TAHARA, Timothy

July 20, 1959 — May 7, 2021

Born July 20, 1959, Timothy “Tim” Morio Tahara passed away, with his family by his side, on the morning of May 7, 2021, after battling liver cancer. He is survived by his loving family: his wife of 25 years, Sandy; his three children Jordan, Ashley, and Trevor, all of Kelowna; and by his furry companions, Dexter, Cinder, and Peaches. Tim is also survived by his mother Jane Tahara, of Kelowna; his sister Laurie (Ray) Thé, of Burnaby; his aunts Kanae Tomiye, of Burnaby, and Irene Tahara, of Parksville; his mother-in-law Martha Tonogai, of Kelowna; and brothers-in-law Bob (Joni) Tonogai, of Coquitlam, and Rick Tonogai, of Victoria; his nephews Ryan (Allie and their children Quinn, Dylan, and Remy) Thé, of Vancouver, Brayden (Terah Inkster) Tonogai, of Langley, and Ryan (Liz Forrest) Tonogai, of Surrey; and nieces Naomi (Steve and their children Minori and Caeden) Duncan, of Burnaby, and Lindsay Tonogai, of Coquitlam; as well as cousins residing in both BC and Japan. Tim was predeceased by his father Morio Tahara; his uncles Pidge, Shig, Jack, and Sueo, in BC, and Hikoichi, Sunao and Mitsuo, in Japan; his father-in-law Sam Tonogai, of Kelowna; and his sister-in-law Marie-France Colombey, of Victoria.

Tim had a strong work ethic with dedication to his profession. His genuine concern for his clients’ was rewarded with their loyalty during his 37 years in the insurance and investment industry. He was also highly regarded for his honesty, perseverance and loyalty by his peers.

Tim was an avid fisherman, golfer, photographer, and scuba diver who loved to travel around the globe. As a wholehearted family man, he was happiest when these adventures included Sandy and their kids. While COVID-19 greatly impacted the family’s ability to embark on vacations, they found the positive in the situation and felt blessed to have uninterrupted time to spend with Tim during his battle. As Tim would say “Don’t be sad for me for I am in a place where the biggest fish are always biting; the best dive sites are within reach; and there are no sand traps or water hazards. ‘It is what it is'”.

The family would like to thank Dr. Topic and the entire team at the Cancer Agency, Dr. Susan Medynski, as well as the palliative care nurses, for their unwavering support and care during Tim’s illness. We cannot thank Dr. Marjorie Docherty enough for her years of dedication to the family and especially during the 14 months of Tim’s illness. To Tim, she was a friend, not just the family doctor.

Tim’s impish grin may be gone, his infectious laugh silenced, but the memories of an amazing husband, father, son, brother, uncle, cousin, and friend will live on. Forever missed, forever loved and never, ever forgotten.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Tim to the Kelowna Buddhist Temple Building Fund or to the BC Cancer Agency Sindi Ahluwalia Hawkins Centre for the Southern Interior.

There will be a Graveside Service, but due to Covid-19 restrictions it will be by invitation only. The family would like to invite all who want to pay their respects to join by Livestream on MONDAY, MAY 17, 2021 AT 10:00 AM PST (see below). A recording will be made available to view shortly thereafter.

If you wish to send a condolence, post photos, or share a memory please scroll down the page to the area called “Condolences”.

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