It is with heartfelt sadness that we announce the passing of Ian Hunt on December 2, 2024. He passed from complications of Parkinson’s disease, then left on his final flight to the stars.
Ian was born in Halifax, Yorkshire, England. He was raised in London and in 1972 he received a Graduate Membership from The Royal Institute of Chemistry of Salford.
Ian then emigrated to Canada where in 1975 he received a Master of Science degree from the University of Victoria.
Ian moved to the mainland where from 1983, he devoted a large portion of his life to a company that he and Bill Martin founded and subsequently developed into a successful and still growing enterprise. Some of Ian’s procedures and formulas are still in use today.
Ian had a list of many accomplishments. He acquired his commercial pilot’s licence, taught himself to play and build guitars and later played with the Harvey T Swartz band. He enjoyed hiking and camping, photography, repairing watches and electronics and making wine and beer.
Lastly he built a little sail boat, which he sailed on Burnaby Lake with his family.
Ian was a very humble and quiet man, always a true gentleman.
He will be missed by his special love, Donna, stepsons James and Robert, his former wife Lynda, stepdaughters Geraldine and Isabelle and by his family in the UK, his sister Vikki, brother in law Robert, niece Suzanne and nephew Glen and his brother Philip and nieces Jennifer and Emily.
Our special thanks and appreciation to the Saanich Peninsula Long Term Care Unit 2.
We are grateful for the kind, professional people who tenderly cared for Ian.
Ian’s warm and welcoming nature is missed. Our prayers are with you Donna and the family. When I was with Ian he was always cheerful, talkative and kind. He is a wonderful soul.
My brother told me before his passing. “We are spiritual beings on a physical journey”. Ian is on an incredible journey which we will all be joining in time .
Thank you for those comforting words Gary. It really means a lot to me in these dark moments.
My heartfelt condolences to you Donna and James, and Rob. You must feel an emptiness that threatens to take over, especially when you remember your adventures with Ian in the sky and his companionship. I fondly remember our many visits and the delicious, special meals at Christmas and other special days and the many laughs we shared. I wish you comfort in daily tasks, and renewal in your beautiful garden as you do the hard work of grieving. Lots of love, Ranjini
Your were once my Good neighbour, but will always be my
Good friend. Ian and my boys always loved and had a great respect for you.. ..yes you always knew when he was visiting me, you would comment on his old blue Taurus wagon…you called it his Chariot. ♥️
Dearest Donna, I never met Ian, but through you . The strength you had while Ian was ill , will see you through this time of grief. Love and light to you and your family and all who knew and loved Ian. His flight path has led him to another realm .
Lovely lady I appreciate your beautiful words. Now we can grieve together and share our loss. Thank you for always answering my texts, especially in my darkest hours.♥️
With sincere sympathy dear Donna and family. Ian was a special friend to Rod and myself.
He would come over frequently as he was our handy man! I will cherish his memories forever.
Thank you Sweet Sofi, he was very fond of you both. Rod and Ian are up there on the farm, feeding the pigs beer and snoozing with the cows under the shade of the big red maple trees.
There are never the right words to say at the loss of a lovely man like Ian. We shared very good times together and we even got Ian to dance. He was a very talented man and very deeply dear to our favorite cousin Donna and our wonderful cousins Rob and James. Such individuals are very rare and hard to replace. Donna’s dedication to Ian during his life and his last days is exemplary and was done unselfishly and with love. Mr. Ian will always be remembered in our hearts for the wonderful man that he was. God Bless Ian.
Gerry & Diane & Zoo
Duffy that was the only time I ever saw him dance! He had many talents but dancing was not unfortunately one of them. We had some fun times with you, Gerry and the Zoo !
I will treasure those moments always♥️
My deepest condolences to you Donna, and James. Sending you love and strength as you navigate through this challenging time in life.
Thank you Jen, you are a precious and special friend. Hopefully soon the three of us can take a flight to Edinburgh, and there toast Ian with a wee dram of good Scottish Whiskey
I had first met Ian many years ago through Donna since all three of us shared a common interest in aviation. I had always found Ian a very accomplished person overall. I know Donna, family and friends are going to miss him dearly. RIP Ian and where you have gone, you will not need the Cessna anymore to fly because you have your own wings now
Jan we met at the old hangar at YZBB in 2002,
In 2007 I met Ian there as well. I will never forget when I first saw him. I was sitting outside with cup of tea, while watching the planes take off from the runway. I saw a tall man in the distance walking towards me. He came up to me inquiring about aircraft rentals. I took him inside and showed him my dad’s Nanchang cj6, which was in your care, soon it was sold. I had just purchased WXG which you assisted me in purchase and sadly also in her sale in 2021. Ian and I had many wonderful hours of adventures with her.
Thank you for your beautiful last words.
I will remember Ian as a pilot, a musician, and a gentleman. Life is always too short. Rest in peace Ian.
Condolences to my dear friend, Donna, and the family.
❤️ Thank You for all your love and concern. I have no siblings, and you have always been like a sister to me.❤️
Our sincere condolences to you, Donna, and your family on the passing of Ian. Our hearts go out to you during this incredibly difficult time.
We are deeply grateful for the privilege of having known Ian. He was truly a remarkable man—kind, gentle, brilliant, and humble. Whether as an accomplished musician, a brilliant scientist, or someone with an array of unique interests and talents, Ian was always a joy to be around. There was never a shortage of fascinating conversations with him, whether about sailing, music, real estate, beer, or so much more.
We will always treasure the times we spent together, and we will miss him dearly. To a life well lived… until we meet again, my friend.
Hartelijk dank voor je mooie eerbetoon , heel veel liefs
❤️
Ian’s wisdom and kindness left a lasting impact on me. When I was in school he would often leave notes of encouragement on my car before big exams that he knew I was worried about. It was always comforting to know mum was flying with such a detailed-oriented and skilled pilot, and I have fond memories of sharing food and drinks with him at Mary’s Bleue Moon and many Christmas dinners. Ian will be deeply missed.
❤️
I will miss flying with you, hiking, going for beers, holiday dinners, going to Salt Spring, and many other adventures we had over the last 16 years. We’ll meet again at the Crow And Gate Pub, and have a few pints.
Love James
❤️
Our condolences to those that were close to Ian particularly Donna.
We only had the pleasure of meeting Ian twice. Once in White Rock and another time when we visited Vancouver Island. My lasting impression was that he was a gentle soul who had many passions in life. Sending much love at this difficult time.
Gina and Frank
Gracias Las queremos a las dos
Being 7yrs older than me and having left the UK when I was still a teenager, Ian was somewhat of a mystery to me. We got to know each other a little better when I visited him for a month in 1975 and met a lot of his Uni friends and had some real adventures. it was a never to be forgotten experience and left an indelible memory for me to cherish. Unfortunately, ‘normal life’ meant his visits to the UK were few and far between as were our conversations. We drifted apart once more, until that is Vikki, Robert and I visited for his 70th birthday, meeting his great pal Jamie once again and enjoying some of the wonders of Vancouver Island. It was a special time for my sister and I. i regret his passing at such a young age in todays world but imagine that his ailments meant it may have been a happy release in the end.
My condolences to Donna and her family and everyone else whose lives were touched by the presence of my big brother.
Nothing I can say will take away the pain you’re experiencing. Just want you to know that I care about you, and I share in your sadness.” My condolences to all who knew and loved Ian.
Ihre freundlichen Worte haben mir Kraft gegeben. Immer viel Liebe.
So Sorry Donna for your loss my condolences to you and your family
Thanks for dropping by today, with the beautiful crystal hummingbird. It will light up the room and my heart.
Ian, You were our first employee and absolutely admired by all that you intermixed with. You were a friend, a gentleman, and a brilliant scientist. You have left far to early but your legacy shall continue for many years into the future. Thinking of you, my friend.
Your thoughtfulness and kindness has given me so much needed support. Bless you
My condolences to Donna and everyone whose lives Ian touched.
Goodbye old friend. I’m going to miss you and that wicked sense of humour.
Jamie you have always been a good and special friend to Ian. I know he appreciated you for always being there for me.