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In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar
ARSENAULT, Gary John - Passed away in Victoria, BC after a long battle with Cancer. Gary's parents were from New Brunswick and Quebec, they met and lived in Kapuskasing, Ontario. Gary was born in Kapuskasing, Ontario.
Gary attended college in Sault Saint Marie and became a heavy duty mechanic with Stelco.
On 16 December 1969 Gary joined the navy and moved to Victoria. He eventually became a submariner and served in HMCS Rainbow, he considered this the highlight of his Naval career and life. In 1977 he left the navy and drifted around for a while. Somewhere along the way he joined the BC Government where he met his wife Vicki. They both retired in 2003.
Gary has two sons, Cris (Tracey) and Aaron (Karen). He also had a brother who was killed in a Sudbury school bus accident three years before Gary was born.
Gary was meticulous. Everything he owned had to be modified and sometimes other people's stuff too. He was always prepared for a disaster. His reflexes were awesome - could catch a bottle of booze before it hit the ground. Any job he started had to be finished the same day or he couldn't sleep and he loved the tropics.
Gary was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2022 and given two weeks to live. But trying to be the last person at the party he lived for 13 months. Gary chose to have his wife, Vicki, provide hospice care at home. His sense of humour was there to the end. A few hours before he died he joked that if our dog Bailey was still around he'd have wanted to roll in it.
Ships served in: CFB CORNWALLIS - 11 Jan to 12 Mar 1970 CFB HALIFAX - 13 Mar to 06 Aug 1970 HMCS MACKENZIE - 07 Aug 1970 - 26 Mar 1971 HMCS RAINBOW - 27 Mar 1971 - 16 Apr 1972 CFB ESQUIMALT - 17 Apr 1972 - 28 Apr 1972 HMCS RAINBOW - 29 Apr - 14 May 1972 CFB ESQUIMALT - 15 May - 24 Aug 1972 HMCS RAINBOW - 25 Aug 1972 - 31 Dec 1974 HMCS YUKON - 01 Jan 1974 - 23 Feb 1975 CFB ESQUIMALT - 24 Feb 1975 - 01 Apr 1976 HMCS KOOTENAY - 02 Apr 1976 - 13 Jan 1977
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