Ray Henry

(John Raymond Nevin Henry)

(October 27, 1946 - July 16, 2025)

Ray left us in the early hours of July 16 at the Oceanside Trillium Hospice in Parksville with his wife, Glenna, and daughter Bree beside him. He was diagnosed with glioblastoma cancer, an aggressive form of cancer of the brain, on May 26, 2025. Although surgery removed much of the cancer, there were too many complications for his body to survive. He was 78 years old.

He is survived by his immediate family: wife Glenna, daughter Bree (Ryan), grandchildren Nyah, Finn, and Dante, his sister Maureen Clements (Peter), and brother Trevor Henry (Patricia), nephew Shane, niece Stephanie (Rob), and great-niece Charlotte Rose.

Ray is predeceased by his father, John Henry, his mother Elizabeth (Betty) Nevin Henry, and his beautiful daughter Amanda Ann Welch (August 23,2022).

Ray leaves behind many, many friends and extended family members across Canada, and around the world, including those in Ireland, the USA, and Hawaii.

He felt it was his duty as a Granddad to take kids for ice cream (he loved it too!) and in June, prior to brain surgery, he hosted a Dairy Queen Party with his grandchildren and nephews Pearson and Rowan (Murray and Lisa). It was a wonderful time, but sadly, it was his last time spent with them.

Born and raised in Portrush, Northern Ireland, he emigrated to Canada at the age of 18, where he lived in Edmonton for 5 years. In 1969, he was posted to Uranium City as a Radio Operator, and within a few years, he trained as an Air Traffic Controller. His career took him to Lethbridge Tower, Edmonton and Vancouver Centres, and finally to Victoria Tower. Once in BC, he lived in Tsawwassen, Ladner, Brentwood Bay, Royal Bay (Colwood), Bear Mountain (Langford), and Parksville. He retired from ATC in Victoria in 2002, and we moved to Parksville in 2020.

As a young boy, he discovered the joy of competition. He excelled at football (soccer), golf, and badminton, and spent his summers at Rathmore Golf Club in Portrush.

While his parents were alive and once he could afford it, Ray travelled home to visit and golf as often as possible.

Ray was well-liked and was a master at storytelling with his sharp wit and big heart. Golf was a constant thread in Ray's life. Over the years, he was a proud member of the Highlands, Beach Grove, Royal Colwood, Bear Mountain, and Pheasant Glen golf clubs. When vacationing in Maui, he loved playing in 'Da Game' and got to know many of the locals. In the 1980s, he became an overseas member of his cherished Royal Portrush GC. In his 70s, he regularly shot his age or better. He played countless tournaments but would likely say his proudest achievement was qualifying for the 2005 USGA Senior Amateur Championship.

Retirement to Ray meant the privilege of spending 8 hours a day at the golf course, sharing stories, playing cards, enjoying scones, coffee, and Pinot Grigio with family and friends.

As much as he loved golf, Ray's greatest joy was his family. Life with Glenna, Bree, and Amanda — and later Bree's husband Ryan, and children Nyah and Finn, and Amanda's husband Dan and son Dante — was his true passion. From the day he entered our lives 33 years ago, he taught us to be strong, have fun, golf, play cards, and most importantly, to live life fully.

His idea of looking after the girls when they were young was to take them to the golf course. Bree had started golfing before Ray joined our little family, so that was easy for him, and he immediately got her a junior membership at Beach Grove. Amanda was a little more of a problem because she was too young to be there, so she would often ask Ray 'How old am I today' before they got to the course. They both became very good golfers under his tutelage, and he was so very proud of them on and off the course. He was a devoted father to them.

In August, a small memorial service was held at our home with family and a few close friends attending. In September, his weekly golf group held a fun tournament in his memory.

Friends everywhere were very important to Ray and were like an extended family to him. Although there are too many to list, please know how much each one of you meant to him.

Please share your stories and memories of Ray to keep his spirit and memory alive. Hold him close in your thoughts - remember his laughter, his quick humor, his generosity, and those golf shots that never left the line.

We are deeply grateful for your donations made to the Oceanside Trillium Hospice in his name. Although his stay at the hospice was brief, it was their compassionate care that allowed him to leave this world peacefully.

We will miss him forever.