Joseph William Cousineau

It is with a heavy heart, I announce the death of my dad, Joseph (Joe) William Cousineau. Born Nov 17, 1955 in Tofino, BC, he died unexpectedly on February 17, 2019 when his home caught fire in Warn Bay, Tofino, BC. I have no doubt he was welcomed into the mysterious unknown by many who passed before him, including his parents Fran & Carmen; brother Brian; grandson Lee, brothers-in-law Harold & Bill, aunts & uncles, as well as many good friends. He is survived by me, his daughter Anamarija (Kevin); beloved grandchildren Amelia & Lincoln; stepdaughter Cindy; sisters Karen & Nina, nieces Kris & Denise; nephew Charles, along with many wonderful past loves, a large extended family & countless friends. My dad was one of a kind, a modern day pirate, a West Coast legend; it's no secret he was haunted by voices only he could hear. Yet, despite his schizophrenia, Dad always tried to live life with the wind at his back & the throttle wide open. He was a man of many hats, a "Joe" of all trades, a master carpenter, a deep sea diver, a small motor mechanic, builder of float homes, a storyteller, a carver, a cultivator of the rare Japanese tomato, a salvager, a bushman, a nudist, a fisherman, a sea captain, a fierce environmentalist, & a true survivalist. His zest for a life of freedom was unmeasurable. He loved Clayoquot Sound, the ocean, collecting rocks, fossils, nature, fishing, sailing, Drum tobacco, calamari, date squares, hearing himself talk, floatsom & jetsom, beer, photography, gum boots, loud music, seafood, beautiful women, psychedelics, burgers, swimming, Chinese food, exploring, old wooden boats, long hikes in the bush, reading, walking on the beach, chocolate cake, sharing his stories, & of course me. He disliked the after taste of a banana slug, asshats, western medicine, poachers, spelling, jail, dogs that pooped on his chopping block & chewed up his power cords, frequent baths, the voices in his head, pants with functioning zippers, people who litter, sandbars that come out of nowhere, tourist season, leaky boats, politics, asking for help, paperwork, rules & an empty glass. My dad taught me so much about life, both with his presence & in his absence. He was an intelligent, kind, generous, adventurous, funny, helpful, fearless, resourceful, hardworking, charismatic, perceptive, loving & creative soul. He will be missed but, I know " His spirit lives on in the howling winter gales, in the lumbering gaits of bears on the shoreline & in the cackles of ravens in the trees." A Celebration of Life will take place at a future date. In lieu of flowers, I encourage you to commit a random act of kindness, make a donation to your local food bank, clean up trash off your favorite beach, or buy a buddy a beer in his memory. Requiescat in pace Dad, until we meet again