LESLIE, PATRICK JOHN

It is with sadness that our family announces the passing of Patrick John Leslie on Wednesday April 20th, 2016 in North Vancouver, B.C. at age 85.

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa on Christmas Eve, December 24th 1930, to Jessie and James Leslie, Patrick’s youth was filled with outdoor adventures - first, hunting in the near-by "Park", then, as he got older, he and his friends would head off into the wilderness, camping and boating in their home-made canoe. He always had a dream of one day going fly fishing in British Columbia.

Patrick's early education was at St. John's College and at the University of Witwatersrand, in Johannesburg, where he studied Civil Engineering. After he graduated, he set out to see the world, settling in various places, and exploring from these bases - first in Bulawayo, in the former Rhodesia, later London, where Europe was within easy reach, and finally reaching Victoria, British Columbia. Here, he fell in love with the coastal area, the near-by mountains, and the surrounding waters. For a young man having grown up in the middle of Southern Africa, the pristine oceans were an instant attraction, and he quickly developed a keen love of sailing. He still indulged in his wanderlust - travelling through much of Asia at this time.

He moved to Vancouver, B.C. in 1969, and returned to UBC to further his studies in Hydrology and Water Pollution Control. It was at this time that he met the future love of his life, Joan, at the Jericho Tennis Club. Joan, who also shared a Christmas Eve birthday, was married to Patrick in 1972. They moved to a pristine forest setting in the newly developing Village of Lions Bay. Here they built their dream home on the side of a mountain, beside a creek, with gorgeous views of Howe Sound. Here they would live for the next 40 years. Their son Thomas was born in 1976. In later years, Patrick ran his own Consulting Engineering firm from his home.

Patrick was a lifelong lover of classical music, literature, travelling the world, and of sailing, and had a deep affection for all of his various sail boats. The family spent many summers sailing and exploring the waters and coves of Desolation Sound, the Gulf Islands and the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. They chartered sail boats to explore the Greek Isles, British Virgin Islands, and the coastal waters of Thailand. In addition to a number of safaris in the wilds of South Africa, Kenya, Zimbabwe and Namibia, the family’s travel adventures took them to Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, Hong Kong, Egypt, Turkey, and Hawaii and the South Seas.