Benjamin Percival Sills passed away peacefully on April 4, 2023.
The son of Joy and Pip Sills, Ben was born in Victoria. He was the eldest of four children and graduated from Oak Bay High School in 1958. He went on to study Commerce and Psychology at the University of Victoria and was the first member of his family to graduate from university.
Post-graduation, he was recruited to join an insurance brokerage firm in Vancouver, where he started to learn the insurance business from the ground up. It was to become his lifelong vocation and ultimately led him to reside in several other Canadian cities throughout his life and career, including Whitehorse, Edmonton, Sechelt and Powell River.
Ben met his wife Barbara in Edmonton, where they married in 1978. Once their kids were firmly launched in their own lives, Ben and Barbara looked for other opportunities, which prompted them in 1989 to purchase a small insurance firm on the Sunshine Coast in BC, settling in Sechelt. Life on the west coast suited them and allowed Ben to satisfy a lifelong desire for boating. They eventually moved further up the coast to Powell River, where they developed deep roots in the community and stayed until his passing.
Ben’s greatest pride and joy in life was his family. He looked to his children for inspiration and took great pride in their accomplishments. Being a father was an honour, but being a grandpa was a pure delight for him.
He was an active volunteer, contributing his time and skills to enrich the communities where he lived, including a significant fund-raising campaign for the Powell River Hospital. He was an avid bridge player of considerable skill, amassing enough points to become a Gold Master. Socially, he was a consummate host who loved to entertain.
Ben is survived by his wife of forty-five years Barbara; children Lon LaBrash (Shannon) and Noelle Winter; grandchildren Joel, Tanis, Daniel, and Megan; siblings Penny Kosmenko (Ed) and Matthew Sills (Bonnie); brother-in-law Barrie Aitken (Adrien); nieces/nephews Marty Aitken, Danny Aitken, Jennifer Eastland, Abigail Kosmenko, Adam Sills and Brittany Cross; and many great-nieces and nephews.
He will be greatly missed. A celebration of life to take place at a later date in Edmonton.
