Kenneth Palmer Harvey

Ken was predeceased by his parents Jack and Hope Harvey and will be sorely missed by his loving wife and best friend, Liz, his daughter Christine Mizuguchi( Steve), son Matthew Harvey( Kate), grandchildren, Kayla and Brayden Harvey, brother, John Harvey( Anne) of Mississauga, sister Liz MacDonald( Carter) of Victoria and his constant canine companion, Winnie.

Born in Vancouver, Ken moved with his family to various locales in Canada culminating in Winnipeg where he attended high school and graduated from the University of Manitoba with a B.Com.. A member of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity, he met his wife of nearly 55 years at a fraternity party. Graduation took him to Toronto and a job with Canada Packers. He decided in Toronto to enter a teaching program and began his education career in Hamilton followed by a stint in Ottawa where he completed his M.Ed. in Educational Administration. In 1975, he followed a lifelong dream and returned to the Vancouver area where he took a teaching position with the Vancouver School Board. He was soon working in the district office as the coordinator of Continuing Education, culminating in his being appointed Director of Career and Community Education. Ken was respected by his peers as a leader and innovator in the fields of adult education, international education, and distance learning. Ken, always a proponent of lifelong learning, practised what he preached.

Ken was an enthusiastic supporter of Christine and Matthew’s interests and spent many years coaching soccer and baseball, volunteering with the Richmond Pony Club, and attending every event his kids were involved in. Winter weekends were family time skiing on Whistler Mountain and summer was for camping and travelling.

Retirement brought new adventures - spending time with his two grandchildren, volunteering for ski races on Whistler Mountain, working for Olympic Broadcasting in 2010, travelling across North America , immersing himself in the history of the American Civil War and the War of 1812, running half marathons, hiking the West Coast and Juan de Fuca trails, constantly upgrading his garden, volunteering in El Salvador for Habitat for Humanity, taking on leadership roles on his Whistler Strata Council and in his church, vacationing in Mexico and the Caribbean, and his favourite, cruising. Although he loved to travel, Whistler was his happy place.

The family would like to thank the dedicated team at the Cardiac ICU at Royal Columbian Hospital who supported Ken.

In lieu of flowers, please consider honouring Ken, a real animal advocate, by donating to the BCSPCA, Whistler Animals Galore, or a charity of your choice.