Geoffrey Lee
Write a TributeAfter a long, unbearable battle with a cruel disease, ALS, Geoff chose to have MAiD and died in peace on Saturday, April 20, 2024.
Geoff enjoyed a very active life. He loved to play ping pong, belonged to a table tennis club and was pretty good at it. One of his favourite activities was playing golf and was a long-time member of the Vancouver Golf Club where he had many years of playing with his golf buddies. He also loved to travel and go on cruises with his wife of 59 years, Gloria.
Geoff and Gloria were fortunate to have visited many countries, enjoying the people, food, culture and amazing architecture. Geoff made numerous trips to Las Vegas where he was able to indulge in his love of gambling and playing golf, for all of this he was very thankful.
Geoff had an endless curiosity about how things functioned and regardless of whether it was mechanical, electrical or something else, he was usually able to figure it out and use the knowledge for his own purposes. Some examples of these are his vehicles, lawnmower, barbeque, as well as many household items.
Geoff had many talents and skills which included carpentry, upholstery, repairs and maintenance, gardening, cooking and baking. These skills allowed him to completely renovate our kitchen and bathrooms and grow his own fruits and veggies. His favourite part of the garden was the blueberry patch where he spent many enjoyable hours harvesting. He was also skilled at barbequing and we were able to enjoy many delicious meals that included the harvest from his garden.
Geoff loved to eat good food and enjoyed a glass of wine or his favourite scotch.
We would like to thank Garson and Marie for all their kindness and friendship as well as the team at the ALS Centre, Burnaby Home Health (Palliative Care) and the MAiD team for their care and assistance. We wouldn't be able to get through this horrible journey without all their support.
Geoff donated his body for research with the hope that someone else with this terrible disease could be helped. If possible, donations to the ALS Society of BC would be greatly appreciated. In respecting Geoff's wishes, there will be no funeral service.
We hope that Geoff is enjoying a nice, sunny day playing golf at the club and looking forward to a great meal! We will miss him so much.
May 3rd, 2024
I had the pleasure of knowing Geoff for over 20 years. My wife Ellen and I came to know Geoff and Gloria through mutual friends. Over the years, I got to know Geoff as an outgoing, friendly guy. He was always good natured and humorous. Geoff was quite opinionated, but was a common sense, no nonsense kind of person. There was no putting on airs with him. That was endearing to me. Ellen noted that Geoff was a tall, dark, and handsome man (as opposed to me being 'short, pale and homely' I might add!).
Geoff and I shared some common interests. One of them was ping pong. For years we played every Thursday with a group of buddies at the Bridgeport Club in Richmond. We had a lot of laughs playing mix and match doubles there. It was not very serious – just serious fun. Geoff often confused golf with pingpong and had a habit of driving the ball way too hard and off the table. That always drew laughter and hooting and hollering. After pingpong we would all go for dimsum and we'd solve the problems of the world, like 'what's wrong with the Canucks?' Geoff was an avid Canuck fan like me. Together we would coach the team from the sidelines or the lunch table.
Another common interest was travelling. Geoff and Gloria travelled extensively, and they did lots of cruising. So have Ellen and I. We shared a passion for exploring the world and learning about how others live. We were on two cruises together: one in Scandinavia/Russia, and the other down the West Coast. I was struck by how fit both Geoff and Gloria were. They could walk for miles, exploring the ports, and leaving the rest of us in their dust!
Geoff was a solid stand-up guy and a good friend. He will be sorely missed. But he leaves me with some really fun memories of our time together.
May 3rd, 2024
It’s always sad when we loose an old friend as we hear of the passing of our pal Geoff. Geoff was one of us at the Vancouver Golf Club and he and I had many happy times over the years playing together. I am happy to call Geoff a great friend and he is missed by all.
May 2nd, 2024
We have had the honor of being Geoff's friend for many, many years(Since 6 years old for Garson and about 40 years for Marie). We had many fun trips with Geoff and Gloria. These included a Cruise to California, trips to Las Vegas, Carmel and Victoria. The numerous trips to Vegas were the most memorable as we golfed at some of the most prestigious courses and attended many lavish Banquets. Good memories of those happy days we shared with them. Garson also played golf with Geoff at the Vancouver Golf Club as fellow members and we called him "Long Lee" because of his long drives off the tee.
We admired Geoff's spirit and strength during his fight with ALS. He never complained and when we met with him, he was as upbeat and engaged and you would not even know of his discomforts. He certainly displayed a level of courage to be admired.
There is no doubt in our mind, that Gloria and Stephanie were the source of keeping his will to survive and to keep him as comfortable as possible. And there is also no doubt that Geoff knew of their devotion, dedication and sacrifice. At the end, it was his courageous decision to leave. He did it his way and again, no doubt for his love and caring for Gloria and Stephanie in particular. We will miss you but never forget you.
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