Clarence August Herter

Clarence August Herter

1937 – 2021

Clarence August Herter passed away in Courtenay, BC on December 1, 2021 at the age of 84.

He will always be remembered by his daughters, Tara (Rick) Ballantyne and Shelley Herter (Geoff Mulligan), sister Carol Herter (Stephen Harrison), nephew, Lance Hartwell, his Uncle Lorence Roth, several cousins and their families, and all who knew him well.

Clarence was predeceased by his parents, Rudolph and Mary Herter (nee Roth), his sisters Marlene Herter (in infancy) and Cristull Hartwell, and brother, Dell Herter.

Clarence was born in Kipling, Saskatchewan and raised on the family homestead and in the city of Regina. He became interested in photography at a young age, taking first prize in a local contest and gaining part-time employment at Kingsize Photos in Regina while still a high school student.  Clarence graduated with Honours from Balfour Technical School in 1955 and joined the Royal Canadian Air Force shortly thereafter, serving as a Communications and Electronics Technician. He was honourably discharged from the Air Force in 1960 and moved to Los Angeles, California with his new wife to become a pioneer in the fledgling field of Computer Programming at IBM and Hughes Dynamics.

Returning to Canada in 1963, Clarence worked as a Systems Analyst for the Government of Saskatchewan in Regina, Federated Cooperative in Saskatoon, and as a lecturer at the University of Saskatchewan, before venturing into his own business endeavors.

Clarence enjoyed taking his family camping and led a memorable, cross-country roadtrip from Saskatoon to the Maritimes when his daughters were young. Throughout his life, Clarence demonstrated a creative flair and enjoyed variety of pastimes, such as photography and photo editing, oil painting, wood working, and writing,

Clarence appreciated and depended upon his friends, neighbours, and healthcare workers, particularly in his later years.  Clarence’s family would like to express their heartfelt thanks to Rick and Trisha Wells, Nurse Sheila from the Percuro Clinic in Courtenay, Dr. Kaiway and his staff from Uptown Dental in Courtenay, Dr. Graeme and the Emergency Services Team at North Island Hospital, and all of the dedicated, hardworking, and compassionate Healthcare Workers at the Comox Valley Seniors Village (1-D) in Courtenay, with special thanks to Prince, Gabby and Marsha, who kept Clarence’s family “in the loop,” Jeff, Joyce, Angela, Terry, Phil, and Jeremy, who went out of their way to connect, and dear Kelly, who always managed to bring a smile of delight to Clarence’s face (and secretly gifted his lunch during Clarence’s final get together with his family).  Although no service was held by request, Clarence’s family would also like to thank Jill and Barry from Yates Memorial Services in Parksville for their kindness and guidance.

If anyone wishes to honour Clarence’s memory in a tangible way, a donation to Diabetes Canada, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, or the Alzheimer Society of British Columbia is respectfully suggested.