Obituary: Jack Gaston has passed away

Dr. Jack Gaston, the founding member of the History department, passed away on September 17, 2024. Jack had been living in Victoria with his wife Nicole since his retirement in 2008. Founding Fraser Valley College Dean of Instruction Dick Bate hired Jack as the first history instructor for the college in 1975. He was the … Read more

Sad news: Gary Williams has passed away

Many at UFV will be saddened to hear that Gary Williams, a resident Elder with UFV’s Indigenous Student Centre, passed away on June 30, 2024. Shirley Hardman, Associate Vice-President, Xwexwílmexwawt, prepared this statement: “It is with a deep sense of loss that we inform our university community of the passing of long-time resident Elder Gary … Read more

Sad news: Theresa Neel has passed away

Many will be saddened to hear that Theresa Neel has passed away. Theresa worked for many years in roles supporting Indigenous education at UFV (in its FVC and UCFV days). The following story is based on an interview conducted with Theresa in 2009. Theresa played a key role in the development of strong relationships between … Read more

Sad news: Myra Hughes has passed away

It is with profound sadness that we announce the unexpected passing of Myra Hughes, nee Vandergronden, on Sept 24, 2023 at the age of 63. Myra worked at UFV for more than a decade. She spent time in auxiliary in 2010-11 as an International Education assistant, admin assistant in Professional Studies, admissions clerk, and office … Read more

Obituary: Gloria Wolfson has passed away

The School of Social Work and Human Services recently learned that Dr. Gloria Wolfson, inaugural director of the School of Social Work and Human Services, passed away on Sunday, August 6, 2023, in Toronto. Dr. Wolfson joined Fraser Valley College in 1979 as head of the Social Services department. She continued as department head through … Read more

Sad news: retiree Brian Wiebe has passed away

Many at UFV will be saddened to hear that Brian Wiebe has passed away. A longtime member of the Facilities team, Brian passed away suddenly on March 9, 2023. His former colleague Brandon Tournier shared this statement with us: “Brian was a man who lived his family. He would do anything for his parents (while … Read more

Sad news: Gayle Ramsden has passed away

Many people at UFV will be saddened to hear that long-time employee Gayle Ramsden, a learning strategist in the UFV Academic Success Centre, has passed away.  Gayle passed away on Thursday, October 20, after a valiant heart-related 16-day battle in intensive care units in both Abbotsford and New Westminster. Her husband Greg, sisters Glynis, Glenda, … Read more

Obituary: Greg Aitken

  Greg Aitken, who served as UFV’s grounds supervisor for many years before retiring in 2017, passed away after a brief illness on Feb 12, 2022. He was instrumental in creating the beautiful landscapes on the UFV Abbotsford and Chilliwack campuses. After his retirement, he and his wife settled into a new home at Cowichan … Read more

Obituary: Carole Harlow

Carole Harlow, a longtime employee in the School of Social Work and Human Services, passed away an January 25. Below is the obituary from the Abbotsford News.   Carole Eileen Harlow    

Obituary: Phyllis Stenson

Phyllis Stenson, who was a friend of UFV for more than four decades, passed away on November 22. Phyllis was the founding executive director of the Harrison Festival of the Arts. Over the decades the Harrison Festival and UFV in all its incarnations partnered on cultural initiatives, including the Literary Cafe at and Evening of … Read more

Obituary: Rae McCombs

Rae McCombs, who played an integral role in UFV’s Continuing Education department in the 1980s and 1990s, passed away peacefully at home on Sept 27, 2019. He leaves to mourn his wife Lillian, who retired from UFV as a chemistry instructor in 2007, as well as three children (Brendan, Michelle, and Damien), one step-daughter (Nicole), … Read more

Obituary: Leslie Wood

Sad news: longtime biology lab technician Leslie Wood has passed away. She was a lab tech in the biology department for almost 35 years, from 1975 until her retirement in 2010. Celebration of life: Sun, June 16 3-5 pm Windsong Cohousing — 20543 96 Ave Langley https://www.ancientburials.com/obituaries/wood-leslie For more information, contact her daughter Liz McDowell … Read more

Obituary: Paul Brar

Many at UFV will be saddened to hear that Paul Brar of the IT department passed away on March 15, 2019. As an IT service desk analyst, Paul was one of the friendly voices at the other end of the IT service desk phone when users called with a computer-related problem. Paul connected with many … Read more

Obituary: Jake Friesen

Jake Friesen, a prominent Abbotsford business person involved in the agricultural industry who received an honorary degree from UFV in 2007, passed away on Feb 7, 2019. A memorial service will be held in Jake’s honor on Tuesday, February 19, 2019 at 11 am at South Abbotsford Church, 32424 Huntingdon Rd., Abbotsford, B.C. The following … Read more