Alastair John Wildey Maxwell

Under a tree in their close friends’ garden, Alastair’s family gathered around him to say their goodbyes. He laid back, looked up at the blue sky, and breathed in the fresh air. At approximately 12 o’clock, he closed his eyes and departed this world for the next dimension. He is predeceased by his parents, Marjorie Claire Cover and John Wildey Maxwell. Alastair is survived by his loving wife of 35 years, Catharine McPherson; children: Wyldie, Fergus (Sam Waddell), Gwyneth (Aislinn Duguid); siblings Claire (Renè Antonissen), Campbell (Martha Sandor), and Edward (Charla Pauley-Maxwell); and uncle Julian Cover (Tinda Holland). He will be dearly missed by father-in-law Paul McPherson (Joanne Andrews), siblings-in-law Michelle LaCharite (Dan), Patti McPherson (Paul Craig) and John McPherson (Kerry); nieces and nephews Matt Grantham (Deirdre), Charron Attfield (Kelly), Connor and Katie Stolte, Dashiell Maxwell, and Latham Antonissen, as well as many wonderful friends and extended family.

Alastair was born in Jamaica and came to Canada in 1958. He grew up between the lower mainland and Okanagon regions of BC, and attended Okanagon College for Fine Art, and later Mount Allison University, from which he graduated in 1986 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Alastair met Catharine at a Halloween party in Toronto in 1986. They connected over a shared interest in welded sculpture; Catharine asked him if he would like to share her studio, which he declined but asked her out for coffee instead; he moved into her studio less than six months later. They fell in love and were married in 1989, after which they moved to Vancouver, BC, where Alastair worked at Science World as an exhibit fabricator for twenty-three years. Together they had three children, who they homeschooled and raised in Ladner. Alastair channeled his technical, creative, and intellectual passions into all his relationships, making and sharing with his family art, literature, music, film, cooking, and so much more. Over the last eight years of his life, Alastair faced many health challenges. Through all of these, he found time to slow down, chill out, grab a cup of coffee, and chat with those he loved.

The family thanks all medical staff at Peace Arch Hospital, physiotherapists at Neuro-Ability, his oncologist Dr. Diego Villa, neurologist Dr. Farzad Moien-Afshari, and general practitioner Dr. Judy Fletcher. In lieu of flowers, donations to BC Cancer Foundation, Peace Arch Hospital Foundation, or The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada in Alastair's name would be appreciated.