George Sivertz

The family of George Sivertz are deeply saddened to announce his passing on June 3 following a terminal cancer diagnosis in December of last year. George was born in Vancouver but spent most of his childhood and adolescence in Salmon Arm, BC, where he returned to live for the last few years of his life. He attended UBC and married in Vancouver, then moved to Maple Ridge in the late 1980s where he and his wife raised a family and where he continued to live until his recent move back to Salmon Arm.

In his early years, he enjoyed exploring the foothills of the Shuswap region, looking for rattlesnakes and interesting rocks. His passion for nature and discovery led him to his career as an exploration geologist, which began in the early 1970s and continued to his retirement in the late 2000s. His work and adventurous spirit took him all over BC and to every continent except Antarctica. In the 1990s and 2000s, he spent many years in the Andean Region of Peru, where he learned fluent Spanish and met many people and places that have remained close to his heart.

George lived an eventful life – from almost being traded for a pair of white camels in Morocco in the 1970s, to playing drums in a garage band (Arctic Madness) in the 1980s, to being held for ransom for a brief time in Peru in the 1990s.

He was known and loved by family and friends for his charm, humour, and generosity, and his love of eclectic bands, fine wines, and cheap candy. Those who have met him, even briefly, remember how he could light up a room with his gift of the gab, which will be sorely missed by those who knew him well.

George is survived by his daughters, Kristen and Samantha, his partner, Valerie, his mother, Marguerite, and his brothers, Frank and Christopher; he is predeceased by his sister, Laurie, and his father, Henry.

An informal memorial with family and friends will be held at a later date – if you are a friend of George and would like to attend or send condolences, please contact Kristen Sivertz at gsivertzmemorial@gmail.com. If you would like to donate in George’s memory, please consider the Because I Am a Girl project at Plan International Canada or the BC Cancer Foundation.

Byesy-bye, dad. We love you.