July 1, 2023
In loving memory ~
Roy Schubert passed away, suddenly at home in Surrey on July 1, 2023.
Roy had an extremely diverse life throughout his 80 years. Born in New Jersey, he spent his childhood summers on the Jersey Shore, and went on numerous o shore Blue n Tuna fishing trips. After attending Rutgers University, he joined the US Navy. His service with the Navy allowed him to see much of Europe. While in West Germany, he bravely crossed the military-enforced zone to steal a piece of the Berlin wall, which he prized - Roy always had a little mischief in his spirit.
After his time in the Navy, he moved to San Francisco in the mid-1960s, where he worked for Honeywell, as a technician for main frame computers. Roy met his first wife Barbara there. After getting married in the Redwoods in a handmade buckskin Jacket (he was partners in a leather shop for a brief time), Roy and Barbara moved to the upper Bella Coola Valley to caretake the Talchako Lodge with the Sierra Club - he was no stranger to adventure.
His time in Bella Coola provided Roy with many of his treasured memories. After 2 years of caretaking the lodge at Stuie, Roy and Barbara moved to Hagensborg in the lower valley. They found a piece of land to 'homestead' - a 20-acre parcel, which hadn't had buildings on it for 30 years. They set out to build their own home, and shortly afterwards Roy welcomed their son, Nick. By all measures, he was an exceptional father to this fortunate boy. Roy's endeavors during this time included producing beautiful tiles at a tile factory and playing bluegrass with his friend Barry Brower. Roy was extremely humble of his own musical contributions (as was his nature) however Barry, an accomplished Bluegrass musician, spoke highly of Roy's musical capabilities. Throughout his 30 years in the valley, Roy was an avid fisherman. In particular, the Atnarko River was a very spiritual place for him. Many special days in his life were spent expertly reading runs, seams and eddies in the river for salmon, steelhead and trout. Roy experienced everything the area had to offer from alpine horse packing trips to bear hunting in the side valleys. Roy and Barbara ran a successful contracting business in the valley and were very well respected in the community. Even 15 years after having left the valley, people spoke very highly of him, and the respect and compassion he showed to everyone, in particular their many employees. In 1999 Roy and his then-wife, Barbara, moved to the Victoria area. Although this closed the chapter on his physical presence in the valley, he maintained a strong spiritual connection with the place and people. There was rarely a conversation that didn't include fond recollections of the beautiful Bella Coola Valley.
After Roy and Barbara divorced, he found love with his second wife, Barb. Roy moved to White Rock and later Surrey in the 2001 timeframe to be with Barb, and her family. The last 20 years of his life were defined by compassion, love and joy of being 'Grandpa Roy' to Barb's children and Grandchildren. He cherished his close relationship with all the grandchildren, but in particular, he was able to play a large part in the lives of Skye, Ethan, and Finn. Roy was dedicated, kind, patient, and strong in this role. He was a father figure and a role model. He loved all his children and grandchildren deeply and was respected and loved. He was able to meet Skye's daughter, became a great-grandfather, and held on through a very high-risk ICU stay to meet his granddaughter Stella for the first time, in his final weeks.
During this period of his life, he also volunteered weekly at grief and bereavement groups. One of Roy's favourite songs was "Like a Bridge Over Troubled Waters", and he put great energy and dedication into being a strong bridge for hurting people.
Roy is loved greatly and missed deeply by many people. He was kind, patient and present. He defined his role on this earth as helping people - he succeeded greatly. His spirit will live on in many people's hearts.
There will be a celebration of life for Roy Schubert at some point in the future. Please contact nick.schubert@gmail.com for details.