TAVARES, Buddy Darrell

May 22, 1959 — August 22, 2026

Buddy Darrell Tavares passed away peacefully on August 22, 2026, at Hospice House, at the age of 67.

Born on May 22, 1959, in Edmonton, Alberta, Buddy came into the world alongside his sister, Pamela, and the two grew up together in the wide skies and quiet streets of the Alberta capital. His mother, Donna, later married Fred, and the family grew to include his half-sister, Angela. Buddy shared an especially close bond with his grandmother, Gladys, whom he lived with on multiple occasions in his youth, as well as periodically as a young adult. Gladys and Buddy shared a closeness that shaped the warmth and loyalty he would carry with him all his life.

Even as a boy, Buddy showed the restless curiosity of an inventor, building go-karts in the driveway and taking apart anything he could get his hands on, already revealing the sharp, mechanical mind that would serve him well in the years to come. He never did settle for just one calling. Over the course of his life he drove trucks, worked the restaurant trade, played piano in smoky piano bars, and even took up the delicate art of rebuilding and refinishing pianos by hand. Later, he found his footing as a golf course superintendent, tending fairways with the same care he brought to everything else.

But Buddy was, above all, a man who chased the horizon. He completed countless solo skydiving jumps, threw himself from bridges on a bungee cord, soared down zip lines, and carved his way down mountains on skis. He loved anything fast, motorcycles most of all, and in his later years traded two wheels for four, exploring backroads and mountain trails in his beloved RZR. Music remained close to his heart throughout, especially jazz, and he never lost his love of the piano or an evening at the theatre to watch a musical.

He was a prankster at heart, the kind of man who could not resist a good laugh at someone else’s expense, always followed by his own delighted grin. But beneath the mischief ran a fierce loyalty, and Buddy would drop everything for a friend in need. There was no problem, mechanical or otherwise, that he could not eventually puzzle out.

He loved travelling with his partner, Karen, and close friends on long motorcycle rides to the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon, journeys to Mexico, and restful stops in hot springs along the way. Nothing brought him more joy than being “Papa Buddy” to his grandchildren, delighting in doughnuts, go-kart rides, pool days, and cheering from the sidelines of their games.

Buddy seemed, at times, to have nine lives. He survived a motorcycle accident that by all rights should have taken him, and rebuilt his independence through sheer determination and long months of rehabilitation. In recent years he faced two forms of cancer with that same grit, completing every treatment offered to him without once losing his positive outlook. “Think positive,” he liked to say, “and enjoy the life you have left to live.” He wore that philosophy the way he wore his jeans and his leather jacket, nearly every day (whether he was riding his motorcycle or not). In his final years, he made the most of his time.

Survived by his loving partner of 10 years, Karen Roufosse; children Jason (Carla), Jenny (Nick), and Jazzmin (Riley); grandchildren Andrew, Justin, Miya, Terek, Alyssa, Paxton, and Huxley; parents Donna and Fred; sister Angela; and many extended family members and friends.

Predeceased by his sister, Pamela; his grandmother, Gladys; and his grandfather, Bud.

Buddy lived life at full throttle, chasing the wind, the mountains, and every good laugh along the way. He leaves behind a trail of stories, and a family and friends who will carry his fearless spirit forward.

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