John Arthur BOONE

1935 – 2025 It is with great sadness that we share the news of John's passing on July 7th, just shy of his 90th birthday. John was born in Oliver, BC, to Harvey and Elsie Boone and was the younger brother to Margaret. He leaves to mourn his passing his wife of 57 years, Ifôn; their children, Robert (Lisa), David (Jennifer), and Mary Anne (Ron); and their grandchildren, Emily, Charlie, Claudia, and Terra. John's younger years were spent on the family orchard in Oliver, BC, where his father introduced him to beekeeping, which would become a lifelong passion. His time in the open hills, rural lakes, and camping with Scouts Canada instilled a lifelong interest in hiking, fishing, birdwatching, and outdoor adventures. He continued these pursuits as a Provincial bee inspector, a researcher sampling trout for the Department of Fisheries, and a cook on research expeditions to the Gulf Islands. He was among the first bike commuters in the 1970s, and took his young family over the Klondike Trail, paddled the Yukon River, canoed the Bowron Lakes, and rode horses in the Chilcotin. John loved exploring the outdoors and in later years tending their spectacular garden. John's education began in a one-room schoolhouse in the South Okanagan. Eventually, he landed at UBC, where he earned a BSc in Zoology and completed medical school in 1962. He met lifelong friends during his internships at Vancouver General Hospital and the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal. He worked for the Canadian Coast Guard as the ship's physician on an icebreaker voyage through the Canadian Arctic, then as a GP locum in Kamloops before returning to Montreal in 1965 to begin Cardiology training. There, John met Ifôn, an anesthesiology resident from the UK. After winter adventures that included ski and snowshoe trips in rural Quebec, they were married in 1968 and began to build their wonderful life together, returning to Vancouver in 1969. John accepted a position at St. Paul's Hospital as a Cardiologist and soon after they were a family of 5. John's genuine care and concern for his patients guided his practice and earned their trust and confidence. With his humble nature and thoughtful approach, he helped many people throughout his lengthy career and was a favourite of his colleagues and nursing staff for his kind, practical, and calm demeanour. He took great pleasure in his quarterly clinic visits to Haida Gwaii and Whitehorse for over 20 years and was keenly interested in the early days of cardiac electrophysiology with sabbaticals in London, England, and London, Ontario. As Chief of the Medical Staff and then Head of Cardiology at St. Paul's Hospital, John helped to grow the division into the well-respected Heart Centre before semi-retiring in 2000. He stayed up to date on current literature until very recently and always enjoyed a thoughtful conversation on the new discoveries advancing cardiac care. For as much as he loved medicine, John's love for his family was paramount. Time spent at the beloved Boone family cabin in Osoyoos, which his father built, was a constant comfort and joy for almost 90 years - first as a toddler with his parents, then as a father with his children, and finally as a grandfather with his grandchildren. Four generations enjoyed time at the lake and those precious memories of fishing, finding turtles, building rafts, driving the Scout, eating his blueberry pancakes, and relaxing together will stay with us all forever. John was a kind, quiet, and determined man who lived a long and meaningful life. He will be missed by family, colleagues, and friends. We will strive to honour his sense of purpose, his ingrained commitment to fairness, and his interest in the harmony of nature. In honour of John, please consider a donation to the St. Paul's Hospital Foundation or the Boone Hodgson Wilkinson Foundation at the BC Honey Producers Association. A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, September 13, at 1:00 p.m., at St. Mary's Kerrisdale, 2490 W. 37th Ave., Vancouver. Reception to follow. Walkey & Company Funeral Directors (604) 738 – 0006