We Remember
RAE, Gary James
July 26, 1966 — June 28, 2015
In the early morning of June 28th, as the robins began singing welcoming a brand new day, Gary James Rae, my sweet, sweet love and Dadda of our two treasures, Arewyn and Ashton passed away at home in my arms.
Diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer in February of 2013, Gary fought with his whole heart, mind, body and soul to fulfil his desire to stay with us. Despite his most determined efforts to outwit and outrun this devastating disease and the unyielding efforts of those around him, the disease silently, yet steadily stole him away from our grasp.
Gary’s deep, unwavering trust in God’s plan for healing, be that here on this earth or in heaven, carried us all through his journey to eternity.
All of you who connected with Gary, even if just briefly, sensed his steady and calm presence. A man of determined courage and an insightful ability to fluently compose the big picture. A man with an open-mind yet firm in his convictions. A highly focused man with creative ways to approach any challenge. A man determined and fearless when pushing himself above and beyond his limits. A man of incredible faith, integrity and unwavering loyalty to me and our children. A beautiful man.
Gary – my one true soulmate – I will miss you with all my heart and soul.
All my Love,
Heidi
Gary leaves behind two sisters, Susan Dyck of Langley and Wendy Rae of North Vancouver as well as his father, James Douglas Rae of West Vancouver.
A celebration of Gary’s life and passions will be held at the Trinity Baptist Church at 1905 Springfield Road, Kelowna, on Sunday 12 July 2015 at 1:30 pm. An online Livestream of the service will be provided at https://livestream.com/nhpav/celebrationofgaryrae . In lieu of flowers, for those willing to contribute to an educational fund for Gary’s children, Arewyn & Ashton please contact Gary’s brother-in-law, Andrew Booth at andrew.booth@zaber.com. Alternatively, donations may be made to your preferred cancer charities.
For those wishing to send a condolence, photos or share memories, may do so by scrolling down this page to the area called “Share Your Condolences.”
Service
Sunday 12 July 2015 at 1:30 pm
Location
Trinity Baptist Church
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Service Information
Service Details
The service for RAE, Gary James is scheduled for Sunday 12 July 2015 at 1:30 pm. Below you will find the map for the service location and the contact information should you have any questions.
Arewyn, this is Jonas’s grandma and papa. dear family, we are sharing in your sorrow, rejoicing in the hope that is ours. May God truly be your comfort and strength during the rest of your journey on this earth. We are praying for you all. Until we meet at Jesus feet…
Words cannot express how deeply sorry I am for your loss Heidi and for Arewyn and Ashton to lose their dada.
On behalf of the family here at Wood Wheaton Honda North to your family, may the pain and sorrow be tempered with the happy and enjoyable memories of Gary.
My prayers are with you and the children.
Heidi, our thoughts are with you and your family during this difficult time. I thought you might appreciate a picture of one of the fondest memory I have of Gary – a spirited summer morning ride to the top of Mount Baker with him on his new Ducati back in July of 2007.
Dear Heidi,
we are with you in prayers … there are no words.
We are deeply touched and feeling with you.
We thank God for the peace, joy, and love that kept Gary strong in his faith to the end. He leaves a great legacy that the love of God is more powerful than illness or any adversity. May blessings give Gary the joy of God’s presence and strength and love for you, Arewyn and Ashton, his beloved family.
Thank you for sharing the wonderful life and legacy of Gary whose faith is a shining example for all of us. God bless him and you with your wonderful kids, Arewyn and Ashton – may you find comfort in Gary’s love and prayers. The wonderful love you shared is a gift of GOD and as your soulmate, you will always be together. Gary is with you, for sure..
A warm embrace and much love and prayers,
Josefine, Uwe and Katharina
Heidi and Arewyn and Ashton, you are in my thoughts with sincere condolences. Gary was all the things you described. I have many good memories of him from our MBA team at SFU. I’m sure every one of his classmates remembers him as I do: inspiring, intelligent, funny and dynamic. He was a good person.
Hello Heidi, I just want to say how saddened I was to learn today that Gary passed away. It was an honour to care for him at the cancer centre, when you write of his calm presence and strength and love for you, all of these things were so obvious to see even in the short conversations we had while he was receiving his treatments. You too are an amazing person, and it was a privilege to care for Gary and know you both. I watched the video of Gary’s service, what an incredible man and a wonderful life you shared together with your children. Thinking of you, Take care Heather