Brian James RIDYARD

July 09, 1940 - October 12, 2018

Dr. Brian James Ridyard passed away peacefully after a courageous two-year battle with cancer, surrounded by his loving wife and children. Brian was the youngest of two boys born to James and Edna Ridyard in Cheshire, England. His father was a banker who served in the British Army on the Western Front from 1914-1918, earning the rank of Captain. Dr. Ridyard's early years were coloured by his activities with the Boy Scouts, where he developed a lifelong passion for fitness, and his interest in a career in medicine was piqued. A gifted student, he attended the King's School in Macclesfield and then read medicine at the University of Liverpool, qualifying as a physician and surgeon in 1963, and as a specialist in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in 1965. After immigrating to Canada in 1968 - first to Medicine Hat, then Kamloops, then Edmonton - he settled in Victoria in 1977, where he was generally regarded as the preeminent Obstetrician-Gynaecologist until his retirement in 2008 at the age of 68. Retirement saw Brian and Pennie frequently stay at their country home in England's Lake District, where he indulged his passions for hiking and fell-running, along with regular skiing and hiking trips to the French Alps and further afield. His final summer was spent in Victoria in the company of family and close friends. A man of extraordinary strength, he remained cheerful and engaged to the end. Dr. Ridyard is survived by his wife Pennie, son Ashley, daughters Sophie, Sarah, Kate (Jake) and Emma, grandchildren Quinn, Mya (Alberto), Kierin, Thomas and Lauren, and great-granddaughter Adriana. He will be fondly remembered by his family, friends, colleagues and the many patients whose lives he touched. A Celebration of Life will be held at the CFB Naden Officers' Mess (located at 1575 Lyall Street, V9A 7N2) on Friday, December 7, 2018 from 1:00-4:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the BC Cancer Agency.