Rex Albert Renkema

1951 - 2022

We are very sad to report that Rex Albert Renkema passed away on December 2, 2022 at Marjorie Willoughby Snowden Hospice House in Kamloops

Rex was born on July 29, 1951 in Lethbridge, AB, and spent his early years in Victoria / Langford, before moving to Port Coquitlam for his high school years, with his mother Joyce and father Jim Hayes.

He met his wife-to-be Renée DuMont during university days, and after law school at UBC, he and she moved to Kamloops, where he had a very successful career as lawyer and managing partner at the firm now known as Gillespie. He greatly appreciated the opportunities over all the years to work with so many, often friends as well as clients, who were hard-working and creative, and people of great integrity.

He also spent many years working in the "political trenches", including being a local riding association president and a provincial association president, and made many friends through this.

Rex and Renée raised three children, Nicole, Jim and Peter, who survive him along with three grandchildren, Julia, Olivia and Easton. Renée sadly passed away in 2012.

Merron Strang, and her family – Deanna and Joe, and Mike and Cass, and all their children – came into Rex's life some years later and together they spent many happy times as well as Merron and Rex taking several great trips abroad.

One big part of the family's life was the cabins at Shuswap Lake, and summers spent there – there was a succession of individual cabins and properties until Rex found and developed the R n R Resort at Scotch Creek (aka "the Lake").

Rex was keen on vehicles, and having a 1966 Corvette and a Mercedes SL55 AMG were high points.

Another big part of the family's life was the place on the Big Island of Hawaii, and particularly in latter years, winters spent there. Rex worked with the contractor, who was also his friend, to create a beautiful spot at "318", with comfortable extra accommodations. This unit became the focus for receiving family and friends, and entertaining many people. Many Canadian friends and family met up here more frequently than they did on "the Mainland". Rex was especially happy to have been able to spend a couple of months of the last winter at 318, and shared time there with Merron, Jim and Sarah and their children, Peter and Justine, his brother Colin and Julia, his sister Sheri and husband Brian, and Mike and Cass and their kids, as well as many friends.

Through dealing with people at the office and in practice, his interest in vehicles, work in the political world, and meeting people at the Lake and at 318, and many other places, Rex developed a big and wide group of friends.

Rex will be missed by many.

No service by request. Donations may be made to the charity of one's choice.