Ian Carmichael

It is with sadness, but also with gratitude and love that we say goodbye to Ian, a loving son, brother, father, grandfather, friend, colleague, and lifelong partner of Margaret. Ian was born in Edmonton, Alberta, the adoring youngest brother to Craig and Stuart, and beloved son of Dorothy and Bill. He shared many happy memories of the house in Edmonton, surrounded by caring and interested Aunts, uncles and cousins, in a neighbourhood and at a time when children could spend their time outside "playing" from morning until it was too dark to see. He especially remembered the family trip of Bill's year-long Sabbatical, when the family went to England and then took their camper van all over the States. Ian and his family moved to Fanny Bay in time to complete his elementary education at Union Bay Elementary, then Lake Trail Junior High, and graduated from G.P. Vanier, where he excelled in Creative Writing and Art. Many of his friends from high school remained close to him for the rest of his life, and he always enjoyed "War Game Weekends" where he and his friends could be teenagers again. Born into a family of scientists, Ian discovered that he loved the Humanities, and loved studying History and Classical Studies. He had a curious and analytical mind, and one of his few regrets was that the responsibilities of a young family prevented him from pursuing graduate studies in Hellenic Greek. While Ian moved on to other things, his love of the Ancient World influenced the itineraries of his later world travel. At university, Ian met Margaret when his floor of the residence invited the Jubilee Nursing students to a dance. Sparks flew, and they spent as much of their time together as they possibly could - for next forty years. Ian's three boys, James, Alexander, and Philip were the core of his heart from the moment he first held them. When they were babies, he delighted in what he once called "the ultimate pet" and as they grew he just found them more interesting and wonderful. He was proud of them and there were no conditions on his love. Summers were spent camping, with the entire family, including Sandy and Ben, whom Alex called his "dog brothers". These family times were spent sharing his love of animals, his amazing knowledge of the world, singing and making up songs in the car, and in philosophical discussions that we all contributed to and learned from - toddler to adult. His only ambition for his kids was that they would be "good people", and that ambition was fulfilled completely.
He welcomed his daughters-in-law, Bessie Marsh and Ali Donelly, expecting to love them, and sure enough, he did. He knew his grandson, Magnus, was perfect in every way, and spent hours walking him around the house singing David Bowie songs to him, long after the baby was asleep. Ian finished the Aquaculture program at Malaspina College, and worked at fish farms on Quadra Island and later Sidney Island. In many ways, this was a perfect job for him - out in nature, maintaining his fitness - and he discovered he had an aptitude for management. However, Ian did not like being away from his family, and so made the decision to return to university and complete his MBA. He worked for Cook Design Studios and did a lot of contract work, and was settling in to a career in marketing when he accepted a job with Municipal Software. This became Ian's main career, through many different job titles and descriptions, and many iterations of the company. This job allowed Ian to use his people skills and his problem solving skills, and he really liked the people he worked with. He admired the work ethic and intelligence of Sean Higgins and Susan McCormick, but more importantly, he genuinely liked them and valued their friendship. This made work a welcome distraction when Ian became ill. Ian developed kidney disease when he was 35, and spent many years on dialysis, and his life became more narrowed in focus. He received a transplant in 2003, and while it was not an unqualified success, Ian was grateful for the opportunity to travel. He made the most of this, visiting China, Egypt, Germany and Britain, but especially Italy, Greece and Turkey, where he was able to indulge in his love of all things Ancient.
Like all of us, Ian was a complex and imperfect person, but he was perfect to us. He loved music, and sang his wife to sleep, sang to his children, and joined in silly parodies that made every mundane chore more fun. He loved animals, especially his dogs and later his kitty, and when there were lizards on an ancient ruin, his cup of joy overflowed. His interests were wide-ranging and he did many things well - gardening, woodworking, cooking, reading, hiking, camping, and especially travelling. He loved children and young people, and our home was a place of welcome and refuge to anyone in need of a safe harbour. He was generous and giving, to friends and to strangers, both with material things and with his time. He was unfailingly kind and protective, especially to those who needed his protection or help, but he had a sharp and dry sense of humour. He had an unshakeable faith in a loving, accepting, inclusive and welcoming God, and spoke often of the peace that he found in prayer. He was quiet, and often the listener in the group, but what he said had meaning and was well-considered. He was gentle and at the same time as tough and strong as he needed to be. He was forgiving, and never held a grudge in his life, but would go out his way to apologize and make up for his own errors. He was active in the world, working on political campaigns and to educate others on what he thought was important. He tried always to do the right thing. He was a fighter, who had to deal with more than his share of illness, and he was not a complainer. He was brilliant, and funny, and those of us who were loved by him knew the value of his care and attention. His life was far too short, but it was lived to the fullest. Ian's family would like to express our profound gratitude to those who looked after Ian throughout his long illness, especially Kendra and the Transplant Clinic team, Home Care nurses, Dr. Horgan, Dr. Dwight Forster, and Dr. Atwell. To Dr. John Antonsen, whose skill and knowledge, compassion and understanding, and determination to allow Ian to live the life he wanted and needed to live made an unbearable situation the best it could be, we want you to know that we feel blessed that you were Ian's doctor. Sometimes the price of loving someone is losing them too soon, and although it hurts, Ian was worth it.

Memorial Service