Obituaries

BANERD, Adair John

May 3, 1934 - May 13, 2023

It is with great sadness that we announce the peaceful passing of Adair on the morning of May 13, in Hospice House, Kelowna, BC, ten days after his 89th birthday.

Adair was predeceased by his parents Eva (nee Voelpel) and his father Frederick Banerd and his twin sister Audrey Hayward. He is survived and will be greatly missed by his wife and friend of 39 years, Anne-Marie De Vos; his sisters Blanche Olejnik of Vancouver and Dolores Banerd of Los Angeles; his five children Bradley (June) of Australia, Karin (Joseph) of Ontario, Laurent (Wendy) of Penticton, Tianne (Robert) Allan of Vancouver, and Nicholas of Toronto; ten grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Adair grew up on a farm near Kipling, Saskatchewan. In 1941, Adair moved with his family to Vancouver where he attended John Oliver Secondary School and the University of British Columbia. In 1957, he graduated with an Honours B.A . in International Studies and Economics and joined the Department of External Affairs as a Foreign Service Officer. After the required training and a cross-country tour, he was posted to Cologne, Germany, and then London, UK. When offered the position of Consul to Japan, he and his first wife declined; preferring to return to Ottawa to raise their four children. While there, he held senior positions in the Department of Citizenship and Immigration, the Treasury Board Secretariat, and with Employment and Immigration Canada where he served as Executive Secretary.

In 1983 he joined the Treasury Board as a Special Advisor in the Temporary Assignment Program where he carried out major assignments for a number of departments and agencies. One such project was a review of the situation at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ontario, on behalf of Customs and Excise. Before retiring, Adair was Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Management, Customs and Excise, Revenue Canada and as such was responsible for the design, planning, and provision of corporate services and facilities required for the introduction and administration of the Goods and Services Tax.

But the career does not make the whole man. Adair was devoted to family religiously keeping tabs on the activities of his various clans. He was a strong father to all of his five children. In the mid-1970s, he found himself a single parent and fulfilling his duties at the office. He was always there to share his wisdom, give them financial support, as well as advice on legal matters. His thoughts in his last months were of his children. Later, when the grandchildren came he enjoyed entertaining them and playing with them in his large backyard pool in Ottawa. When tragedy struck the family of his in-laws with the unexpected death of their only son at age 33, he gave them his full support and much-needed comfort. In 1984 he remarried and later fathered a fifth child, Nicholas, at the age of 52 with his second wife.

Adair was a passionate reader of short stories, murder and spy mysteries, and detective stories, and was also an avid spectator of British TV series. While serving as a diplomat, he developed a taste for gourmet food, fine wines, cigars, and single-malt scotch. He had a sharp ear for classical music and choir music in particular as he had sung in a choir in his youth, and his mother had been a church organist. In the summers he would spend much time gardening and making his houses much more beautiful and practical.

In retirement, if he wasn’t keeping up-to-date with the financial markets and building his investment portfolio he would be at the Parkinson Recreation Centre working out and chatting with his gym buddies. His other interest was to research into his ancestry and he discovered that his German-speaking ancestors had left Galicia for Russia enticed by the promises of Catherine the Great and finally discontented, came to Canada to work the land. They homesteaded in Saskatchewan and, like many others, opened up Western Canada.

The family would like to thank Dr. Khoo and his team at the BC Cancer Clinic Kelowna for their several years of care as well as the Central Okanagan Hospice House where Adair was treated so well.

Adair has been cremated and his ashes will be deposited at the Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa.

If you wish, in lieu of flowers, please give to the BC Cancer Agency Kelowna, www.bccancer.bc.ca/our-services/centres-clinics/bc-cancer-kelowna, the Central Okanagan Hospice House, hospicehousekelowna.com or to your local animal shelter (SPCA), spca.bc.ca/locations/kelowna/.

A Memorial Service will be held at the Springfield Funeral Home, 2020 Springfield Road, Kelowna, BC, on Saturday, June 3, 2023, at 10:00 am, followed by a luncheon. If you are unable to attend in person, please join the family online by Livestream at the time of the service (see below), a recording will be made available to view shortly thereafter.

Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.springfieldfuneralhome.com.

Link: www.springfieldfuneralhome.com/obituaries/banerd-adair-john/

Condolence Messages

Jun 02, 2023
So very sad for Anne-Marie and all of Adair's family. The words you wrote about him are wonderful and I am sorry I didn't get to know him better as a neighbour at the Fountains. He will be missed. My condolences to you Anne-Marie and all the children and grandchildren. Chris Bischoff - Christine Bischoff
May 29, 2023
Adair will be missed...I enjoyed our conversations at the gym.. A very neat man...

Les - les
May 28, 2023
So sad to hear of the passing of our friend Adair! We spent many hours together at Parkinsons and commiserated about the Blue Jays and marvelled at the latest news of Tiger Woods. Adair convinced me I could file my own income tax! Royce and I will miss him dearly!

Royce and Jeff Higa - Jeff Higa
May 26, 2023
Adair was a gentleman from the word 'go' and his loss is a shock to all who knew him at the gym centre. We especially wish his wife and family, 'Bon Courage'

We grieve his loss then celebrate having known him. He will be missed.

Jerry (One of his gym buddies) & Bonnie. - Jerry Cohen.