Maurice William Preece

Maurice Preece

Birth date: October 11, 1935

Death Date: January 24, 2025

Maurice Preece passed away on January 24, 2025. The consummate raconteur, Maurice’s life story was a good one, full of adventure, a rewarding career, travels, and love.

Born in Brierley Hill in the Midlands of England, Maurice did military service and qualified as a teacher before he and his first wife and fellow explorer Jean decided–at the ripe old age of twenty-three–to move halfway around the world to Canada. After a brief and shocking winter in Regina, they drove on to Victoria, drawn by the sailing and rugby possibilities on the beautiful west coast.

A long career in District 61 as a teacher, vice principal and principal–the first at the new Spectrum Community School–was interrupted by adventure when the family moved to Jamaica for five years, with Maurice teaching at Church Teachers’ College in Mandeville.

Love and adventures continued with his second wife and lodestar Michiko, including travel to Europe and Japan and an epic trip around the US with a boat in tow.

Maurice and Michiko always welcomed family and friends to their beloved home in Oak Bay: cups of tea (or sometimes beer or Appleton Estate rum) were always on tap, along with stories and enthusiasms to be shared.

Maurice is survived by his daughters Trina (Kevin) and Megan, grandchildren Kyley (Perry), Claire (Steve), Patrick (Farah), and Kate, great-grandchildren Ben and Haley, stepchildren Erik (Emma) and Kristen, and step-grandchildren Yuzuru and Affie, and was predeceased by his much-loved sister Margaret. Due to his illness, Maurice was thankfully not aware of the recent passing of his wife Michiko and his son David.

Thank you so much to all of the many friends and family members who supported Michiko, then Trina, Megan and David, in ensuring Maurice lived as good a life as possible during his final years. We are so grateful for the care and compassion we met at every turn from staff at St Charles Manor, Royal Jubilee Hospital and The Heights at Mount View.

As with so many families on this journey we relied on the wisdom and support of the Alzheimer Society of Canada—any donations in memory of Maurice would be much appreciated.

Maurice was fun to be around and could still crack a joke until very close to the end. We will miss him so much.