Eugene John Alexander Kanciar

Eugene John Alexander Kanciar P.Eng. (R) passed away on August 19th, 2025 in his home in West Vancouver at the age of 75 surrounded by his loving family. He is survived by his wife Karin, two of three children Paul and Sue, son-in-law Shawn and three grandchildren Ava, Lucas and Enzo. The family takes solace that he is now reunited in heaven with his daughter Annie.

To honour his life and legacy, the Funeral Mass for Eugene will be held at St. Anthony’s Parish in West Vancouver on September 22nd at 11:00 am. It is recommended that guests arrive by 10:30 am. Inurnment ceremony will be held privately on a later date at Capilano View Cemetery where Eugene will be laid to rest next to his beloved Annie.

“A life well lived, is a life well loved.” — Unknown

Eugene’s parents John and Nina moved from Ukraine to Canada and settled in Hamilton, Ontario where he was born. Early on, his faith and heritage, incredible drive to be active, to continually learn and explore new things were paramount, all maintained throughout his entire life ultimately.

After obtaining his Engineering degree at Western University, Eugene completed his Masters degree at the University of British Columbia where he met his wife Karin. They married in 1974 and then upon graduation moved to Guatemala and then Peru where his career and their life adventure began. They lived there for 3 years before moving back to Fort St. John for the birth of their first daughter Sue. After the birth of their second daughter Annie, they moved to Calgary where their son Paul was born. The oil and gas industry in the 80’s forced Eugene to move to pulp and paper in Hinton for 7 years and then to Edmonton for another 7 when Eugene transitioned into mining. The family ended up in West Vancouver and/or Gibsons which has been considered home since 1994.

The 90’s launched a most formidable career. Eugene valued his peers in the Engineering community and the projects he shared with them. Over the course of 40+ years, he worked for the likes of Placer Dome, BHP Billiton, Sandwell, Westmar, SNC-Lavalin and Ausenco to name a few, taking him to live in Chile, Peru, the rainforests of Venezuela and Brazil, the deserts of Nevada, England, underneath the Arctic Circle and even to Bosnia where he lived in a sea can during a project for NATO. He embraced every country’s culture he lived in, learning the language in each so he could communicate and was always hunting, fishing, golfing, hiking or trying new cuisine with the locals. The friendships he made and the stories he collected along the way are everlasting.

After trying to retire multiple times and recognizing the fact that there were only so many rounds of golf he could play in a day with his most valued compatriots in Gibsons, Palm Springs or Vancouver, Eugene successfully started and ran his own engineering consultation and inspection business as a hobby for another 10 years up until 2024.

With all he accomplished, Eugene’s dedication to his family was unparalleled. With a good Christ based foundation, providing opportunities, education and experiences for the children was of most importance to him. Not many have worked as hard or have had as much discipline in order to provide for others. The family is truly blessed to have a lifetime full of incredible memories thanks to him and they will forever be cherished.

Eugene truly did have a passion for remaining active, sharing animated stories and traditions, offering his expertise, solving problems and ultimately helping others wherever he could. His was a life well lived. He will be sorely missed by his family and his many friends around the world.

May God rest his soul.

Beloved:

I am already being poured out as a libation,

And the time of my departure has come,

I have fought the good fight.

I have finished the race,

I have kept the faith.

From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness,

Which is the Lord, the righteous judge,

Will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

2 Timothy 4.6-8