Robert BURVILL

BURVILL, Robert Hugh (Bob)
1918 – 2013
On March 11, 2013, in Surrey, B.C., Bob Burvill ended a long, happy, fulfilling, and eventful life peacefully and surrounded by family. He was predeceased by his beloved wife Chris and he is survived by daughter Sheila (Eric Jones) of Ottawa, son Ian (Iona Belous) of Lantzville, son Ken (Kathy Daniels) of Squamish; grandchildren Brenna (Kamil Votruba), Ryan, Graeme, and Kira; brother Douglas Soich; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Bob Burvill was a good man and a good soldier. Born in Woking, Surrey, England in 1918, he immigrated to Canada as an infant with his widowed mother Gwennith, his sister Florence and brother Bill and passed his childhood on a 'stump ranch' near Edson, Alberta. Though intelligent, opportunities for a formal education were limited and, in 1940, he joined the Canadian Army to fight in Europe. On his first leave while training in England, he journeyed to Edinburgh, Scotland where he had the good luck to meet his future wife, Christina Pirrie, and the great good sense to fall in love with her immediately. Good luck and good sense – those were qualities which Bob enjoyed all his life. He survived World War II through good luck, narrowly missing death several times during battle. After the war, he returned to Edson to await the delayed arrival of his wife, daughter, and baby son. In order to give his family a better, more secure future, Bob re-enlisted in the army in 1947, becoming a proud member of the Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadian). In 1950, another son was born and Bob was able to experience firsthand the birth of a child. The life of a Canadian soldier means moving from place to place for various postings. In addition to serving in Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands during World War II, Bob was posted to Calgary (three times), Werl (Germany), London (Ontario), and Vancouver where the family settled and Bob traded the Army for the Canadian Post Office and a 'PMQ' for his own house in Delta and later in Surrey, B.C. Everywhere he and Chris lived, they made friends and retained connection with a remarkable number of these throughout their lives. Bob will be fondly remembered and mourned in many places. Bob was a life member of the Royal Canadian Legion, a former elder and active member of St. Andrew's-Newton Presbyterian Church and was the recipient of many community awards. In later years, he derived great satisfaction in visiting schools with Chris to talk about war and remembrance and, later, on his own as part of the Memory Project, to tell high school students about his military experiences.
The Family wishes to thank the congregation of St. Andrew's church who became his second family and, especially, the Rev. Geoffrey Jay; the staff of Fleetwood Villa in Surrey; and staff for elderly acute care at Surrey Memorial Hospital. A memorial service will be held to honour Bob on March 27 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Andrew's-Newton Presbyterian Church, 7147 – 124th St., Surrey. In lieu of flowers, contributions to the Memory Project at www.thememoryproject.com/ would be appreciated.