Matthew Henry HAMER

MATTHEW HENRY HAMER November 16, 1958 - March 25, 2021 Matthew Henry Hamer November 16, 1958 - March 25, 2021 It is with profound sadness and broken hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved Matthew; husband, brother and uncle. Matthew will forever be remembered as the kindest, funniest and most generous soul. He had a huge heart and impacted all who knew him. Matthew was born in Kenora, Ontario and moved to Thunder Bay, Ontario in 1967. He spent his childhood enjoying the NW Ontario life; skiing and exploring the wilderness at the family camp in Rossport, Ontario. A family ski trip to Banff, AB in 1976 initiated his lifelong passion for the Rocky Mountains. His career took him out west in 1981, where he worked in Fort McMurray. He moved further west when he started with an engineering firm, spending time in Nanaimo, Vancouver and Canmore. Matthew went on to pursue a highly successful 40+ year career in the oil and gas industry. Although he did not graduate from high school, his natural leadership skills and brilliant mind impressed his employers and he held vice president and management positions at several prestigious engineering firms. He was a passionate advocate for the oil and gas industry and throughout his career he took great satisfaction in mentoring many young professionals. Although his career achievements were truly impressive, he was proudest of his work with Rocky Mountain Adaptive, a charity dedicated to providing people with disabilities an opportunity to participate in mountain sports. Matthew was RMA's first volunteer and contributed countless days volunteering over the past 10 years, as a director as well as a ski instructor. In summer, he organized group hikes, coordinating young engineers with adaptive participants to challenge Rocky Mountain hikes like Ha Ling and Plain of Six Glaciers. He shared his passion for the mountains with many, many individuals living with disabilities. Eight years ago, Matthew re-connected with Suzanne Poohkay, a colleague from Matthew's secondment at UBC in the early 1990s. They fell madly in love and since then have been inseparable. Matthew was introduced to opera and Suzanne to watching fighter jets at Cold Lake. Although too short, their time together will forever be cherished. Matthew spent his free time hiking and skiing in the mountains or exploring the west coast. He also loved to travel and enjoyed some great adventures with Suzanne. He loved to read and could have earned multiple PhDs given his expertise in military history, the history of the Canadian railway and of the Rocky Mountains. Most importantly, Matthew loved to share stories and laughs with his family and close friends. Matthew leaves behind his loving wife, Suzanne Poohkay, sister Shelagh (Chris Wrazej - 'brother from another mother'), brothers Michael (Lorena) and Charles along with his nieces Jessica (Bob) Moody, Madeleine Wrazej, Linnea Wrazej and Ivy Hamer and his nephew Luke Hamer. He is pre-deceased by his father Jack, mother Lillian, brother Marc and sister Jan. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Rocky Mountain Adaptive (https://rockymountainadaptive.com/donate/).