SILINS, Janis
Born: 03 March 1939 in Ventspils, Latvia
Died: 07 July 2014 in Delta, BC
Our beloved Janis "John/Jan" Silins passed away at Irene Thomas Hospice in Delta, BC on Monday, July 7, 2014 at the age of 75. Janis is survived by wife Julija, brothers Vilnis and Dzidris, daughter Sandra, son Karlis (Kathy), and grandchildren Benjamin, Oskar, Akina, Aija, and Teo. Predeceased by father Karlis, mother Helena, and son-in-law Peter Anderson.
Janis' family fled to Sweden from Latvia during the Soviet annexation of the Baltic states at the end of World War II. In 1951 they came to Canada and settled in BC where, not long after, Janis' father Karlis died in a logging accident. After high school, Janis joined the Royal Canadian Navy where he learned to fly. On the aircraft carrier HMCS Bonaventure he flew the "Tracker" an anti-submarine aircraft. Subsequent to his military career Janis became a commercial airline pilot for the rest of his working life. He flew Boeing 737's, Airbus A320's, and DC10's for Transair, Pacific Western, and Canadian Airlines. To his great satisfaction his daughter Sandra also became an aviator.
Janis is remembered by all who met him as a genuinely good natured and jolly fellow, who was always ready to make light of any situation with humour. During retirement, Janis enjoyed spending time with family, reading about science and history, brewing wine, and tinkering with electronics.
Janis will be terribly missed by all, but we are comforted to know that he is at peace. The family would like to thank all the caregivers who have helped him over the years, in particular the wonderful staff at Surrey Memorial Hospital and the Irene Thomas Hospice in Ladner. A Memorial Service will be held on Monday, July 14 at Victory Memorial Park Funeral Centre 14831 28th Avenue in Surrey, at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the BC Cancer Foundation.
Originally published in the Vancouver Sun.
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