Wilfred David Roy

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Wilf Roy on July 29th, 2025. His illness progressed swiftly and he died peacefully, surrounded by those he loved most, making us laugh to nearly his last moment, at North Shore Hospice. He is survived by his wife, Margaret, his daughters Jeanne and Nicole (Keith Semenoff), his grandsons Carter and David Lisle, Nathan and Abram Hughes, and step-grandsons Michael and Carter Semenoff. Additionally, he is survived by siblings Margaret Lambert, Lucy Maksymchuk, Celeste (Bill) Dick, Adrian Roy, Jerome (Treena) Roy, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Wilf was born in Birtle, Manitoba, on February 20th, 1941, the 5th of 12 children born to Blanche Boily and Adrian Roy. He spent his early years in Radville, Saskatchewan until at 16 the family moved to Brandon, Manitoba. Wilf and Margaret met at Clear Lake, Manitoba, married in Brandon 4 years later, on July 31st, 1965 and left the prairies for San Francisco where Wilf did his court reporter training. When they returned to Canada they settled in North Vancouver, where they raised their two daughters. Despite living there for nearly 60 years Wilf maintained a deep fondness for Brandon (a.k.a. The Centre of the Universe). In fact, he advocated doggedly though ultimately, unsuccessfully, for the city to be honoured through the naming of one of his grandsons.

Wilf enjoyed and took great pride in being a court reporter and spent a happy 38 years in the profession. He was well-respected by his clients and colleagues and was particularly proud of his participation in the landmark Supreme Court of Canada Delgamuukw v. British Columbia case.

Wilf had many hobbies over his lifetime, including welding, making wine, skiing, traveling, reading, cooking, and improving his French. He celebrated his Francophone heritage through participation in a Club Français, which met weekly to share French conversation. He taught himself to ski at Mount Seymour, and thankfully, imparted his enthusiasm for the sport to his wife and daughters. We spent many happy weekends at Whistler over the years. Wilf was disappointed that due to Covid, he wasn’t able to celebrate his 80th birthday skiing at Whistler with his family. Wilf loved to travel and one of the most memorable family holidays was a road trip across Canada fulfilling his civic duty to visit every capital building between British Columbia and Nova Scotia. Following retirement, Wilf and Margaret, together with friends, did house exchanges in Europe and the United States. He was a good cook - he loved family gatherings around a roast beef dinner and had a knack for making perfect Yorkshire pudding. At Christmas, by tradition, he made shortbread as well as homemade Bailey’s Irish liqueur, which he referred to as “the recipe”.

Wilf was generous, kind, and had a great sense of humour. He was well-informed and always enjoyed discussing current events. He had an infectious laugh and loved to make people happy. He was caring, playful, and patient as a husband, father, and poppa. It’s hard to fathom this Wilf-less world. He will be deeply missed.

So, let the tears fall when they come. Let the laughter rise when memories bring warmth. Let grief and joy coexist. For they are not opposites. They are just love in different forms.

~Jameson Arasi

A celebration of life will be held on Sunday, October 5th. For more information, please contact [email protected].