We Remember
DEWAR, HARRY EASTON
August 3, 1922 — March 8, 2015
After 92.5 active years, Harry passed away peacefully in Kelowna to join his beloved Frances. Harry’s children (the five b’s), Brian, Beverley, Barry, Brent and Barbara were all with him and together for his passing. Harry is not only survived by his five children, but eleven grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and thirteen family-in-laws. Harry enjoyed his family immensely.
Harry was born in Drake, Saskatchewan as the eldest child of Harry and Violet Dewar, and was an avid hockey player in his youth. He joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1940 as a pilot and married Frances in the St Alphonsus Church in North Ormesby, England on March 11, 1944.
Harry earned his Bachelor of Education degree from the University of British Columbia and started his nearly 40 year career in education, spending time in Burnaby, Dawson Creek, Duncan and Kelowna B.C. He was the high school principal of Kelowna Senior Secondary (KSS) from 1971 to 1984.
All who knew Harry will remember his love for education, teaching and providing an opportunity for those who might not otherwise get a second chance in life. Harry was a co-founder of COBBS in 1972 with his colleagues Ken Harding, Rosemary King and Lou Dedinsky, which has provided financial support and assistance to the high school students of the Central Okanagan District 23 for the past forty-three years. Special thanks to his many colleagues and friends who kept Harry involved and engaged in education for nearly 30 years past his official retirement.
Harry incorporated his love for teaching with his love for curling. One of Harry’s passions was to introduce junior curling wherever he lived, whether that be introducing the sport to both the casual or avid curler, some of which went on to become Canadian and World Champions.
Harry was able to live an active life in his family home during his later years, and was blessed to have his grand-daughter in law, Kim Solotki and great-grandchildren Zoe and Tegan to share his home, providing a great quality of life, while allowing Harry to enjoy his favorite sports of curling, Blue Jays baseball and Canucks hockey. Special thanks to Dr. Chamberlain, his family physician and the nurses and staff at Kelowna General Hospital.
A celebration of Harry’s life will be held at 4:00 PM, Thursday, March 26th, 2015, at Springfield Funeral Home, 2020 Springfield Road, Kelowna BC, with a Mass to follow on Friday March 27, 2015 at 10:30 am at Immaculate Conception Church, 839 Sutherland Ave, Kelowna, followed by interment.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to COBSS – Central Okanagan Bursary & Scholarship Society, #316-3011 Tutt Street, Kelowna B.C, Canada V1Y 2H4 c/o The Harry Dewar Memorial Bursary. For those wishing to send a condolence, photos or share memories, may do so by scrolling down Harry’s obituary page to the area called “Share Your Condolences found at www.springfieldfuneralhome.com.
Visitation
4:00 PM, Thursday, March 26th, 2015
Springfield Funeral Home
(2020 Springfield Road, Kelowna, BC)
Service
Mass to follow on Friday March 27, 2015 at 10:30 am
Location
Immaculate Conception Church
Share with Others:
COBSS – Central Okanagan Bursary & Scholarship Society, #316-3011 Tutt Sreet, Kelowna B.C, Canada V1Y 2H4 c/o The Harry Dewar Memorial Bursary.
Service Information
Service Details
The service for DEWAR, HARRY EASTON is scheduled for Mass to follow on Friday March 27, 2015 at 10:30 am. Below you will find the map for the service location and the contact information should you have any questions.
Address & Contact for Service Location:
Immaculate Conception Church
839 Sutherland Avenue Kelowna, BC
Phone:
Special Requests:
None.
Funeral Pointers:
Condolences
Brian, Beverley, Barry, Brent, Barbara & Family . . . What a wonderful man your dad was! So many great memories we shared at KSS & other times over the last 44 years. He loved his students as we all know. Always looking for ways to assist his staff & students to help them make good choices. Your dad had a big impact on my career & I will always be grateful for our friendship. Cherish all your memories & the special times you shared. You’re in our thoughts & prayers as you celebrate his life. We’re in Mexico until April but we’ll celebrate your dad on the 26th too. Hugs & love to you all, Bernie & Ev & all the Monteleone’s
Prayers and warm thoughts to Harry’s family.
From,Jamie,Yasmine,Kim,Taylor,Joanna, Chrissy and Alex at MVP Modern Barbers.
Bev and family….what can I say but how sorry I am for your loss. But so very thankful that he was a part of my life, and so very influential, and his smile was infectious.I have so many stories and so much love in my heart, thank you for allowing him to be part of my life. And thank you for keeping in touch with me.
I was deeply saddened at the loss of your father. He was a real gem. Condolences to all of his family.
Harry was the best principal you could ever want. A leader who lead with professionalism but at the same time made you feel comfortable and made you feel as though you mattered. Respect was what he gave and received. I learned curling in grade 11 and had the opportunity to have Harry come down to give us pointers , I understood curling much better and love curling today. Thanks Harry. Remarkable man who God gave a gift to and KSS received that gift when Harry became principal . My condolences to his family.
I hold fond memories for the man I knew as “Mr Dewar” – my principal for my junior and senior years in high school. He was always available to assist when needed, and I was fortunate to have been able to work with him when I was on the various counsels I was on during my high school days. So sorry for the Dewar family loss, but please know that he was loved by many.
So sad to hear of this loss!! Mr Dewar was the most amazing man I have ever met. He was my Principal in 1984.
I would like he family to know that because of him I’m a better person and I can say so for many of my class mates!
I could never thank him enough for all he did for me!! I still cherish a photo I have of him and I!! God Bless you all, and again sorry to hear of this! XXX
You must be so proud of both your parents. They gave great support to the KSS students. When Barry and buddies went to the school boys curling in Ottawa Harry and his brother gave full hearted support. He was a great friend and wonderful Principal.
Mr. Dewar was my principal in 1975 and 1976. He was such a nice, fair man and was always available to his students. He will be fondly remembered.
Many Prayers and blessings to the Dewar Family. I was a KSS student from the class of ’82’ and wouldn’t have been able to graduate if not for Harry. He cared and helped me work some stuff out to make it happen. I will always be indebted to him. He was THE coolest, most awesome Principal ever! I will miss you Mr. Dewar! Rest easy sir, You earned it.
Mr.Dewar will be missed.He had a vision to promote success to his students and people he came in contact with.
He was my principal when I was at KSS-Lina
Got to know him very well through church and my days at Immaculata- Domenic
Domenic and Lina Rampone
our thoughts and prayers are with you
To the Dewar Family,
My deepest condolences on your loss. Harry was truly an amazing man, and made such a positive impact on me and on the lives of so many other young people who crossed his path. He believed in you even when it was hard to believe in yourself, and was always there with a friendly smile and a word or two of advice. I graduated in 1982 and was honored to be able to present him with an award of gratitude from our grad class. The plaque read…To Sir, With Love. Thank you for encouraging all of us to always strive to be ‘Do-ers’. Thank you Harry, for being such an incredible force whose voice I can still hear after all these years. Thoughts and prayers to his family and many friends.
So sorry for you loss, although we never met him we know from his family that he was an amazing treasure to all who came into his life. May he rest in Peace and may the memories he left behind give his family and friends broad shoulders to carry the burden of this loss.
Dear Barb and family;
I was so sad to hear of your dad’s passing. What a wonderful man and what a wonderful life. All of us who knew him were blessed to have known him. He was my first principal, and I could not have had a better beginning to my career than under his leadership. I am deeply grateful for his professionalism, his friendship, and his compassion, both for students and for staff. He will be missed by the community of the many who knew him, but he will not be forgotten.
Grace, peace, and blessings to all of you
Mr. Dewar was an amazing man – a role model and inspiration to decades of students. When I think of the people who have had the biggest impact on my life, Mr. Dewar is one of the people that I am most thankful for. He was my KSS high school principal. I graduated in 1980 – the year of the KSS fire. We campaigned to bring him back from a short stint at another school. We needed his support and leadership. He had a wonderful and lasting influence on my life and the lives of so many students. He was a role model of leadership to me and encouraged me to find the leader in myself. He was been a motivator and mentor to me from afar my whole life. I will truly miss him. My thoughts are with the Dewar family. Thank you for sharing him with so many of us.
To The Dewar Family:
Our deepest sympathy in the loss of your father. Jack and Barbara
To the Dewar family from the KSS class of 73,
Mr. Dewar you made our school what it was via your fair play and great attitude towards students. I know that several hundred of us grads would like to express our thanks for that and pass along condolences to your family.
My thoughts are with Mr Dewar’s family, friends, and associates. While Principal at K.S.S. , he was very interested in his students and their success. During my admissions meeting I had to have with him, he accepted my enrollment 2 weeks before classes to change schools due to my interest in his arts programs. I never would have had the education and future I received without his help and endorsement. R.I.P Mr Dewar.
Dear Dewar family!
In my time at K.S.S. I knew him as “Mr Dewar”. He had a terrific way of making everyone feel comfortable around him and he knew how to build character. Mr Dewar helped give us pride in who were and where we came from as well as the confidence to believe in ourselves and our futures. To a son of immigrants to this great country, his influence was profound. Sincerely, Gábor (Gabe) László Vaski CIWM, CFP, BMus, Hons Dip Mus, President and Valedictorian, Graduation Class of 1980
To the Dewar Family
On Behalf of the Class of 1980,
Mr. Dewar was a phenomenal man. He was an inspiring role model and leader to many students over his years at KSS. I graduated in 1980 and he was my principal. That was quite a year – the “year of the fire” and one will never forget how we all convened to bring Mr. Dewar back from “the other” school. We were completely lost without his guidance, leadership and support. He made each of us feel important and that we mattered and were capable of so much.
There are people in our lives that have lasting influence on how we develop and follow our chosen paths, often they are teachers; I along with many other former students count Mr. Dewar among one of them . As a former high school teacher, I can only hope I was able to impart a small fraction of the leadership, motivation and confidence in my former students, that Mr. Dewar did so freely in each of us. And always with grace, fairness and warmth.
I transferred to KSS from Springvalley for my high school years and I will always be grateful to Mr. Dewar for agreeing to accept me when I was outside the district and facilitating part of that process. I truly believe that transfer changed the direction of my life in a positive and healthy way. He encouraged students to be their very best by instilling leadership, confidence and self worth.
He will be truly missed by so many.
Our deepest sympathy and thoughts are with the Dewar family at this time of great loss.
Marlene Schluter
MBA, BEd.
Vice President, Student Council Class of 1980.
West Vancouver, B.C.
So sorry to hear your Dad passed away. It is a time of sadness but of good memories too. Sending all of you a big hug…….you were so lucky ……he was a true “Gentleman” .
So very sorry for your loss
I came to Duncan in 1969 to teach at CSSS and the first friendly face I met was your Dad’s when he met me off the bus at the end of my long journey from Scotland. The whole Dewar family made my first few months in Duncan much more bearable than they might have been. It turned out this was where I was meant to be – 46 years later I’m still here! Your Dad loved what he was doing as his obituary indicates. Sorry for your loss; he was a fine man.
Dearest Barbara,
As one of my closest friends, I share in your grief for the loss of your father. Although Harry lived a long and full life, the pain of losing a loved one is heartbreaking. We give our total love and condolences to you, Gene, Gina, Ryan, Mel & Jamie and the rest of the Dewar clan and hope that the memories you share live forever in your hearts. We are thinking of you.
Love Doug & Donna – Prince George, BC
I have many happy memories of your father.He gave me my first teaching job in Dawson Creek (Bev).
In Duncan I was on his curling team.With him as the skip and Brian as third we won two men’s league championships.He was a great mentor and I will never forget him.Thinking of you all.
Dear Brian, Beverley, Barry, Brent, Barbara, and families — What a jolt of memories have just come flooding back with the sad news of your Dad’s passing. Harry hired me to teach at Central Jr. Secondary in September, 1963 — my first teaching job, and what fun it was! We curled, we coached, we partied, and we taught with energy and passion and creativity–all inspired and encouraged by one terrific leader and mentor, your Dad. We are so sorry for your loss, and send our sincere sympathy, Barb & Al Brett
To the Dewars
May Mr Dewar rest in peace in God’s great heaven. However I expect he will be encouraging someone to reach a little higher or think a little deeper as he did in my life. I will never forget my time at Mt. Prevost High School when your dad and mom moved you all to the Cowichan Valley and he became vice principle and I was student council president. What a fabulous year we had as Mr. Dewar encouraged the best out of all of us.
Several years later we came together again, only this time Mr.Dewar was principle and I was student council president at Cowichan Senior Secondary.Our actual time together was only several years but his influence on me and others has been a lifetime…thank you God for men like Mr. Dewar.I can still feel the warmth of his crooked smile and sparkling eyes and his encouraging ‘go for it’ attitude. My prayers are with you all but I shall rejoice in the life of my mentor and friend, Mr. Dewar.
Shalom
Graham Bruce
I was hired by Mr. Dewar as a beginning teacher at KSS in 1979. This would set my direction for many many years. I have always been grateful to him for his confidence in me. As the principal, he was able to connect to the almost 1800 students in the school while running a tight ship. As staff we smile as we think of his unique style. It worked, as he turned KSS into the leading educational institution in BC. His biggest contribution to the school was the building of world class school library. As the school curling coach he promoted this sport. His contribution to the community was the creation of COBSS. His contribution to Canada was the RCAF. (He never talked about this)
Indeed, Mr. Dewar was a great educator, builder and a leader!
My sincere condolences to the Dewar family. We were neighbours in Dawson Creek. Mr. Dewar was not only a principal but a friend. Mr. Dewar was my late brother Jack’s coach in Little League Baseball. He also encouraged Jack to curl on the school team, he went on to curl in High School & the Men’s league & won many bonspiels. Thank you Mr. Dewar for your friendship & guidance to many. God Bless & RIP.
Sincerely, Patricia Kosick Forster
We knew Harry from his years in the Cowichan Valley. Harry was a principal of the hallways, not the office. He knew his students & his staff. And he encouraged them to be more than they thought they could be.
The Dewar family and the educational community were indeed blessed by his presence. Our sincere sympathies, Linda (Cunnings) & Kees Hof
My thoughts & prayers are with the Dewar family. I had the extreme honour of having Mr. Dewar as a principal & as a colleague at KSS. He was my mentor during both sides of my KSS life. I have thought of him often throughout my life & just recently talked about him with great fondness with 2 other KSS staff from his time there. He was one of the greatest people I knew. He will always remain in my heart & in my thoughts. Thank you for sharing him with so many of us.
To the Dewar family My condolences to you all. Harry was such a wonderful man. He seemed to touch everyone he met in a very special way. As a member of the school council for St Joseph Elementary and Immaculata High schools, his wisdom and sensible guidance were highly valued as an educator and respected by all. I was always so grateful for his support of me during some tough times in my role at the school. He was a person you could trust and to whom you could go to seek advice without feeling awkward. I am very thankful that he was a part of my life. My prayers go out to you all.
Dear Dewar Family — my prayers and thoughts are with you at the loss of your dear dad, Harry. I was associated almost daily when Harry was Education consult during his days on the Kelowna Catholic School Council – We shared many thought-provoking conversations. To me, Harry’s middle name was “service”. God bless you all and know that you have another Angel looking down after you.