Spencer Justin Wheater Forbes

''A spirit such as his could not be made still"

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved son Spencer. Pre-deceased by his twin brother Scott in 2017, he leaves to grieve his parents, Deanne and Barry and many friends and relatives.

Our Spencer was quiet, generous, kind, loyal and courageous. He was a good listener, was very perceptive and had a fine sense of humour. He was a strong believer in fairness, sometimes to his detriment. We remember him as a child and his enthusiasm for life, and as an adult with the child inside that never went away.

Spencer was a great athlete and enjoyed all sports, but snowboarding was his passion. Being out in the mountains with his brother and his friends was his idea of heaven. As a professional snowboarder he enjoyed travelling to snowboard events throughout Canada, Europe and the US. He loved backcountry snowboarding and "living on the edge” and his friends would say that he was always willing to "push the envelope”. He was a sponsored rider with numerous companies and was featured in snowboard magazines, videos and movies.

Spencer practiced yoga for more than 20 years and qualified as a yoga instructor. He connected with its spiritualism, peacefulness and sense of community because it reflected his own beliefs about the importance of healthy living, while also helping others. A little-known fact is that even if short of money himself, he would reach into his pocket to help someone less fortunate.

"The outdoors was his playground"

Snowboarding, biking, camping, golfing and hiking the Grouse Grind in under 40 minutes were things he loved to do. He especially enjoyed quiet walks at dawn near his home in the Kitsilano neighbourhood, with that first cup of coffee of course. He loved the beauty of nature and all of its colourful splendor. He and his mother shared a love of gardening and it was so nice to see the two of them working together side by side, then sitting on our back patio, admiring their work and planning their next project. Their shared love of nature was a strong bond between them, and they celebrated the changing of the seasons with much enthusiasm.

In recent years he and his dad spent many days on the golf course. It was pretty obvious that he was on his way to becoming a very good golfer; certainly, much better than his dad. Special times.

"Reading and research to find the answer to Why?"

When Spencer became interested in a topic, he did extensive research. He studied nutrition, becoming a self-taught expert on supplements and vitamins and was more than capable of providing advice to family and friends. More recently he became intensely interested in Al, not only as a source of information but also as a great learning tool. He relished the fact that it made him think more broadly about a wide variety of topics. He enjoyed reading, which was mostly focused on learning.

"His life was a road most challenging, but he never gave up"

For more than twenty-five years Spencer lived with the challenges of substance abuse and con-current mental illness, as well as the physical pain from sporting injuries including several concussions. One of his friends recently said that he had never met anyone who worked so hard at recovery. Spencer did all of the right things to get and remain clean, only to relapse and have to start over. He tried everything and he never gave up. He just never found a way that worked for him.

"To the world you were just one; to us you were the world''

There is no obituary long enough to say how much we loved our son, and how much he loved us. Please hold him close, as we do, in your mind and your spirit. He is now at peace with his twin Scott.

No service by request. Flowers respectfully declined, but please make a donation to an organization that helps people in need.