Gerald Steff

Gerry passed away peacefully on June 18th at home with his wife Jill, his daughter Alison and his son Chris at his side. Gerry was born in London, like many children spent much of the war years as an evacuee. At eighteen he served two years in the Royal Navy during the Korean War. After his demob, he answered an ad for volunteers to join the Colonial Police Force in Kenya; in 1952 the uprising by the Mau Mau mainly the Kikuyu tribe, a situation which continued until 1959.

Gerry remained on the force and at one point needed a hospital stay where he met Jill, one of his nurses. After dating for over a year they became engaged, so they planned to return to England to get married to be with family.

Gerry’s V.W. Beetle was made ready for a trip; from Mombasa it was a ten-day sea voyage to India where we spent a month before setting out on a three-month road trip to England. We returned to Africa for three years upon Kenya’s Independence, in 1963 Gerry retired from the force as a chief inspector. A short stay back in the U.K. before emigrating to Canada, settling in Ontario where Gerry enlisted in the Metropolitan Toronto Police Force, serving twenty-five years mainly in the Forensic Identification Bureau retiring as a Staff Sergeant. In between he was accepted into the Masonic Lodge as a lifelong member and also joined the local drama club; acting in many productions over the years.

Now Retired, it was decided to move to Vancouver Island, settling in Errington where we spent a wonderful thirty years. Gerry missed the camaraderie of the police force, so he joined the Errington Fire Dept. and spent twenty years in varying capacities, also joined the Tidesmen Barbershop Chorus, singing with them for thirty years and enjoyed the association with the Qualicum Legion. We owned two houses in Errington, both with acreages which finally became too much so it eventually came time to downsize. Five years settled in our choses strata we have been very happy and have enjoyed the close-knit friendship of our neighbours.

A life well lived, a loving husband and wonderful father to Chris and Alison.

Rest in peace.