Gary Paul Troll

1942 - 2017

I would just like to start by thanking the hundreds of people who have reached out to give my family their heartfelt condolences and for sharing their personal memories with respect to my mom and dad. They have all been so kind and have touched my family's heart in the most comforting way at our time of great loss. Thank you, thank you, thank you! My dad started working at Trolls at the early age of 14 when it was then owned by my grandparents (Joe 'Pop' & Dot 'Gran'). This is where he saw firsthand how my Pop would interact with all his customers and I'm sure where he got his tag greeting of saying, "Hi dear, how are ya?!". It was at this little fish & chip shack where his education began on how, if you put a ton of hard work into something you were passionate about and were kind and gracious to people, you would always be rewarded somehow at the end. He took over the restaurant in 1972 after majoring in Art History at UBC, where he forged many long lasting friendships as a brother of the Alpha Del. Throughout his school years he always had a passion for sports. My gran used to tell me how he would run to and from school everyday so it's not surprising to me that he became quite a track athlete in his early years. I would be remiss not to mention that he also set a track record for the 400m which he then held for decades after. It was through his passion for sports that he later amassed a very impressive sports memorabilia collection. There was a time in my life when it was antiques that he would collect and then it would be art pieces and then something else. He loved collecting things! He was also a voracious reader and enjoyed all things having to do with history and travelling but more than anything else in the world he loved loved loved to shop. So much so he was always known to start his Christmas shopping in July. He was so generous to everyone. He was like a little kid that couldn't wait to give you the gifts he had gotten you. But the greatest gift my dad ever gave me was the gift on how to treat people. He was a living example of how everyone you meet should be treated with kindness and respect. He represented to me what it was to be a truly decent person and to be a man of honour and integrity. He had an energy in him that people just wanted to be around, it was infectious the same way his laugh was. I learned very early in my life that my dad was somebody special, he was truly a larger than life character. I could never walk down the street with him without someone yelling out his name or greeting him in some fashion. He loved nothing more than to start his day out by going down to the restaurant early in the morning to meet up with all his buddies for a coffee and to bs with them. He lived for that and continued to do it everyday for as long as his health allowed him. Even when his bout with cancer started to get the better of him he still went and saw my mom at her care centre every single day. He would bring her a coffee and a paper and would give her a kiss and tell her that he would see her again tomorrow. When he wasn't able to visit her near the end he would still call her many times throughout the day just to check in and tell her that he loved her. I will remember that forever, the love he showed my mom was always unconditional. They went through so much together in life and in the end the romance they shared couldn't have ended any other way but for them to be together. Forever. As one. A special heartfelt thank you goes out to the wonderful ladies in his life who took extraordinary care of him in his final months of life. He loved you all so deeply and you gave him the love and care that he so rightly deserved. Gerry, Holly and Su, I am forever grateful and you will always have a permanent place in my heart. A special thank you also to Wim Hofmeyer, who was my dad's family doctor for many years in Horseshoe Bay. Thank you for the care and attention you showed him. Gary is survived by his 2 sons Ab (Melissa) & Joe, his beloved brother Bobby (Judy) and his grandchildren Alex, Grace, Taylor, Spencer & Cohen. And finally, I know my dad would want me to end with saying one last thing, "Trolls is open 7 days a week & kids are always welcome!" I love you Dad, Ab xo

A celebration remembering my Mom & Dad will be held on Tuesday, March 7th, 2017 at 4pm at the Kay Meek Centre, 1700 Mathers Avenue, West Vancouver.