Robert Bruce Chilton

“Seeing is believing.” For many, those words simply represent a motto. But for Robert Bruce Chilton, it summarized in every way who he was. He was modest, quiet and observant, taking in everything around him and always thinking before acting. He was a realist, someone who was efficient and practical in everything he did. He was a friendly person who truly cared about those around him.

       He was the son of Francis and Elizabeth May Chilton and only brother to Jennifer. Raised in Saskathewan and Vancouver, British Columbia, he was brought up to be tolerant and trustworthy. As a child, he learned to be conscientious, responsible and punctual. These were all traits that he would carry with him throughout his life.

      Bruce enjoyed learning. He always had a great memory and was particularly skilled at retaining factual information. Bruce was generally quiet in class, learning best through observation. He often showed great concentration and was competent at completing the tasks at hand. Good with details, Robert was painstaking and accurate in his efforts. All of these talents culminated in a successful high school career. He graduated from Queen Elizabeth high school in 1943.

      Bruce had a good disposition for the challenges of university. He always enjoyed reading, so all of those lengthy required reading assignments seemed to be less of a burden for him. In fact, Robert seemed to absorb and remember everything he read. Not all things came easily to Robert, however, and he found success by being a diligent and accurate person who would dig into a project and work through until it reached its completion. He was very thorough and labored long and hard in order to reach his goals. He earned his Bachelor of arts form the University of British Cloumbia. He also pursued graduate school, earning his Masters of fine arts from UBC.

      Love can’t be defined but must be experienced. That was so true for Bruce. On November 17, 1951 Bruce married Jillian Deirdre McEachran at Christ Church Cathederal in Vancouver British Columbia. He was totally committed to Jillian and maintained traditional ideals about marriage. It was as if Bruce naturally sensed his spouse’s needs, and accepted those feelings unconditionally. Although Robert disliked conflict, he did not take flight from discord, but rather sought to preserve harmony even during the most trying times.

      Bruce was a good father to his children. He had “old fashioned” parental values and could handle typical family conflicts in a fair and calm manner. Because he trusted emotions, Robert was reluctant to force issues and used gentle persuasion to resolve situations. In this way he seemed to radiate an aura of warmth and caring to those around him, always thinking before acting. In addition, Robert was a master planner. No matter how hectic life around him might be, he seemed to know and track everyone’s schedule. Robert was blessed with three children, three sons, Gordon, Rory and John. They were also blessed with seven grandchildren, Kelsey, Tye, Nicole, Dan, Angel, Bryce, Clint.

      If you gave Bruce a deadline, he would meet it. At work, Bruce was always on task. Without hesitation, Bruce could adhere to any assignment and see it through to its completion. His primary occupation was Assistant Director - Long Range Planning. He was employed for 25 years by the City of Burnaby. During that time, Bruce excelled in working with small groups in order to complete assignments. He was able to quickly grasp concrete ideas and could organize and plan the best way to accomplish things with remarkable consistency. Bruce was good at staying on track and was considerate in listening to what others had to say. In this way, Robert had a true gift for being able to come up with practical resolutions to difficult problems. He was often the team member who managed to put forth a win/win solution for all parties.

      Bruce was an Army Veteran. He graduated high school on December 4, 1942 and was enlisted by January 8, 1943. He memorized the military eye examination so that he could serve his country with his close friends. He seemed to thrive on the routines offered up by the military. Being a literal thinker with a calm exterior helped him handle the rigors of the military. He was in the Canadian Army stationed in Europe. Robert saw action for four years in WW II. He received several awards including a 1939-45 star France Germany Star defence medal and Canadian Volunteer service medal & clasp. Many of his close friends did not return from this conflict. Consiquently, Bruce did not often speak of his service years.

      Bruce liked to experience things first hand, in addition to simply learning about them. This quality influenced Robert's choice of leisure time activities. A methodical and patient worker, Robert preferred to set aside uninterrupted time to work on his hobbies. His favorite pursuits were Photography, writing, the outdoors and time with family. Robert was content to sit quietly alone, enjoying his hobbies all by himself and could often be found just reading about his favorite pastimes.

      While thorough and measured in his approach to things, Robert often liked to physically do things rather than just think about them. He was like that with sports. He also enjoyed the statistical data and the facts behind the sports. In this way, he was something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite teams whenever he got the opportunity.

      An individual who respected and maintained traditional values, his faith was important to Bruce. His compassion, consideration and sympathy toward others was evident in his personal beliefs. He was a member of the Unitarian Church for the past 15 years.

     When Bruce's retirement finally arrived in 1986, he was well prepared. He had taken the time to learn about his various options and chose his course wisely. In retirement, he found new pleasure in the outdoors, photography and writing. Even in retirement, Bruce continued to stay in touch with his old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances.

      Bruce passed away on January 20, 2014 at George Derby Centre. . He is survived by his wfe of 63 years Jillian, sons Gordon, Rory ,John , many grandchildren , great grand children and Sister Jennifer. Services will be held at Unitarian Church. Robert will laid to rest at Boal Chapel.

      It is said that some people can’t see the forest for the trees. Bruce was able to focus on each individual tree, tending to its needs, thus making the forest stronger as a whole. Robert was a trustworthy, pragmatic and sympathetic person, the kind of man to whom everyone was drawn. He was thorough and practical, with a sense of humour that would catch you by surprise.

Bruce Chilton was the epitome of the strong, silent type, with an ever present peaceful ,calming demeanour . He will be missed.

* * * * * * * * * *

CHILTON, Robert Bruce

May 19, 1924 - January 20, 2014

Bruce passed peacefully in Burnaby, surrounded by loving family and the great staff at George Derby Centre. He was born in Zealandia, Saskatchewan, and moved to the Lower mainland in his early youth. After returning from active service in WWII, he attended UBC, where he received his Masters degree in town planning and met his wife. He had a long successful career with the Municipality of Burnaby. Bruce settled in North Vancouver, where he raised his family. He loved the outdoors, photography, writing and time with family. He will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 63 years, Jillian, sons Gordon (Darlene), Rory (Pam), John (Lisa) , many grandchildren and great grandchildren, Sister, Jennifer (Joe) and numerous nieces and nephews. We will miss his quiet peaceful demeanor, dry wit and wonderful smile. The family would like to thank all his caregivers who made such a difference in his life during the past few years at George Derby Centre. A celebration of life will be held at the Unitarian Church, 370 Mathers Avenue West Vancouver Friday, February 7th at 1:00 pm. In lieu of flowers please give to the charity of your choice