David Norman Slader

It is with deep sadness that we share David N. Slader passed away on September 18, 2025, in North Vancouver at age 78. He was predeceased by father Norman, mother Francis, and survived by his partner Heather.

Born in Kamloops in 1947, David lived a full and meaningful life marked by a passion for work, new ideas and places, love, and unmatched energy for life.

David had a never-ending desire to be involved in business. He had a 30-year career in risk management, a 16-year career in marketing/sales, and was always engaged in other ventures including property ownership and restaurant/hotel development. He firmly believed that you should be overdressed rather than underdressed if you have to make a choice.

David relished being a contrarian, a stance he took at a very early age. He self-admittedly could be irascible. He strongly believed that the more focused an opinion was, the more likely it was to be wrong. He wasn't shy about his opinions but always kept an open mind to being persuaded. He had a number of favorite sayings such as “I may not be the smartest guy in the room but I'm probably not the dumbest either” or “of all the things I know nothing about (fill in the blank) is near the top of the list”. He was always curious and asking questions. He loved to read and enjoyed a wide variety of other interests. If you were playing Trivial Pursuit, you wanted him on your team. While he often couldn't remember where he put his glasses or his phone or his keys (which drove him crazy), his ability to recall facts about a wide variety of topics was amazing.

David enjoyed spending time with a number of close friends and was fiercely loyal to people he liked. He was generous and always ready to lend a hand or open his wallet. He got up every morning keen to get on with the day and even if the day went badly, he knew tomorrow was a new opportunity. He had this amazing ability to bounce back when failure occurred, a strength he was proud of. David had more energy than anyone we ever knew (aside from his partner Heather) and was always early and often worried about where he would park. He loved good food, wine, porsches, getting together with friends and colleagues, and exploring new places. He got his car racing license at 50. He loved boating, owning 5 boats over the years, and even did a stint as president of a yacht building company.

In his last decade of life, he cherished and deeply loved his partner, Heather. They were like two peas in a pod and were always out and about enjoying the day together or on one of their many local and abroad trips. They also enjoyed the quiet times at home, making dinner together, going for a walk, reading a good book or watching a show. When they weren’t alone, they were most often with Heather’s family who he adopted as his own. He loved spending time with Michelle, Tom, and Isabella as well as Deb, Trey, Avery, Sadie, Raleigh, Cora. He was a natural father and grandfather figure and went out of his way to be caring, funny, fun, and was very involved in their lives. He enjoyed spending time with Heather’s extended family as well as friends and neighbors.

He will be deeply missed and fondly remembered by all who knew him.

“I thought about you today, but this is nothing new. I thought about you yesterday, and days before that too. I think of you in silence, I often speak your name. All I have are memories and a picture in a frame. Your memory is a keepsake, from which I'll never part. The holy spirits have you in their arms. I have you in my heart.” - unknown

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