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In memory of those who have Crossed the Bar
STEPHENS, Kevin Albert - We regret to announce the passing of our husband, brother, uncle and friend Kevin Albert Stephens of Cole Harbour, after a brave battle with Glioblastoma. He passed away peacefully at home with family and his beloved fur babies. Kevin was born February 11, 1957, to the late Raymond Joseph Stephens and Rose Marie (Ross) Stephens. Kevin was born in the Ashby area of Sydney and spent much of his younger years there before moving to Hardwood Hill with his parents and siblings.
He is survived by his common-law wife who he adored, Anne Ogilvie; his children, Diana (Jon) Trider and Bradley (Katie) Stephens; and Anne’s children Evan and Kathleen (Charlotte). He is also survived by his siblings Blair, Darcy (Lisa), Michele (Chris), Raymond and Raylene and many nieces and nephews, cousins and friends, and the mother of his children and first wife, Levonna (MacDonald) Stephens. He shared a particularly close bond with his little sister Raylene and her boys Mitchell and Trevor.
How do you tell the story of a life that lasted 69 years with more travel and adventure than most people could dream of having in just a few short paragraphs? Well here goes.
Kevin was a true sea farer and knew he would spend his life at sea from the time he was very young, joining the sea cadets in 1969. When he graduated high school from Sydney Academy in 1975, he went straight to the recruiting office and enlisted for the Royal Canadian Navy and left for basic training at Cornwallis that same summer of 1975. His adventures were just beginning.
After graduating Cornwallis as a Marine Engineer, he was stationed to the HMCS Fraser before moving on to the HMCS Onondaga, HMCS Ojibwa and HMCS Okanogan. Kevin was a staunchly proud submariner and rose to the rank of Chief Petty Officer First Class at an early age. Over the course of his Naval career, he had the opportunity to travel the world and have opportunities and adventures that could fill novels. He was well loved and respected by his shipmates and fellow submariners, affectionately known as “Effie” and made lifelong friendships that remained until the day he passed.
Upon ending his Naval career, Kevin was employed with Halifax Shipyard before moving on to the Queen’s Harbour Master which would eventually become the Kings Harbour Master. He served on the Tug Boats as Chief Engineer and often sailed with the research vessel CFAV Quest for voyages in various engineering positions. He joined CFAV Quest officially as their Senior Engineer in 2008 and made epic voyages to places such as Greenland and the Arctic and all through Europe and the South. There is an amazing video on YouTube called “Life at sea on CFAV Quest” of his crossing from Europe across our brutal and rough Atlantic seas. He retired in August 2023 as Chief Engineer.
Kevin was an avid motorcycle enthusiast with a soft spot for old cranky British Bikes that broke down as much as they ran. Fortunately, Kevin could also repair anything. He was a true engineer and there wasn’t much that could stop him from making a bike rideable again. He also loved old British and German cars and of course his Triumphs and BMW motorcycles. Anyone who knows Kevin has probably spent time broken down on the side of the road somewhere while he tried to fix whatever the vehicle of the day was. The day he discovered CAA was a good day for us all!
Kevin had a knack for finding and fixing old project bikes. The Bargain Hunter Press and Maritime Merchant were Bibles to him back in the day, but good old word of mouth and Kevin’s gift of gab often turned up new finds. We all have so many stories about our adventures with him that took us all over the Maritimes and beyond with him on the never ending quest for the next project.
Kevin was also an avid historian constantly reading and learning. His knowledge of dates and historical events, whether political, sports related, music, or family history was astounding. He was the guy to call if you had a question about anything and everything as long as you didn’t call him when Jeopardy was on! He was definitely the true Jeopardy Champ.
Kevin loved to have bonfires and fancied himself quite the cook on an open fire. In his later years, Kevin’s favourite thing to do was camp out in his Westfalia with Anne on the property they purchased by the water. There, they spent many hours happily turning that scrappy piece of land into their own personal heaven.
To say Kevin will be missed by his family and friends is an understatement. There are no words to describe the loss we feel. However, the love and the memories he has left with us will remain with us until we close our eyes ourselves and see him again.
Special thanks to all involved in Kevin’s care, especially the caring staff at the Dartmouth General and his home care nurses provided by AJLifeline Inc. Also, to his many friends who visited regularly bringing coffee and treats and reminiscing with Kevin. There are way too many names to mention in fear of missing someone, and doesn’t that speak volumes for the legacy he leaves behind.
The best quote ever from Kevin was when his little sister Raylene and Anne had him out in the wheelchair for one of his last adventures and he said with tears “I feel so loved.” Kevin, you are so loved!
There will be no service at Kevin’s request. Kevin would want you to remember him with the best memories you have of him; relaxing by a campfire with friends and family. He loved us all. (Harbourside Regional Crematorium)
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