George "Colin" Tabbiner

Our father, George (Colin) Tabbiner, passed at the age of 94, after a long and full life.

Dad was born in 1931 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to Harold and Winnifred (Cooper) Tabbiner. He attended the Ryerson Institute of Technology, where he graduated. As a young man, Dad was a competitive skier, a proud ham radio operator, full of life, and loved fishing and adventure.

He met the love of his life, our mom, Nancy, when he was 20 years old, and they soon fell in love and began a family together. After their first child, Richard (Grant), was born in Toronto, Mom and Dad moved to northern Quebec, where their other children, Susan Virginia, Robert (Bob) Colin, and Joan (Joni) Elizabeth, were born. There they created a warm and loving home. We hold many beautiful and warm memories of growing up with Dad. He was a kind, generous, and gentle-hearted father, and his love shaped our lives in ways that will always remain with us.

Together, they built a large and loving family. From their four children grew generations of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and Dad was the steady, respected, and deeply loved patriarch at the heart of it all. His presence grounded our family, and his love continues to ripple through each of us.

Dad was a longtime employee at Alcan Hydro, first in northern Quebec and later in northern British Columbia. In 1971, our family moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where Dad worked for the Nova Scotia Power Corporation for seven years. In 1977, Mom and Dad made the brave move to Kemano, a remote, isolated town in northern British Columbia, where he rejoined Alcan as Superintendent of the town. They shared many adventures together during their time in British Columbia. After their time in British Columbia, Mom and Dad eventually made their home in Calgary, Alberta. In their retirement years, they enjoyed many years travelling throughout North America in their RV. Dad loved golf and was a regular presence on local courses.

Dad was admired and respected by many throughout his lifetime: colleagues, friends, and in his final years, the staff and residents at Hawthorne Community Living, where he was a warm and caring presence to all who lived there.

Dad was deeply devoted to our Mom. They shared seventy years together, and he was her constant companion and a loving, committed husband right up until her passing three years ago. Their relationship was a true partnership and an enduring example of love and commitment.

He truly exemplified what it means to be a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. His presence will be deeply missed in all of our lives, and yet his legacy lives on in each of us.

Dad is survived by his children, Grant, Susan, Bob, and Joni; his grandchildren, Pierre, Eric, Stephen, Jennifer, El, Jeffrey, Ryan, Jordan, and Chloe; and seven great-grandchildren.