Ronald "Ron" William Holt

Ron Holt led a quiet life yet one that left a rich legacy of honesty, integrity, dignity, humility, strength, resilience, bravery, selflessness, wisdom, humour and love. All those character traits were unwavering against the unfathomable adversity he faced throughout a 10½ year battle with ALS that came to a merciful and peaceful end at his Cambie Gardens home in the neighbourhood he so enjoyed all his life.

Born and raised in Vancouver by fantastic parents Bill (1974) and Elsie (1995) in a household of modest income, Ron was the eldest of three boys and a model “big brother” to his siblings. He excelled academically, skipping a grade in elementary school and graduating from John Oliver High School at the age of 16. A naturally coordinated and well-rounded athlete, Ron played basketball in high school, baseball at Hillcrest Park and myriad other sports on a recreational basis.

After obtaining his B.Sc. (Chemistry) degree from UBC in 1973, Ron went to work for Trans Mountain Pipeline (“TMPL”), where he toiled tirelessly for more than 20 years, rising to Manager of Regulatory Affairs. To satisfy his lifelong quest for learning and advance his career path, Ron took evening courses at SFU through the late 1980s and early 1990s and obtained his B.A. in Economics (with Honours) in 1994, all while carrying a heavy TMPL workload.

Feeling it was then time to take more control of his life, Ron made a midlife change and left TMPL, freeing him to care for his ailing mother and move forward to obtain a Master’s degree in Economics at SFU, a milestone that he proudly achieved in the spring of 1997. He went on to pursue Ph.D. studies at SFU, completing all the required course work, at which point he left the program and, without fanfare, unofficially retired.

Demonstrating Buffett-like savviness, Ron invested his savings wisely and grew his initial nest egg substantially from the time he left the workforce, affording an increasingly comfortable, contented and healthy life until the tragedy of his ALS diagnosis struck in 2014. Private and semi-reclusive in retirement, Ron remained a thoughtful and supportive brother/uncle and a superb witty wordsmith, invariably displayed extending birthday wishes and recognizing other special occasions. He was a voracious reader of great literature and the biggest fan of the St. Louis Cardinals outside of Missouri, his home filled with leather-bound classics and “Redbird” memorabilia.

Shockingly, the early symptoms of ALS appeared in the weeks prior to Ron’s 63rd birthday and quickly progressed. The devastating prognosis was accepted by him with remarkable grace and stoicism even as he lost his speech, mobility, ability to swallow and dexterity. Month by month, it became increasingly difficult for him to communicate his thoughts to family and caregivers though his mind remained as sharp as ever. Within a year, he required costly 24/7 private care that allowed him to stay in his home. From that point forward, he defied all expectations and endured the most difficult challenges imaginable as the years rolled on, his savings dissipated, and he transitioned to public care facilities.

Few afflictions are more cruel than ALS and yet there were many silver linings to Ron’s journey, including an emotional “ice bucket challenge” undertaken in his honour by a large network of family, friends and supporters in 2015, the exponential increase in time spent and love and laughter shared with his brothers and their families, the amazingly close relationships built with care providers and the inspiration of seeing his unbroken spirit from the first to the last day. He gave and received more love than ever.

Ron is survived by his brothers Randy (Anne Marie) and Brian (Kathy) and beloved nephews and nieces Chris, Stephanie (Camden), Curtis, Garrett (Natalie) and Lindsay. The family wishes to acknowledge the Connect Partners team at Cambie Gardens, the extensive support staff at Vancouver Coastal Health, the many doctors and nurses who treated Ron at VGH and the ALS Clinic professionals at GF Strong for their exemplary compassionate care. Special thanks are extended to Ron's longest serving private caregivers, Jaswinder Rai and Sukhdeep Sandhu, for their extraordinary service and devotion.

There will be a private celebration of Ron’s life at a later date. Condolences and memories can be shared at dignitymemorial.com/obituaries. Donations are gratefully encouraged to the ALS Society of Canada in Ron’s memory.