Lindsay Wilson

There are never enough words to describe when your loved one passes on. John Thomas Lindsay Wilson, lovingly known as Lindsay, passed away peacefully on October 14, 2026, surrounded by his wife and daughters, following a courageous journey with Lewy Body Dementia.

Those left to cherish his memory include his loving wife of 23 years, Pauline, pup Kula, daughter Jessica (John), grandchildren Charlotte and Rose, daughter Alyssa (Darin), grandchildren Asa and Frieda, dear sister Betty, nieces Joan, Jane, Julie, and cousins including John Gillespie, who was his partner in crime while growing up and into their twenties.

Lindsay was born on October 30, 1943 in Calgary, Alberta to George and Julia Wilson. At the age of 15, the family moved to Vancouver where he attended Lord Byng Secondary School. He went to the University of British Columbia, graduating in 1967 with a degree in mathematics which he was a whiz at. During that time, he was a dedicated brother of the Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI) Fraternity. After a momentous trip to Europe with his cousin John, he went to work at BC Tel as an systems analyst.

Lindsay’s love of the outdoors and the mountains drew him to Whistler, where he began working weekends as a ski instructor in 1970 before making it his permanent home in 1975. With a passion for building and a pioneering spirit, he established JTL Construction and worked alongside Cathers Construction, building many of Whistler’s early homes and helping shape the mountain community he loved. He later joined the municipality, eventually becoming Chief Building Inspector. Lindsay was also deeply involved in the local fire service, joining the Alta Lake Volunteer Fire Department and later serving as Chief of the Whistler Volunteer Fire Department from 1979 - 1988. In recognition of his service, he was awarded the British Columbia Fire Services Exemplary Service Medal by the Governor General of Canada in 1997. He was also an active member of the local Rotary Club.

In January 1990, Lindsay joined Intrawest as Construction Manager, later becoming Vice President and Director of Construction. What followed was a busy and rewarding 19 years of development and construction projects throughout North America, along with many lifetime friendships. His work included condominium hotels, resort villages and other developments in Whistler and Blackcomb, Mont-Tremblant, Sandestin in Florida, Mammoth in California, Napa Valley and Lake Las Vegas, among others. After a short retirement, Lindsay was brought back to work on the second building of the luxurious Honai Kai Resort and Spa on Maui’s Ka'anapali North Beach.

During his years at Whistler Blackcomb, Lindsay also worked with a team of consultants involved in planning the layout of Whistler Village as we know it today. One project he was particularly proud of was Glacier Creek Lodge on Blackcomb Mountain, with its amazing floor-to-ceiling windows and remarkable root stalk chandeliers. He loved the challenge of getting those enormous roots into the building and figuring out how to secure them in place. Lindsay was always humble about his accomplishments, but you could see the twinkle in his eyes when he talked about projects like this.

Lindsay’s love of skiing never faded. He was known to head up Blackcomb early in the morning with a colleague or two to catch the first tracks before heading back down to the village office for a busy day of work.

In 2003, he met his soon-to-be-wife, Pauline, and in 2008 they were married in Puerto Vallarta amongst family and friends. After his second and final retirement in 2009, he and Pauline settled down in North Vancouver. One of their early highlights was their volunteer work as drivers for VIPs at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.

In 2013, they moved to the Qualicum Beach area, to a lovely waterfront home that was unique and required much renovating. Right up Lindsay’s alley. The first thing he did was partition off part of the expansive garage for his dream woodworking shop. From there, he would work his talented magic for many years.

It was there that they joined the Newcomers Group, where they met and maintained a great group of friends. Wine night, once a month for over 10 years, is an ongoing event where he will be greatly missed.

They both had a love for adventure and travelling, taking lengthy trips to Spain, Portugal, Greece, France (Paris being one of their favorite and last places), Germany, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy (also a huge favorite), Great Britain, the Caribbean and the Tahitian Islands. Alaska, on a small-boat cruise, was special, kayaking amongst the icebergs and taking a piece back for drinks.

A dream came true as they spent much time on the water aboard their teak 37-foot Tayana sailboat, "Spirit Quest", out of Pt. Roberts, enjoying the San Juan islands. They later cruised the waters of B.C. and Washington after "going to the dark side" on a power boat called "Let’s Go".

They loved spending time in Mexico, with Zihuatanejo being their yearly favorite.

Their love of RVing took them exploring around B.C., Alberta, Washington State, Oregon and California, either visiting friends or finding new places and making new friends. One highlight was a five-week trip to Utah, exploring the Mighty 5 National Parks and Antelope Canyon.

No one who met Lindsay forgot his big smile, his gentle, sincere nature, his sense of calm competence and steady hand. He lived life to the fullest, enjoying his passion for woodworking and renovating, immersing himself in his "shop", creating something while wearing his anciently old, much-loved leather tool belt with hammer, tape measure, numerous screw drivers and pencils, gold-coloured, well-worn Carhartt work pants and taupe Merrell Moc shoes.

He also loved alpine skiing, cycling, golf, hiking with their dog, travelling, making Sunday pancake breakfasts, playing crib and cards with friends, trying to guess the answers on Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy.

He thoroughly enjoyed a nip of good scotch in his favorite small glass and a cold Guinness beer, where he would savour his first large sip and say, "Ummm, that was good!" He also enjoyed different IPA beers. Prosecco was his and Pauline’s go-to after finishing a task, or they would make an excuse to open a bottle.

Lindsay loved having his two daughters and four grandchildren close by and enjoying watching them grow. He helped with their renovations, building farm sheds and designing and creating kids’ toys like wood diggers, detachable wood trains, custom puzzles, and birdhouses , all in his workshop. Beachcombing throughout the years was a huge event, looking for "treasures" and then deciding how many to keep from the large collection. He spent time reading to them out on the deck in the round, covered lounger, all snuggled up and making breakfast pancakes with their initials. There were family trips to Mexico, watching the kids’ sports games - soccer, lacrosse, hockey, volleyball and swimming and going to the Coombs rodeo.

We'd like to thank the numerous nurses and doctors who looked after Lindsay at the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital. They were so caring, attentive in providing great care, showing dedication to their profession.

His Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, November 29 , 2026 at the French Creek Pub in Parksville, from 2-5 pm . Please RSVP to [email protected].

My heart broke when you left, but the love and memories we shared keep me going.