Jeffrey Allan Gogol

Jeff was known to be caring and loving and would give the shirt off his back to help his friends and family. He honestly believed in the motto “We are all family” and bonded with all of his extended family. His smile and infectious laugh could lighten any situation.

Jeff was born on April 21, 1962, to Norbert and Vikki Gogol in Canora, Saskatchewan, and subsequently moved to Vancouver as an infant with his family. He graduated from Sir Charles Tupper Secondary School in 1980 with honors and was proud of his educational accomplishments. He studied at UBC and earned a BSC in microbiology in 1984 and later earned a master’s degree in environmental management at Royal Roads University. In 1987, Jeff started his employment at Metro Vancouver and worked up to Environmental Regulatory Planner until his retirement in 2019.

In high school, under the direction of his math teacher Al Sarna, Jeff became involved in volleyball officiating. He spent decades being committed to the development of referees in BC and brought beach volleyball refereeing to a national level.

Jeff biggest passion was volunteering, and Ronald McDonald house was the place he spent the most time. As a young man in his early twenties he spent most weekends helping families with sick children feel just a little less frightened with the ordeals that they were going through. He just knew how to relate to people with his kind words and deeds.

Jeff loved Music! He was thrilled to be a part of the Vancouver Thunderbird Chorus and the Rain City 4 quartet but his favorite performances after the Christmas concerts was to do the singing Valentines. The whole chorus community loved him and he them.

Jeff enjoyed and had a talent for photography and shared all his creations through the eye of a talented artist. He would regularly photograph a plain object and turn it into a work of art. He was a proud member of the Burnaby Photographic society and was acknowledged by Burnaby City Council for his contribution in their new coffee table book.

Primarily, Jeff was a dedicated son, brother, uncle, and cousin, and treated everyone like they were his immediate family. He is survived by his sister Janice Wood (Robert); his nephew Anthony (Miranda); his niece Jaclyn Chambers (John) and his great nieces and nephews Cassidy, Karissa, Konnor, Alyx, Markus, and Erik. He is also leaving behind many cousins, uncles and aunts and a vast amount of very great friends.

Jeff was predeceased in death by his father Norbert Gogol and his mother Vikki Gogol and stepmom, Wendy Jenkinson.

Jeff will always be remembered as a great man who always had a smile on his face and ready to help his fellow man.