Earl Maynard Byblow

Born in Yorkton, Saskatchewan to Dan Byblow and Marlene Zaharia, he grew up as the second of five siblings and went to high school in Red Deer, Alberta. Upon graduating, he boarded a cruise ship to Australia, where he found happiness in the Perth sun until he moved back to Canada in 1990, eventually settling into island life in the Comox Valley.

Dad lived in many different communities and held various roles across the island over the years. Most recently, he worked as a transport courier with Island Health, where he got to chat up all the staff at his stops along his route.

Our dad loved to do a daily good deed: assisting someone on the side of the road, bringing muffins to his colleagues, or helping us with one of our many "dad projects" around the house. He had the biggest, kindest heart and would go out of his way to make people smile. As any good Ukrainian boy would be, he was tough and a bit stubborn but always put family first, making sure to call his mum every Sunday and text his girls every morning.

He was a big ideas guy and could rarely sit still for too long – often found perusing Kijiji and Facebook Marketplace for a "steal of a deal" to be his next project. He enjoyed old cars (especially the Qualicum Car Show), tinkering around his place, watching the news, and regularly nodding off on the couch with golf or Antiques Roadshow in the background. He loved catching up with friends old and new from all over the world and was thrilled to have recently attended his 50th High School reunion.

We were so fortunate to have him as a dad and to have felt his love every single day. There are no words to describe how much we will miss him.

He is survived by his mum, Marlene, his brothers Terry and Ed, sisters Brenda and Theresa, nieces Lyn, Erin, Janine and Marlee, many cousins across Alberta and Saskatchewan, the mother of his daughters, Margie, and the pride & joy of his life, Madeleine & Francesca, and grand-pup Bowie.

We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the BC Emergency Health Services, and the team of nurses, doctors and RTs at Vancouver General Hospital for their care of our dad and their compassion towards us in the most difficult time.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his name can be made to the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation.

A celebration of life will be held with details to follow.