Regis Armond Joseph Auffray

Regis J. Auffray passed away suddenly in Chilliwack on June 19, 2025. He was born in Peace River, Alberta, on August 13, 1952, the third of seven children, to Louis and Yvonne Auffray, originally of Brittany, France. A French speaker at birth, Regis moved to Chilliwack in 1963 at the age of 10, where he learned to speak English.

After graduating from Chilliwack Senior, Regis went on to obtain his Bachelor of Education degree in English and French at the University of British Columbia in 1975.

A middle and secondary French school teacher for 32 years, Regis began his career at Vedder Junior, followed by Chilliwack Senior Secondary School. He wore many hats during his time as an educator, including favourite French teacher, member of the school floor hockey club and Chilliwack Senior’s master of ceremonies for graduations for several years.

Regis married Faye Auffray (nee Best) on May 17, 1974. Together they raised their three children on a hobby farm near Chilliwack mountain. Regis was a deeply passionate environmentalist who had a great love of birds, rivers and trees. He planted hundreds of trees on his family acreage and often lobbied city council to protect the streams and lands surrounding the north Lickman Road area. Regis also enjoyed photography and liked sharing his nature videos online for people around the world to enjoy.

Regis was a prolific writer and gifted poet who self-published many anthologies and won several awards for his writing. As a lifelong lover of music with a beautiful baritone voice, Regis was involved with Chilliwack Festival Chorus from 2004 to 2013. He was a teaching member of the Chilliwack Intergenerational Chorus from 2006 to 2011, and from 2010 to 2025, he was a valued member of The Fraser Valley Philharmonic Society's Philomusica Chorus, as well as a dedicated member of its Board of Directors.

Regis deeply loved his three children: Crystal (Dave), Joelle (Adam) and Marc. He leaves behind his five grandchildren, Oliver, Charlotte, Elio, Hugo and Florence, each of whom had a special place in his heart. He will be missed by his friend and former spouse, Faye, and his siblings, Mike (Anni), Jean-Pierre, Maryvonne (Pierre), Pat, and Phil, as well as many nieces and nephews on the Auffray side of the family. Regis was preceded in death by his older brother Jac (Sha’Tara).

Regis was known for his unique brand of humour, loving kindness and belief in helping others. He was an extremely committed blood donor with over 200 lifetime donations. His personal philosophy was, “If somehow I have made someone even if only in some small way happy, then it's all been worth it”.

A celebration of life will be held in summer 2026.

Please consider planting a tree in memory of Regis or making a donation in his honour to the Nature Conservancy of Canada to protect priority natural habitats and species for future generations.