NIGEL DUNCAN RAINCOCK

"The Nige" has left us. So many messages, now, from young and not-so-young friends tell of his warmth, kindness, hospitality and generosity, his love of life and optimism, his sense of humour and great smile. Nige lit up a room! Left to miss him greatly are Ann, his wife of 56 years, his daughter Chloé and her partner Grahame McNeill. Nigel was predeceased in 2004 by his beloved son, Matthew. He was enormously proud of them all. Grieving him too, are his four siblings and their families in England and Europe. Nigel was born in Surrey, England. He liked his unusual name and occasionally might be persuaded to bring out the massive Raincock family tree - first entry from England's Lake District dated 1647 - kept up-to-date until the turn-of-this-century by his dearly-loved mother Irene. His business career in the paper, print and publishing industries took him from London to Cape Town and Johannesburg and eventually, in 1974, to Toronto, Canada. He became a proud Canadian. He was the quintessential 'seize every day' man, always ready for an adventure. His friends will be remembering so much fun over the years in so many places around the world, including summers at the RCYC and winters at Caledon Ski Club. In 1985, when Ann suggested taking the children out of school for a year to cruise the U.S. Eastern Seaboard and the Bahamas in their sailboat SuperRooster, Nigel was immediately 'up' for it, even agreeing to add a dog - the golden retriever Sam - to the crazy plan! And once retired, on his last boat Chanticleer, he and Ann cruised the same U.S. waters south before shipping the boat to Europe for yet another travel adventure, this time for a total of five years! Nigel achieved much in life, though he was probably most proud (though modestly) of his role as a volunteer fundraiser. For about two decades he was Chair of the Set Sail for Hope Committee, a volunteer group of ten friends and colleagues who met throughout the year to organize the annual SSFH fundraising event. Over those years, this splendid mid-summer party raised over three million dollars for a camp that provided vacations for children suffering from cancer and their families. If you would like to make a donation in Nigel's memory please visit: https://support.campfirecircle.org/in-honour/nigel-raincock Nigel has been donated to Queen's University Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences and, when the ice leaves the lakes, we will celebrate his life with a party … just as he wished.