{"id":159,"date":"2015-04-16T22:16:21","date_gmt":"2015-04-16T22:16:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/brucemore.ca\/west\/?page_id=159"},"modified":"2020-10-27T18:38:19","modified_gmt":"2020-10-27T18:38:19","slug":"harold-marjorie","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/brucemore.ca\/west\/harold-marjorie\/","title":{"rendered":"Harold & Marjorie"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n<\/a>\"\"<\/a>Memories of Marilyn<\/strong><\/p>\n

Harold Edgar West born April 29th, 1912, in Earlie, Alberta, fifth child of eight, third son of five, to John and Emma West. \u00a0As his father served with the Canadian Army during the First Great War (1914 \u2013 1918), his mother was responsible for the large family. \u00a0She moved them first to Edmonton and then to Calgary. \u00a0His father returned injured by mustard gas and his physicians suggested a move to Vancouver to help the PSD. \u00a0In 1919, their first home was on Beatrice St. near Victoria Rd. and Kingsway. \u00a01920, found them in a stone house near Elliot 56th Ave. \u00a01922 to 1928 was on 62nd Ave E. \u00a01928, was a two home year, 71st Ave in Marpole and #18 Rd on Lulu Island. \u00a0From 1929 to 1937 they lived in Dunbar then 7th Ave. near Balaclave & Bayswater St.<\/p>\n

Harold earned his teaching degree from University of British Columbia. \u00a0His career began in January, 1935 at Lord Roberts. In 1937, he began teaching math and P.E. at Point Grey High School and in 1940 \u2013 1947 moved to John Oliver High School. \u00a0In September, 1947, and for the next nineteen years, he taught at Magee High School. \u00a0During this time, he had up-graded his qualifications at Western Washington and Stanford Universities. \u00a0He was made head of the Magee Math Department in 1961. \u00a0In 1963, he became a special councellor for Point Grey, John Oliver, King Edward, King George, and Kitsilano as well as, Magee. \u00a0He moved to King George Secondary in 1966 and retired in 1973.<\/p>\n

Five months after meeting, Harold and Marjorie Agnes Clark were married on September 15th, 1939. \u00a0Harold was to be best man for his brother Fred and Marjorie was to be maid of honour for her very good friend, Nora. \u00a0Thinking it would be a great joke on Marjorie, they introduced Harold to the engaged Marjorie as Harold McGregor. \u00a0Harold so charmed Marjorie, that she married him instead. \u00a0Marilyn Jean was born July 11th, 1940, and was the first to bring the joy of parenthood to their lives. \u00a0John Barry was born December 10th, 1945 during a WWII blackout. \u00a0Kathryn Joanne arrived July 12th, 1954 delighting not only her parents but the older siblings as well.<\/p>\n

Harold was very athletic. \u00a0His sports of choice, at the time, were tennis in the summer and badminton in the winter. \u00a0He joined the Vancouver Racquet Club and became president in the early 60\u2019s. \u00a0As his knees began giving him trouble, he turned to golf . \u00a0He joined the Marine Drive Golf Club where twice in one year he hit a hole in one. \u00a0When the family moved to Boundary Bay, he \u00a0joined the Beach Grove Golf \u00a0Course. \u00a0Harold learned building skills from his father and from his oldest brother, Jack. \u00a0Building a \u00a0backyard chicken coop lead to building and refurbishing homes, contracting apartments and finally, buying properties for subdivision and development. \u00a0This kept him busy and was a source of income during the summer when he wasn\u2019t teaching.<\/p>\n

In 1945,they bought property in Boundary Bay for $500.00 and built a cabin. \u00a0The season started at Easter. \u00a0Summer was spent entertaining extended families and friends. Grampa West would often bike to Boundary Bay from 27th and Heather, taking the Patella Bridge, Scott Road and No. 10 Highway. \u00a0He would pitch his canvas tent in the yard for a week or more.\u00a0Remembering Harold at Boundary Bay is remembering: \u00a0golf on the sandbars, working on the cabin, collecting rocks for his rock hound collection, using a row boat to pick up stray logs for continued cabin construction, building bonfires for the crab cookouts, year end teachers stag party and entertaining family and friends with his quiet sense of humour.<\/p>\n

Eventually, there were two cabins on the property, \u201cWest Bahamas\u2018\u201d named for Barry, Harold and Marjorie and Marilyn, and \u201cKay West\u201d, \u00a0named for Kathryn. \u00a0These were replaced in 1965 by their permanent home.\u00a0\u00a0They began their travels when they would pack up the car to visit Bill &Elsie in Trail, Margret and Jack in Kelowna, Phil & Evelyn in West Vancouver, Ruth and Wes in Gibsons and Edna at her summer home in Granthams. \u00a0In 1949, they took Grampa West and went to see Ken and Irene in San Francisco. \u00a0These were great bonding times for all generations.<\/p>\n

In 1964, for their 25th wedding anniversary, they boarded the \u201cOriana\u201d and set sail with ten year old Kathie. \u00a0It took seventeen days to go through the Panama Canal and across the Atlantic Ocean to Jolly Old England where they had visits with cousin Mary, Uncle Percy and Auntie Ruth. \u00a0Boarding a plane for the first time, they flew to Paris and Amsterdam. \u00a0The travel bug hit!! \u00a0They started spending the winters in Hawaii with the teachers group. \u00a0They cruised to Turkey, Croatia, and Athens. \u00a0Then back to England, Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand making friends along the way, many of whom would eventually visit them in Boundary Bay.<\/p>\n

Sadly, Harold passed away in 1979 at age 67, just before their 50th wedding anniversary. \u00a0In 2012, Harold\u2019s and Marjorie\u2019s ashes were spread, half in Hawaii and half in Boundary Bay.<\/p>\n