Gary Allen Gahr

Gary passed away peacefully at the age of 65 with his spouse Robert (Bob) Knall at his side at Vancouver General Hospital.

He was diagnosed in 2013 with an aggressive incurable form of Multiple Myeloma.  Through a long and difficult struggle, Gary’s optimism, determination and focus on the good in life amazed, inspired and kept us going.  He underwent a stem cell transplant and subsequent treatment with a series of chemotherapy drugs, and participated in clinical trials in Vancouver (VGH) and Edmonton (Cross Cancer Institute).  After exhausting all possible treatments, the cancer took Gary on November 1, 2017.  We are filled with sadness at his loss, relief that the trials and tribulations of dealing with a terminal illness have ended, and gratitude for memories of a productive and loving life.

Gary is greatly missed by Robert (the love of his life and partner of 36 years), his brother Lee (Patricia) and nieces Lydia and Janika of Amsterdam, and a large circle of family, friends and colleagues around the world. He was predeceased by parents Wally and Helen, great aunt (Emma) Jo Snell of Torrance, CA and numerous aunts and uncles.

Gary was born in 1951 in Edmonton to Wally and Helen Gahr, and was raised on the family farm in the Bretona area of Strathcona County (now part of southeast Edmonton) for most of his youth.  The family moved to Calgary for several years in the mid 1960’s, before returning to Edmonton where Gary attended Colchester elementary and Salisbury Composite schools.  He obtained a Master of Arts degree in Geography from the University of Alberta in 1979, and then commenced his career in planning with the Alberta Ministry of Municipal Affairs, where he met Robert.  In 1982 Gary took a position with the City of St. Albert as a Development Officer.

In 1989, he relocated to the Vancouver area with Robert, and was hired as a planner in the busy Planning and Development Department at the City of Surrey, where he worked until retiring in 2017.  Gary was proud of his role in shaping the city, especially his involvement in significant, iconic projects such as Central City tower, the new main library, the new City Hall, RCMP E Division headquarters, and Surrey Memorial Hospital’s major expansion. He loved his job and co-workers, and enjoyed the challenges and opportunities Surrey offered. 

Gary will be remembered for his smile, sense of style and humour, and love of food and culture. He was logical, intelligent, a loyal friend, husband, son, brother, uncle and mentor, a generous soul always there for those in need. He travelled extensively with Robert and managed to visit every continent with the exception of Antarctica.

Gary was a lover of all things French, including language, food and culture.  A pivotal experience in his life was a trip to Expo 67 in Montreal where he and his family stayed with the Lachapelle family of Longueuil and formed a lifelong friendship. Gary continued to develop his French language skills and cultural appreciation through a summer immersion program at Laval University in Quebec City, travel to Quebec and France, and continuing study through French literature, radio and television.

He was happiest when he was with friends and family, and particularly loved to be in the kitchen cooking amazing meals and creating dishes and an incredible mess for Bob to clean up. 

The loss of Gary leaves a huge void in our lives.  We must embrace our memories of all that Gary did to improve our world and to bring joy, happiness and love to the people in his life.

Thanks are extended to the staff at Vancouver General Hospital and BC Cancer Centre (in particular Drs. Sreenivasan and Song) and the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton (especially Dr. Chris Venner) for their compassion and dedication in caring for Gary, and to all our friends and relatives for their help during this challenging time.

Cremation has taken place and Gary will be remembered at a celebration at a later date.  Friends may contact the family for details.

Donations to Myeloma Canada (online at www.Myeloma.ca) or to the charity of your choice would be appreciated.

You are invited to leave a personal message of condolence.