Cam Deleurme

When Cam Deleurme walked into the room, those in his company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Cam was and how he impacted those around him. Cam was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Cam wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Cam was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve him well throughout his life.

Cam was born on December 3, 1989 at Kelowna General Hospital in Kelowna. He was the son of Len and Karen. Cam was raised in Kelowna. Always at the ready with a good joke, he grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Cam might describe him as an idealist, his friends and family understood well that Cam was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to him.

Cam was raised with 5 siblings. Shawn, Ryan, Kyle, Brad and Stuart. Cam was very accepting and supportive of his family. He was perceived as the central person in his family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Cam was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Cam well in his adult life and, along with his wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew him.

As a young boy, Cam was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew him into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Cam was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with his peers. He was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Cam took part in Brazillian Jiu Jitsu, wrestling, boxing and other martial arts. In his spare time he liked to ride horses, skateboard and snowboard. Cam had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity he and the many childhood friends he shared might discover.

During his high school years, Cam responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. He graduated from Kelowna Secondary School in 2007. Cam was a very good student, and generally did well in his courses. Cam absorbed as much as he could from all of his teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using his imagination to master his assignments. For Cam, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to his ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Cam a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to him to discuss just about anything. His favorite class in high school was Social Studies.

With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought him an endless stream of friends, Cam was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Cam was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. He always seemed aware of what was going on with people around him and throughout his life he made many, many friends. While growing up, some of his best friends were Clayton Jones, Colton Sobchak, Brian White, Brandon Campbell, Shea Lodermeier, Geoff Di, Joe Neale, Jessica Weir, Madison Holmes, Frances Gorges. Later in life, he became friends with Grant Healey, Clayton Jones, Shea Lodermeier, Brandon Campbell, Tessa Andersen, Paige Miller, Taylor Hagon, Evan Werry, Ashley Dyck.

Cam's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in his relationships with all of his friends. He was quite sensitive towards Sarah's needs, showing his constant concern and fondness. Cam was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served him well in helping to nurture his family and friends.

Cam was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made him an exceptional worker. His primary occupation was a sheet metal apprenticeship with Mid-valley Metals. Cam was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize him. Cam had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of his gift for insight. Cam's fellow workers saw him as a supporter and a mentor.

Because Cam loved to have a broad variety of activities in his life, he took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. His favorite pursuits were MMA, camping, cooking, hiking and fishing. Cam had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of his favorite pastimes. However, Cam's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

Cam derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. His charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. Recreational sports included MMA. Cam was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were UFC and hockey.

Though he never did anything solely for individual recognition, Cam's ingenuity, resourcefulness, and selflessness, earned him accolades for his many lifelong efforts. Some of his most prestigious awards included two title fight featherweight belts for Battlefield Fight League and Warpath, Fight of Night for Battlefield Fight League and numerous gold, silver and bronze medals awarded for participation in grappling tournaments.

Cam's love of improvising in his daily life was a perfect fit for his enjoyment of traveling. His favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit his personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Cam took his vacations seriously, well, as seriously as he possibly could. Favorite vacations included Riviera Maya, Mexico with Sarah and all the camping trips with his friends over the years.

Cam was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. Cam loved cats!

Cam Deleurme passed away on November 13, 2014 at Kelowna General Hospital. He is survived by his beloved mother Karen, father Leonard, brothers, Shawn, Ryan, Kyle, Brad and Stuart and his great love, Sarah. Services were held at First United Church in Kelowna.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Cam. He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. He had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While he was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Cam Deleurme for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Cam was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with his loved ones.