Rod always felt the lure of the sea. He grew up in Alameda, an island in San Francisco Bay.
As a boy he built a raft with a centre pole to which he attached one of his mother’s bed sheets as a sail. Eventually Rod lived aboard sailboats for 27 years. He spent four years in the US Coast Guard before becoming a skilled designer and maker of factory control systems. In his mid-fifties, Rod retired and headed to Mexico, spending five years exploring the Sea of Cortez.
At 60, Rod felt called to green landscapes and sailed from the Baja to Bellingham, Washington. He sold his sailboat, bought and renovated an old house and placed an ad on Match.com. He signed his ad “the Sailor” and Sandra from Sechelt, who shared his fondness for the sea, signed her reply “the Mermaid.”
Over the next 16 years, Rod and Sandra had many adventures on their wooden powerboat, were married on board, purchased and renovated a home in Powell River and later found a new adventure in RVing. Love of the area, and the Mermaid, enticed Rod to become a Canadian citizen.
Rod always looked for a way to help in the communities where he lived, teaching seniors to use computers in libraries, and making music come alive for residents in long-term-care facilities.
He had a few health problems in 2023, which unfortunately turned more serious in December. His passing was a shock to everyone. One of the last things Rod told his wife Sandra was that the past 20 years with her had been the happiest of his life; the same was true for her.
Since Rod had no siblings or children, he became close to Sandra’s family: her daughter Sheila and husband Scott, daughter Laurie, Sandra’s sister and brother-in-law Joan and Bev, stepdaughter Lissa and stepgrandson Bryant. Rod leaves behind many friends and neighbours in both Canada and the US.
We’d like to thank the doctors and staff who assisted Rod, particularly Dr. Amy Sawchuk and Dr. Neha Musini locally, and the many staff members at Victoria General and Royal Jubilee hospitals.
In her grief, Sandra has appreciated the support she has received from many kind people.
A celebration of Rod’s life will be held in February - details to follow.
