John Brassil

John was a loving and devoted Husband to Dorothy (Fawcett), exemplary Father to Peter and Michael, Grandfather to Sean, and adored member of the Western Cape and Irish “clans”. In addition, John made friends wherever he went, all of whom remember his kindness, patience, and love of real conversation!

He was born in Paarl, Western Cape, South Africa on October 23, 1922. His Father, Thomas, was 41 and his Mother, Maria (Cilliers) was 29. He had two brothers and one sister.

After graduating from Paarl Boy’s High, World War II saw John serve with pride and honour with the South African Air Force ground logistics corps. in North Africa and Italy. The attached photo of John was taken on Memorial Day 2015.

After the war, John returned to Paarl where he worked for a time at one of the leading wineries in town. He also served with the SAAF again in George, where he trained to be an aircraft mechanic, servicing Mustang and Spitfire aircraft.

In 1947, John’s sense of adventure got too strong for him to resist and he moved to Bulawayo, Rhodesia. After a period of touring and exploration, he settled into a boiler making apprenticeship with Rhodesia Railways. During this period, he met and married his beloved, Dorothy (Bunty Fawcett) on 6 Oct, 1950. They had two sons (Peter, 1952 and Michael, 1963).

John transitioned to the Materials Testing lab, Rhodesia Railways, where he again made lifelong friends.

In 1976 that old sense of adventure led John and family to Cato Ridge, near Pieter Maritzburg, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa where John worked as a metallurgist. After 3 years, John and Family moved to Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, South Africa where John served the rest of his career with the Dept. Of Water Affairs as an inspector / consultant.

In 1983, John took a summer off to backpack around Europe to fulfill a lifetime dream to learn more about the culture and history.

John relished exploring the highways and (mostly?) byways of South Africa. Dorothy and John loved nothing more than to set out to destinations unknown in his red Ford truck with caravan in tow.

Then on to Canada in 1998 to join Peter in North Vancouver. Once again, there were many road trips, bus rides and ferry sailings to unexplored corners of British Columbia and Washington State.

He connected with many people through the North Shore Men’s Club, the Catholic Churches of North Vancouver, and out and about in the malls and on the buses.

John will be missed and remembered with love by his wife Dorothy, North Vancouver family, South African and Irish family and his extended network of friends and companions.

The qualities of patience, loyalty, tenacity, inventiveness and caring that John embodied will be carried forward in his memory. John innately knew to reduce, re-use and recycle long before these skills became “fashionable”. Through frugality, he showed us how to appreciate all of our many Blessings.

The Family would like to thank the excellent teams at Lions Gate Hospital and Evergreen House, Vancouver Coastal Health, his Doctors, Ministers, the kind people at Dignity Memorial, his friends and everyone who shared in and added to his positive life experience.

In Lieu of flowers, please consider donating to a Charity of your choice in memory of John.