Robert "Gordie" Gordon Reid

Gordie Reid was born to Bob and Margaret Reid in Vancouver, BC. He spent his childhood exploring his North Vancouver neighborhood and enjoying time at the family cabin on Cultus Lake. A natural outdoorsman, Gordie became a boy scout and later a scout leader. His love for nature led him to work in logging camps across the interior of BC during his youth.

After briefly attending the University of British Columbia, where he was a member of the diving team, Gordie met his future wife, Sandi, on a blind date arranged by his best friend from college, Mike Grenby. The two quickly formed a bond, enjoying vacations in Hawaii and hiking with their dog, Shadow.

They welcomed their first son, James (Jamie) Reid, in Vancouver. Gordie later applied for a position as a network cableman with BC Hydro, which led the family to relocate to the Royal Oak neighborhood of Saanich, Victoria. There, their family grew with the additions of sons David (Dave) and Daniel (Dan). Gordie spent much of his time in Royal Oak renovating their home and tending to the yard, enjoying the company of his neighbors and the sense of community.

Gordie’s passion for the outdoors was something he passed on to his boys. He took them on trips to explore the islands and read them books by Haig-Brown as bedtime stories. Though the boys tried various sports, it was baseball and golf that became their favorites. Baseball brought Gordie to Layritz, where he enjoyed volunteering. Golf, however, remained his true passion, and he cherished his time playing in the South Island Men’s 9-hole league out of the Royal Oak Golf Course, creating many fond memories.

Gordie’s oldest son, Jamie, was born with special needs. Gordie made sure Jamie was included in every activity, ensuring he enjoyed the same experiences as any other child. For many years, Gordie and his boys attended Sasla, Salmon Kings, and Royals hockey games together. Gordie knew that, for Jamie to be well cared for in the future, he needed to find a supportive community for him. In this effort, Gordie played a pivotal role in the creation of the Shekinah Homes Society, volunteering on the board and helping build purpose-built homes for its core members. For years, he played Santa at the Christmas party and worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure everyone’s needs were met.

Through this journey, the Reid family grew, and Gordie took on the responsibility of caring for Patrick, a young man who became like a fourth son. Gordie secured season tickets for three so that Jamie, Patrick, and he could enjoy hotdogs, popcorn, and singing the national anthem as loudly as they could.

Throughout his life, Gordie was rarely seen without a dog by his side. From Buddy to Shadow, Gracy, Caleigh, Jordie, and finally Callum, his dogs were a constant presence. Gordie could often be seen walking his dogs around the neighborhood. As we took on this role with his final dog Callum, many people we had never met came up to us and shared stories of their interactions with him. One of his many legacies will be the mosaic of kind interactions he had with people.

Gordie worked for BC Hydro for over 40 years, starting as an apprentice under the mentorship of Doug Fulcher and later becoming a mentor himself. He cherished the time spent with his crew, just as he valued his time with his family. In his final days, as he drifted between memories and dreams, he could be heard having safety meetings, calling out the names of colleagues long gone, cracking jokes, and laughing. His hands would move in the air, as if conducting an orchestra, mimicking the motions of splicing cables.

Gordie is survived by his wife, Sandi, and their sons and families: Jamie, Patrick, David and his wife Janelle, Dan and his wife Kaley, and grandchildren Declan and Arya. He is also survived by his younger sister, Anne Reid Turnbull Rafa, nephew Don Turnbull, and niece Deana Vellenoweth.

In lieu of flowers please consider donating to the Shekinah Homes Society.

https://www.shekinahhomes.org/