated the book Heidi as part of her work.

Inge found herself under a lot of stress in that role, which affected her health. She was given an incorrect diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (a diagnosis that was later disproved in Canada).

In London, Inge met an Austrian engineer called Jascha. He encouraged her to come to Canada where he was going to work in the lumber field. They were married in 1959 and have two sons, David (who lives in Ontario) and Simon (who works at BCIT). Initially in Vancouver, Inge did some tutoring and other volunteer work until she earned her teaching certificate at Simon Fraser University. She was a substitute teacher for ages K-12 for two years, and then taught an adult upgrading program at a the vocational trade school associated with BCIT.

Inge and Jascha separated in the 1980’s. He chose to live in their place on Saltspring Island, while she remained in their  family home in North Vancouver for 63 years so far. She has become the neighbourhood grandmother as she is close to two families with young children. One end of her dining room table is covered with kids toys for the benefit of her youngest visitors.  

Inge is an artist known within the North Shore artistic community. She once held retrospective of 45 pieces of her work in our church.

Inge first found out about NSUC from Jewish friends in the Vancouver Church. In the days before we had a minister, she volunteered in the children’s program as well as helping with program development.

There’s no doubt Inge has made her contribution to our church, as well as to BC’s education system.

Kathy Griffin

Kathy Griffin was born in Prince George, but her family moved to Nanaimo in 1973 where she lived for 7 years. Her parents parted and in 1980, she moved to Vancouver at age 15 to live with her father. She attended Britannia high school and since then, has lived in East Vancouver. She is currently working as a library assistant at the Vancouver Central library.

Kathy’s family includes a younger sister who lives on Vancouver Island. Kathy herself is married with one adult daughter, and has a 2-year-old granddaughter for whom Kathy and her husband are devoted babysitters.

Her family has always been musically inclined. Kathy’s mum was a professional pianist who played in high-end restaurants; her specialty was jazz standards — everything from the ‘20s to the ‘80s. Kathy’s father enjoyed harmonizing with herself and her sister; his preferred style of music was primarily from the ‘60s and ‘70s. All kinds of music, though, was enjoyed by the entire family. From a very young age, Kathy tells me she harmonized to all sorts of sounds whether it was a train whistle, radio jingles, or even a plane overhead!

Kathy started playing guitar when she was 11 but only had a couple of lessons as she learned to play entirely by ear by playing along with songs on the radio. Her singing journey, however, didn’t start until she was an adult and joined her first choir — an a cappella folk/world music choir that sang in over 20 languages.

Since then, she has sung tenor or baritone in countless folk groups, choirs, and choruses. In 2011 Kathy was introduced to Barbershop quartet singing — famous for their style of harmony which certainly fit with her natural talents. In 2012, she was invited to join an all men’s choir: "The Vancouver Thunderbird Chorus”. She was the only woman in the chorus and she sang baritone. It has now become a mixed choir and she still sings with them.

In 2013, she joined an a cappella quartet called “Second Inversion.“ Her quartet placed 1st in the 2018 Barbershop Division contest representing BC and Washington. They continue to do performances around the lower mainland.

In addition, she belongs to a folk trio called "Fraser Union" which has a strong emphasis on vocal harmonies, guitars, and mandolin. Their repertoire draws heavily from Canadian sources which focus on people's struggles, triumphs, and social justice. They have a strong presence in the Vancouver folk scene, and encourage audience members to sing along with them!

A significant change in her life was at age 47 when she quit her full-time job in order to devote the next three years to study music full-time at Vancouver Community College School of Music. At age 50 she graduated, college diploma in hand. Interestingly enough, even though Kathy had voice lessons for three years at school, she will still occasionally take singing lessons, since she recognizes that over the span of one’s lifetime, the voice can change.

How did Kathy arrive in our midst? In 1996, she joined Alison’s Summerchor as the only female tenor (this was a bigger deal back then!). It was there where she met her husband in 1997 . . . and, of course, Alison then asked if she’d like to sing with our choir as our tenor section leader.

We’ve had Kathy with us since 2022. We hope she remains as part of the NSUC family!