Gone but not Forgotten

Volunteers, Board Members and others who have left a lasting mark on RPBO before they left this earth.

Warren Drinnan
April 22, 2024

Warren Drinnan

Warren had been a birder in the Victoria area since the early seventies when he attended UVic as a masters student in biological oceanography. Although he spent some of his working career on the East Coast, he became active in birding the Victoria area on his return. He was an instructor at Camosun and taught an annual birding course. He encouraged his students to support RPBO activities, and he himself volunteered with RPBO as a census birder. He coordinated CBC counts in Central Saanich for many years until serious back problems excluded field birding. Even then, he was an active eBirder while watching his home feeders. 

James Campbell Finlay (Cam)
December, 2023

James Campbell Finlay (Cam)

We share sad news.  The originator of the Hummingbird Project, Cam Finlay, passed away peacefully in December.

Working tirelessly in his retirement with his wife Joy, Cam set up hummingbird banding sites and trained monitoring teams across BC and Alberta. Together, these teams have collected data that have led to a much better understanding of the hummingbirds breeding in these provinces, from their survivorship to how they use the habitat and the threats they face.

Testament to Cam’s energy, skill and enthusiasm, is our paper (below) on population and survivorship that came out in December. Sites he started, data he collected and teams he formed, were at the core of much of the monitoring data used. One of the most important findings in this paper is the role played by poor juvenile survivorship in the Rufous Hummingbird population decline. This understanding is particularly important right now because these data will inform the population assessment being undertaken this winter by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC).

Cam was our friend and mentor. While he will be missed greatly, he will be remembered with great appreciation and his ‘little retirement project’ will have a lasting value for hummingbird conservation in Western Canada.

Celebration of Life  - January 22, 2024

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English S.G., Wilson S., Zhao Q., Bishop C.A., and Moran A.J. (2023).  Demographic mechanisms and anthropogenic drivers of contrasting population dynamics of hummingbirds.    Biol Cons BIOCON-D-23-00765.

Rick Schortinghuis
February 26, 2022

Rick Schortinghuis

Rick Schortinghuis joined RPBO right about the same time as he started birding. Over the years, Rick dedicated many thousands of hours, first as a volunteer, and then as a bander, to the organization. He served on the board, as a MAPS and passerine bander and substitute owl bander. Rick helped with census, net lane clearing, setup, teardown, anything that needed doing for the cause. Despite all the things he could do, Rick will be most remembered for who he was. He received the greatest joy from sharing what he saw and what he knew with others. No one in our organization has spent more time nurturing beginning birders and banders-young and not so young. His sense of humor and genuine interest in others made him understandably popular in our community. He was a true naturalist, not satisfied with just knowing the birds, but delving into insects and plants as well. In addition to all he did for RPBO, Rick was a mainstay for the Victoria Natural History Society as well, serving as a trip leader dozens of times each year.

Many RPBO volunteers benefited from Rick's knowledge and tutelage and the organization is stronger for it. His laugh was contagious and the friendly teasing both given and received added to the banding sessions.

One comment received on news of his passing sums up his spirit:

"Happy Rick with the laugh that filled the bowl of Madrona with its beauty."
David Chambers, Madrona Farms

Rick is survived by his brother Frank and sister-in-law Joyce, sister-in-law Jean, and their families, and many friends in the birding and naturalist communities.

David Allinson
October 14, 2017

David Allinson

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the sudden loss of RPBO founding member, David Allinson. David is a well-known birder and naturalist, and he helped lay the foundation for the organization we have become. He was RPBO's first president, and ultimately was declared "President Emeritus" for his many years of dedicated service.

After an extended absence for work and family-related commitments, David picked up with us again last year, and had been volunteering with us on a regular basis. We always knew that Rocky Point was in his heart, even when he wasn't physically present. A sudden heart attack will keep him physically away again, but he will always be with us going forward. We're working hard, David, to make this the organization you knew it could be! Our deepest condolences to David's parents, Syd and Beverly, his wife, Melissa, his children, Bronwyn, Hunter, and Patience and all of his family and friends.

David passed away while attending his brother's wedding.

Ryan Cathers
May 17, 2014

Ryan Cathers

Although Ryan spent more time with the Vancouver Island University banding project, he volunteered with RPBO  in 2012 and 2013. Seen as an up and coming star in the bird monitoring community, Ryan took a job with Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory right after graduating in 2014. Ryan was very active in the bird community in other ways as well, including coordinating the Nanaimo Christmas Bird Count. Sadly, he was involved in a fatal car accident just weeks after starting his first job as a bander.

Donna Murray
December 16, 2013

Donna Murray

Donna Murray was a much-loved RPBO volunteer. Always cheerful and excited to learn new things, she loved helping out at the banding station and behind the scenes. She even brought her partner, Debby Yaffe, to help set up nets at Witty's Lagoon.

Donna discovered her first symptom when leaving RPBO one day; she couldn't turn the ignition in her car (hand weakness). She thought maybe she was just tired, but further tests brought the diagnosis of ALS. Even with the disease, Donna did what she could to support RPBO, including hosting our first Open House at Pedder Bay Marina in 2012 and attending the Lieutenant-Governor's visit in 2013. She battled the illness with grace and courage for eighteen months.

It was with great sadness that we learned of Donna's passing in December 2013. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

Tom Gillespie
November 26, 2013

Tom Gillespie

Tom was born in Vancouver. He spent his early years there, starting school at General Brock Elementary. Tom's love of nature blossomed when his family moved to Boho Island in 1955. This was a golden opportunity for a young boy fascinated by the outdoors. He attended Lasqueti Elementary and his interest in the natural world grew as he explored nearby islands. As an adult, Tom always stayed near the sea. He worked on the seine boats and as a deckhand on the packers for fish plants. He went on to be a commercial fisherman, owning his own boat and fishing as a troller and gillnetter. In the off season, Tom worked as a carpenter or as a boom operator at sawmills. Later, he went on to become a construction contractor in Victoria. Tom loved being on the coast and this summer, he greatly enjoyed a cruise to Alaska with his son, Burke.

Tom's love of nature was immense and he put his energy, thought, skill and time into a number of environmental organizations. In his very quiet and competent way, Tom made things happen. He acted as Bookkeeper, Secretary and Treasurer on boards, he banded birds, managed data, fixed equipment, sent out newsletters and managed memberships, to name just a few of the roles he played in these organizations. He was made an honorary life member of the Victoria Natural History Society and received an Acorn award from The Garry Oak Ecosystem Recovery Team. Tom was also closely involved with the Garry Oak Meadow Preservation Society, Rocky Point Observatory, The Friends of Ecological Reserves, and the BC Purple Martin Stewardship Recovery Program.

Tom was also an enthusiastic amateur ornithologist and this interest led him into projects for monitoring hummingbirds, purple martins and passerines. Tom remained active in these projects until his final days, actively banding almost 400 purple martin nestlings in the summer of 2013.

Of his work for RPBO, Ann Nightingale wrote: "RPBO would not have existed today if it were not for Tom's behind the scenes efforts. He has been the rock of our organization."

Tom is survived by his son Burke, his grandson Kyle and his brothers John and Sandy.

Susan Karens
October 3, 2008

Susan Karens

Susan completed her journey home. She has gone ahead to prepare the way for her husband and spiritual partner of seven years, Christopher Harris; mother and father; Frank and Maggie Pellizzon; sister Jackie Phillips, her husband Walter, and their boys, Conner and Parker and the pooches Smudge and Murphy. She is also survived by her birding and painting buddies (brothers) Ed and Greg, his partner Debbie Drover and all of the relatives in Holland and Italy.

During the last twenty months Susan provided for all who knew her with an example of what commitment, perseverance, courage, love and the power of belief truly means. In the face of overwhelming odds Susan never wavered from the stand she chose and the vision she beheld. Her journey and spiritual transformation will be remembered forever.

To the family and many friends, colleagues and associates whose lives Susan touched, know that her spirit is still with us as it will be until all who follow greet her once again as we complete our own journeys home.

Fenwick Lansdowne
July 27, 2008

Fenwick Lansdowne

Born in Hong Kong in 1937, Lansdowne was left partially paralyzed after he had polio when he was 10 months old. He immigrated with his mother, Edith, to Victoria in 1940.

From 1975 to 1987, he had annual exhibits at the Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wisconsin, the Holy Grail of bird art. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Victoria and in 1995 was awarded the Order of Canada.

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, wrote the foreword to Lansdowne's Birds of the West Coast: Volume Two.
"Fenwick Lansdowne has the exceptional ability to capture such moment with a seemingly effortless assurance, but which can only come from intimate knowledge, immense care and remarkable talent."

Despite the international renown, Lansdowne's studio was a small, sparsely furnished cottage in Oak Bay. There, he would use bird "skins," a few pencil sketches and memory to create his lifelike paintings.

Victoria artists remember Lansdowne as a private, humble man who disliked special attention. In 2004, he agreed to be honorary president for the Rocky Point Bird Observatory. As honorary president, he visited the site with his daughter Emma, and was clearly taken with the work that we are doing.

Lansdowne is survived by his wife, Helen, son, Tristram, and daughter, Emma. Emma and Helen participated in the Northern Saw-whet Owl Banding project in 2008. The Lansdowne family continues to support the work of Rocky Point Bird Observatory.

David Kelly
July 1, 2008

David Kelly

David was born in Colwyn Bay, Wales, and spent the first ten years of his life on the Isle of Man. David's family emigrated to Canada in 1955, his father joined the RCAF, and David spent the next decade on airforce stations in Quebec, Alberta and Ontario. He completed high school in Goderich, Ontario, after which he attended and received degrees from the Universities of Waterloo, Toronto and Harvard. David spent his career helping to build and improve medicare from within the civil service.

David became President of Rocky Point Bird Observatory in 2004, and his expertise and energy helped take our organization to a whole new level. David encouraged us all to look to the future at what RPBO could be and work towards those goals.

Throughout his life, David was an avid bird watcher and enthusiastic cyclist. His passion for the outdoors took him on adventure tours across Canada and many parts of the world. He was a board member of the Habitat Acquisition Trust. In his retirement, David continued his love of politics by serving as President of the Saanich Gulf Islands Federal Liberal Riding Association where he gained many staunch supporters and admirers. David is survived by the love of his life, Sharon; his children Jane, Jason and Evan; grandchildren Bryana, Hudson, Robyn and Ronan; parents Stan and Lil; and brother John.

Michael Porter
October 1, 2005

Michael Porter

Deeply loved by his wife, Anne; his children and their spouses, Tanya (Jim), Sandy (Dale), Erik (Nicole), Owen (Dorrit), Rebecca; and his granddaughters, Shelby and Taryn. Born in Eastbourne, UK on August 9th, 1934, he moved to Canada with his parents in 1953. Michael had an outstanding medical career which continued long beyond his official retirement. Until he became ill, he traveled the world, sharing his expertise to improve the health and lives of many.

Michael had many interests. He was an avid bird watcher, and a founding member of the Long Point Bird Observatory, major contributor to the early work of Bird Studies Canada, and valued member and director of Rocky Point Bird Observatory. He was also a passionate collector of antiquarian books, specializing in the Arctic, Antarctic and early voyages. Most of all, he was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather and friend. He was also a fund of knowledge, compassion and generosity. His sense of adventure and love of life affected all who knew him.

Before his death, Michael created the Rocky Point Bird Observatory Endowment Fund to provide an anchor for the future.

September 12, 2001

Bev Glover

Bev Glover was one of the founding members of Rocky Point Bird Observatory and served as a Board Member, volunteer coordinator and site manager for several years. Born and raised in Victoria, Bev earned a BSc in biology from UVic in 1979 before heading to Ontario for a master's in botany and environmental biology at the University of Guelph. She stayed there for another five years, honing her considerable teaching skills as a lab instructor.

Bev returned to UVic in 1989, where she had the difficult task of coordinating teaching labs, organizing teaching assistants, preparing lab materials, filling in for faculty at lectures and acting as a surrogate parent for students, grad students, and sometimes, even faculty. Year after year, students consistently rated her as one of the best teachers in the department.

Glover died in September, 2001 after a protracted battle with cancer.

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