Support For Arlene Vaillancourt (Gary Friesen)

Many of you who know Arlene and Gary know that they enjoyed three years of marriage and many years together before Gary passed suddenly on December 4, 2024. In moments like these, a new, unprepared for reality begins to set in while the past is still so fresh and even surreal. Our hearts are with Arlene as she grapples with a new world without her beloved Gary next to her.

And now, Arlene is also grappling with her new financial situation as she looks for ways to cover the bills in the short term while she re-orients her life moving forward. This is a moment when we as a community can step in and show our care and support by offering Arlene a bit of a lift with finances. Needless to say, her bills are rapidly building up - phone, insurance, and other costs of living. Added to this, as a postal worker, Arlene has been without pay for a month and the plan was to live off of Gary’s income during the Canada postal strike.

Gary, affectionately known as GearBear in the diving community, was an avid diver and beloved member of the diving community. He always had a smile on his face and was full of laughter! Gary was an excellent dive buddy, instructor and friend to all. His passion extended to making beautiful and interesting places for divers to enjoy in his work with the ARSBC. It was in this world that he met and fell in love with his beautiful wife Arlene. He was a fantastic husband and a loving stepfather to Annie and Opi (grandfather) to Anika. Gary was a beloved family member to his large extended family. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Arlene is incredibly grateful to for all the and kind words that she has received.