Lawrence George Rash, age 88, passed away peacefully on March 5th 2017. He will be fondly remembered for his wit, his kindness and his devotion to his friends, family, and especially his beloved wife Bethel Wynne who passed away October 20th 2010.
George was born to Julia Marie (Baron) and William Peter Rash in Rabbit Lake Saskatchewan on January 24th 1929 He was a younger brother to William (Bill) Bernard Rash.
Until 1944 his family lived in Copper Hill BC, a mining town that no longer exists. From there, his family moved to Mission BC. When George was just 17 his father died in a car accident. Throughout his life, George was an especially devoted son to his mother Marie.
George worked for the Bank of Nova Scotia, then for Canadian Acceptance Corporation (CAC) for over 20 years. He left CAC and joined First National Mortgage in the late 70’s until 1984. He continued his work life with his own Mortgage business that he started in the late 70’s called Canoka Mortgage.
It was while working at the Bank of Nova Scotia in the 1950’s that he would meet his future wife Wynne. After a few dates, George was transferred out of the Lower Mainland and the relationship stalled. After a chance encounter in Penticton they began dating again. George loved to tease Wynne and she could often be heard saying, “oh George!” at his cheeky humour and bad puns.
George and Wynne were married on June 18th 1960. They settled down in Penticton where their sons Greg (1963) and Andrew (1966) were born. They moved to Coquitlam in 1968 then to Victoria in 2000 and back to Port Moody in 2007.
To George, family was very important and was passionate about ensuring he prioritized family getaways and vacations. Even in the lean years where money was tight he and Wynne would plan trips to Qualicum where very fond memories were created for the family. He also planned bigger trips to California and one memorable two week road trip to Yellowstone National Park. This trip tested George and Wynne’s patience with their sons bickering in the back seat of the car for two weeks straight, yet even after that challenging (and incredibly fun) trip there were more yearly vacations to come.
George and Wynne enjoyed the outdoors and could often be found taking long walks. They vacationed each winter in Palm Springs for over 20 years and loved to play tennis in the warm weather.
Even in his retirement, George maintained an active interest in the financial markets and politics. He read several newspapers daily and always kept up with current events.
George was a very thoughtful and kind man. He was a gentleman who valued people and the friendships he made were lasting and true.
George and Wynne became grandparents in 2003 on the birth of their grandson Nolan and again in 2005 when Chelsea was born. Every Sunday at 3pm George would call them to catch up. He was a very proud and much loved Grandpa.
George was a faithful Christian and he and Wynne were members of St. Laurence Anglican Church in Coquitlam for 30 years after which they attended St Helen's in Vancouver. George was a member of St. John the Apostle in Port Moody.
George always felt blessed every day of his life, even in the troubling times. His faith and positive outlook never waned, and was visible to every person’s life he touched.
George’s passing will leave a mark on all who had the pleasure to know him.
A memorial service will be held at 2:00pm on Thursday, March 16th, 2017 at the Burquitlam Funeral Home, 625 North Rd, Coquitlam, BC.
In Lieu of Flowers, a donation to the Eagle Ridge Hospital Foundation would be appreciated.