Ronald Melvin Collicutt

It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Ronald Melvin Collicutt due to congestive heart failure at the age of 95 in Parksville, BC.

Mourning his loss are Barbara Ogden, his partner of 41 years, his daughters Diana (Sean) and Lisa (Trent) and grandchildren Neave, Aidan and Sarah, Barbara’s children Joanne, Brian (Shaun) and Steve and their children Justin (Kristin), Mitch, Jeremy, Sarah, and Michael, as well as 7 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by Patricia Collicutt, his daughters’ mother and her son Rick Allen and family. He is predeceased by his parents, Phyllis and Edgar Collicutt, his sister Audrey (Robert) Settler and sister in-law Sylvia (Bud) Cooney.

Ron was born in Vancouver and raised in Burnaby, BC. He graduated from Burnaby South High School in 1948 and went on to work at BC Tel as a linesman. His free time in his 20’s was spent sailing on the ocean and building one of the original cabins on Mt Seymour with his buddies skiing at Seymour and Hollyburn.

In 1966, he moved to Prince George with his young family to go into business at Payless Surplus Supplies, an army and navy outback supply store on 1st Avenue. Moving to Prince George gave the family the opportunity to own a small farm and acquire horses. Our ever-reliable Dad soon was roped in as the ‘whipper-inner’ for many of the horse shows at the Prince George Fairgrounds. He always enjoyed getting outside no matter the season and was on the Tabor Mountain ski patrol for many years, giving the family the opportunity to learn the great sport of skiing and spending lots of days on the mountain. He went back to work for BC Tel in Prince George and went on to have a wonderful and rewarding career as a troubleshooter and switchboard installer, eventually transferring back to Burnaby in 1982 to work at ‘The Boot’ on Kingsway Avenue until retirement from the company in 1990.

Ron met Barbara in Prince George just before he moved back to Burnaby. The two of them, with their adventurous spirit, quickly decided they were ready to spend their lives together and so, Barbara, without hesitation, moved along with him. Ron, or ‘Steamboat’ as he was nicknamed by his friends, always enjoyed a good party. He loved to sing songs and was a wonderful storyteller with a stellar memory for details that stayed with him until he passed.

Ron cherished his friendships, most lasting a lifetime. He was a fantastic water skier and downhill skier. He and Barbara lived their dreams, renting a ski cabin with friends in Whistler and later buying a condo there. He held a season pass at Whistler for many years and continued skiing at Mt. Washington into his 80’s. Ron was a passionate sailor and master woodworker, constructing gifts for the family and building two sailboats in his lifetime. He enjoyed walking and hiking and completed the Chilcoot Trail with ease when he was 69.

Ron and Barbara enjoyed their beautiful homes in Burnaby, Nanaimo and Parksville over the past 41 years, spending the last two years at the Berwick Seniors’ Residence. He moved to Stanford Seniors’ Care Facility in early 2025 as more medical care was required and he lived there until his passing in December. He will be forever missed and lovingly remembered by everyone who knew him.

Our Dad was very committed to donating blood and reached his lifetime donation limit with the Red Cross. In his memory, please consider donating blood or funds to the Canadian Red Cross Society. A Celebration of Life will be held at the Burnaby Mountain Golf Course, 7600 Halifax Street, Burnaby, at 11 am on Saturday, February 28 in the restaurant. Please RSVP to Lisa via email [email protected] by February 11, 2026.