Kevin Lorne Kimler

Kevin Lorne Kimler was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy and traditional in his approach to his life and in his relationships. He was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was also a man who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything he undertook. Realistic about life, he was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

Kevin was born on September 24, 1957 at Gainsborough Hospital in Gainsborough, Saskatchewan. His parents were Otto and Royce Kimler. He had one younger brother, Trent. Kevin was raised in Carnduff, Saskatchewan, then at the age of 2 he moved to Calgary, Alberta. He was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

While his teachers and even his friends generally thought of Kevin as being a serious person, he managed to have a pretty good time in high school. He graduated from Lord Beaverbrook Senior High School in 1975. His favourite class in high school was History. Kevin was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Kevin always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though he could easily master any problem that might be presented to him.

College life brought with it a new set of challenges, but Kevin handled them well. Being a critical thinker who always remained intellectually independent, Kevin was able to focus on the task at hand in order to complete his class work. The ability to efficiently complete the task at hand was a skill that served Kevin well during his college experience. He attended Mount Royal College in Calgary for 2 years, graduating in Criminal justice and Police Science in 1977. He then attended the RCMP Academy in Regina, Saskatchewan graduating in April 1978. He was then posted to Boston Bar, Chilliwack, Agassiz, Tahsis and Courtenay.

On June 12, 1982 Kevin exchanged wedding vows with Tilli Oosterlaar at the St. Anthony's Catholic Church of Agassiz, British Columbia. Compassionate and devoted to Tilli, Kevin held endearing, traditional values about marriage and family life. He took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it his total commitment. He was a source of strength to Tilli and using his gifts at nurturing one-on-one relationships, he worked hard to make his new family happy.

Kevin brought the same traditional values in his marriage to bear on how he raised his children. He was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in his dealings. He would always listen carefully and think things through before he acted, even when it was an adverse situation. Kevin was blessed with 2 children, one son Trevor and one daughter Leanne.

Kevin greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a hard worker who expected the same in return from his co-workers. He was skilled at working effectively in small groups and in one-on-one situations as well as handling solo assignments efficiently. Kevin enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. Always able to attend to the task at hand, Kevin was excellent at meeting deadlines. He was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. His primary occupation was a member of the R.C.M.P. He was employed for 34 1/2 years. Kevin worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

Kevin found pleasure in sports. Being a person who was comfortable making win/lose decisions throughout life, he could appreciate that athletes made those types of decisions in sports. He applauded those who won, and he enjoyed the statistical data and sports facts and could find himself wrapped up in those details. In high school, Kevin played football and hockey. In his college years, Kevin continued to stay active by scuba diving, riding his 10 speed bike. He would ride from Calgary to Mt. Norquay in Banff, Alberta. Recreational sports included golf, hockey, biking, until knee and ankle injuries and a diagnosis of MS in early 2000, stopped him from participating. He would watch his favorite sporting events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were hockey and football.

Kevin was a great planner who was incredibly well organized. It seemed that he was able to schedule any event or activity with ease. He always seemed to know exactly what needed to be done. In high school, Kevin was a member of the Air Cadets. Throughout his later years, Kevin was a Volunteer Firefighter with Comox Fire Rescue.

Kevin enjoyed driving vacations, especially to Yuma, Arizona - couldn’t get enough of the desert scenery. Taking different roads many times via the Oregon - California Coast, Death Valley, Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon. He toured the Battlefields of the First and Second World Wars, in Normandy, Belgium, France and Holland, which he did on 4 separate occasions.

Kevin was a lover of animals especially his cats. When he had knee surgery his cat Meeka was hit by a car and had jaw surgery. They would both be convalescing on the couch when Tilli would come home from work, after that the cat was his shadow.

When Kevin’s retirement finally arrived in March 2012 in Comox, BC, he was well prepared. He always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things he knew, so he was very confident in planning his retirement. He had begun the process early and had his retirement all laid out well in advance. In retirement, he found new pleasure in volunteering to be a driver for Wheels for Wellness. Even in retirement, Kevin continued to stay in touch with his old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances.

Kevin Lorne Kimler passed away on May 28, 2016 at home in Comox, BC, after a hard fought battle against cancer. He is survived by his loving wife Tilli, children: Trevor and Leanne; father Otto; and brother Trent. Services were held at Piercy's Mt. Washington Funeral Home on Saturday, June 11, 2016 at 2:00 pm. Kevin was laid to rest in Courtenay, Civic Cemetery.

Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Kevin Lorne Kimler. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved.

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It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of an amazing husband, father and friend on Saturday, May 28, 2016 at the age of 58 following a hard fought battle with cancer. Kevin will be lovingly remembered by his wife Tilli; son Trevor (Diandra); daughter Leanne (Brett); father Otto; brother Trent; and father and mother-in-law Bill (Rita) Oosterlaar. He was predeceased by his mother, Royce Kimler and sister-in-law Diane Oosterlaar. Kevin spent 35 years with the RCMP, the last 22 years with the Comox Valley Detachment. He was also a Volunteer Firefighter with the Comox Fire Department for 17 years. Kevin will be greatly missed by his family and those whose lives he touched over so many years. We will miss him. A Celebration of Kevin’s life will be held on Saturday, June 11, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. at Piercy’s-Mt. Washington Funeral Home (440 England Ave. Courtenay, BC). In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Kevin’s name may be made to the Comox Valley Hospice Society (2137 Comox Ave. Comox, BC V9M 1P2).

Arrangements under the direction of Piercy's-Mt. Washington Funeral Home, Courtenay, BC.