John Bruk

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of John Bruk, age 96, on Friday, August 7, 2026. John died peacefully at his home in Vancouver, B.C. with his family by his side. He is survived by his wife Helen (née Cameron); sons Mark, Ian, Bruce (Melissa) and Steven (Karen); and grandchildren Emily (Anthony), Cameron, Megan, Connor, Tucker and James Acres. He was predeceased by his first wife, Carol (née Sparling), in 1988. John came to Canada in 1951 as a refugee, having escaped communist Yugoslavia. He was just 21 when he fled on a small boat with five friends from the island of Korcula to Italy. John quickly embraced his life in Canada, and for the rest of his life, loyalty to family and to Canada remained vitally important to him. His degrees in Commerce and Law from the University of British Columbia launched a distinguished career. He lectured in law at the University of Washington in Seattle and in natural resources law at UBC and went on to serve on the Board of Governors of UBC, BCIT and the University of Victoria. He received an honorary doctorate from Royal Roads University and, in 2002, was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in recognition of his contributions to Canada. From 1964 onward, John worked as both a corporate lawyer and a businessman in the development of business and institutional relations across the Asia Pacific region. His legal work for many mining companies led to his serving as President and CEO of three of them. He was the organizer and Founding Chairman of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, and a co-founder of the China Canada Investment and Development Company in Taipei, Taiwan. John was a man of wide-ranging interests and a great sense of humour, who tirelessly sought to learn and understand until his final days. History, music, art, technology, investing and the game of bridge were all his passions. He treasured The Right Brain Book Club, where he met monthly with men he liked and admired; he loved the reading, but the lively debates were the true highlight. Bridge was a game he excelled at, whether playing with friends at The Vancouver Club or during winter getaways in the California desert. Generous with his time, John was always a mentor to young professionals and to anyone who shared his interests. John lived a full and accomplished life and will be deeply missed. A celebration of John's life will be planned for this coming fall, with details to be announced at a later date.