It is with great sadness that we share news of the passing of George Samuel, 85. He died peacefully in Powell River with his loving partner, Joanna Dunbar, at his side.
George was born in Rangoon, Burma (Yangon, Myanmar), in 1937, on the eve of World War II, to his American mother, Helen Samuel (Hanna) and Scottish father, George Samuel Senior. Following tumultuous war years in Asia, the family returned briefly to Scotland before immigrating to Edmonton, Alberta, in the early 1950s.
George attended the University of Alberta and later moved to the UK to complete a PhD from the University of London. In 1963 he returned to Edmonton, where he began a 30-year position as a professor of English Literature at the University of Alberta. After a brief early marriage and the birth of his three children, he met and married Joanna Dunbar. The two of them went on to spend 50 splendid years together filled with love and companionship.
In 2010 they relocated to Powell River, where he discovered community and connection, forging strong friendships nurtured during years in his beloved memoir writing class and ongoing qigong practice.
George was a talented and committed visual artist and a passionate drummer. A quiet person in his everyday life, he nonetheless relished his daily drumming sessions and spent hours deeply immersed in his visual art projects.
George is survived by his partner, Joanna Dunbar; his three children, Arthur Samuel, Andrew Samuel (Jackie Heslop), and Jeannie Samuel (David Szablowski); grandchildren Eamon, Jake, Fifi, Katie, Nikko and Kai; and beloved friends and extended family. He was predeceased by his two younger brothers, Alex Samuel and Tom Samuel.
We are grateful for the excellent care and attention he received from the staff at qathet General Hospital and Evergreen Extended Care, and the ongoing love and support from his partner Joanna, especially in the final stage of his life.
George was a kind, gentle, wonderfully creative man. We do miss him very much. No formal ceremony is currently planned. However, please celebrate George by visiting his personal artistic website, www.freegeorge.biz, where he shared his amazing graphic art and his literary creation, the Old Hegelians Newsletter.
