Robert Alan Sabell

According to his auto-obituary, written in jest: “Bob died with the accent he was born with. He always denied having an accent, but he did know the first two lines of hundreds of songs, and he would demonstrate this “gift” at inappropriate times. He had no fear of death, but he was annoyed that it would bring to an end a very happy life.”

Bob leaves behind his son Jeremy (married to Alexandria with grandchildren Benjamin and Lyla) and his daughter Megan. He is lovingly remembered by his second wife Margaret White. Bob was predeceased by his first wife Margaret Stephen.

Bob was born in Birmingham England, the youngest of three siblings (brother Stan and sister Dorothy). Pre-war England was in a depression, and his father had been out of work for 2 years, so Bob was considered a ‘lucky baby’ when his dad got a job with the Post Office the day little Robert was born. In later years, the family left their rather primitive shared accommodation and moved to a house with its own outhouse and running water inside. Bob spent his childhood playing hide and seek in bombed out buildings with his friends (“the gang”), keeping out of the house while the family members on nightshift slept. Over the years he has kept in touch with these friends, and in addition to writing often he has also returned to England twice to visit. From his childhood he further recalled war rationing and spending nights in air raid shelters or occasionally going to the library with his dad. Bob would find books while his father would read the newspapers.

Young Bob didn’t like school, but he loved English and poetry and enjoyed writing stories. This love carried into his adult life. He was an avid reader and had numerous pen pals to whom he would compose missives regularly. As much as he loved literature, Bob hated math and numbers. This also carried on into his adult life as he refused to entertain the thought of even trying a Sudoku.

At 15 he went to work at the Post Office with his dad and despite his dislike for the job, he stayed there until he was old enough to join the army. Postings followed in Cyprus and Egypt, both politically unstable and rather dangerous places in that period of history. As a member of the transport branch of the British Army, Bob learned a trade that stayed with him through life as he was an exceptional driver.

When Bob was 22, he left this military service and emigrated to Canada, following his brother Stan to Victoria. At that time, he worked at a variety of jobs: delivery driver; garden laborer; double-decker bus driver/tour guide. He eventually found himself working as a waiter on a hydrographic vessel, serving the crew their meals. Their passage took them along the west coast, visiting what is now Haida Gwaii, and even as far as Alaska. This experience is what motivated him to go to night school for his GED. At 26 he enrolled there and met his first wife Margaret Stephen who was also attending.

They both went on to study at the University of Victoria, married in their second year and after the honeymoon settled in Victoria. For a time, they lived aboard a 30-foot vessel called “The Duna,” and Bob had fond memories of this, speaking of it often. They eventually sold the boat shortly after starting a family in 1970 as it was not particularly safe for toddlers. After living in a small house on Cedar Hill Road for a few years, they decided to buy acreage and start a hobby farm. In 1976, after much searching, they settled on 16 acres in the Comox Valley’s Dove Creek area and lovingly named it Doveside. To Doveside’s existing house and workshop, they added a mobile home so that Margaret’s parents could move to the property as well.

When asked about which of his memories were happiest, Bob would always refer to his life on the farm without hesitation. Even with the challenging conditions that existed in that life, he “discovered that happiness isn’t a continuous state, it’s understanding those moments when everything is perfect, and you can say ‘God I’m happy in this wonderful, joyous moment!’”

There was never a shortage of work to be done on the farm: picking rocks out of the field; animal husbandry; tending vegetable gardens; harvesting produce; milking the cow etc. None of them had any prior farming experience and had to learn quickly as they went.

In addition to hobby farming, Bob sought teaching jobs in the Valley. For the first six years he only found substitution work, teaching at various schools, but eventually secured a permanent appointment at G.P. Vanier where he taught till retirement. Throughout a career of passionate dedication to his profession he left a lasting and positive impact on many hundreds of students, many of whom recognized him in the streets of Courtenay and Comox up until weeks before his passing and took the time to engage with him.

After a long battle with cancer, Bob’s first wife, Margaret Stephen, succumbed in 1994. Some years later and following retirement, he reconnected with a friend from his past, Margaret White. They first met in 1961 while boarding together at a house in Victoria but only learned after reconnecting that they had grown up within just a few miles of one another in Birmingham. Together they built a happy, active life together, first on Doveside farm and later in the town of Comox.

Throughout his life Bob enjoyed being active. He was a dedicated cyclist in England, a badminton champion in Victoria, an accomplished rally car racer on Vancouver Island as well as a jogger, an ocean kayaker and a player of squash and tennis. To his last days he golfed three times a week in summer and curled each winter. Normally content to stay close to home, Bob would occasionally and impulsively embark on adventures in his retirement years. He backpacked through Europe in his late sixties, frequently staying in youth hostels surrounded by people half 1/3 his age. He made numerous kayaking expeditions around Vancouver Island; he traveled with his children to England and Hawaii and, accompanied only by his dog Tika, completed a 6-week round trip in a camper van to Savannah Georgia.

With the gift of free time in his retirement years, Bob always looked for ways to contribute to society. He spent years volunteering at the local food bank and with a local literacy program helping other adults learn to read. Quietly, he gave to numerous charities.

Above all, Bob was a beautifully uplifting presence in the world who had the ability to make people feel good in every interaction. Keeping his accent and sense of humour to the end, he passed peacefully at home in his recliner and listening to his beloved classical music, leaving behind a life extremely well-lived.

Upon an occasion Bob was asked what his epitaph should say. He replied, “this guy was born lucky, lived lucky, and died lucky.” In truth, we are the lucky ones for having been in his presence and within the comforting embrace of his wit, charm, love and friendship.

For those wishing to celebrate his life, the family welcomes you to a memorial gathering on Sunday, October 5th, 2025, between 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM at Crown Isle Resort, 399 Club House Drive, Courtenay.  

In lieu of flowers, we encourage donations to your local food bank.