Died suddenly and peacefully, surrounded by his family and the prayers of his friends, on December 26th, 2014, in the ICU of the Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria, BC.
Born in Toronto on May 21st, 1952, and raised in Montreal, Ian studied at McGill University, where he earned a BA, a Bachelor of Theology, and a Master of Divinity from the Presbyterian College. In 2010 he was recognised for his outstanding contributions to ministry and was conferred with a Doctor of Divinity (honoris causa) from his alma mater.
Called Dr. Victor by his students, Rev. Ian by his parishioners, Ian by his friends and family, Dad by his kids, Papa by his grandson, and Don by telemarketers and the unscrupulous, he wore many hats and was as a mentor and friend to many.
Ian was ordained in Montreal in 1979, and he served as minister at churches in Duvernay, QC; Eckville, AB; Petrolia, ON; West Vancouver, BC; Ottawa, ON; and Victoria, BC, where he semi-retired in May of 2013. During his over thirty year ministry he also acted as a moderator in the presbyteries of Sarnia (ON), Westminster (BC), Vancouver Island (BC), and the Synod of British Columbia. He served on many national boards and committees, including as the Convenor of the Committee on Church Doctrine. He was a prolific writer and speaker, he was a contributing editor to the Presbyterian Record, wrote many feature articles and book reviews, penned weekly newspaper columns in both Alberta and Ontario (where he also hosted a radio show), and he twice received national writing awards from the Canadian Church Press Association, for Best Feature Article and Best Creative Writing. He told the best jokes. In 2013, he took up the post of Acting Director of Pastoral Studies at the Presbyterian College in Montreal, where he took tremendous joy in supporting students and helping to shape the life of the College and the Church.
He was madly in love with Cathy, his wife of nearly 40 years, with whom he shared a life of service. He adored his children, who inherited his bad jokes, vices, and thirst for justice. He was smitten with his grandson, who returned the feeling. He doted on his dog, whom he named Johann Sebastian Bark. He loved music, popcorn, books, hockey, TV, God, and a good fart joke, in no particular order. An intellectual who never made anyone feel inferior, a pastor with boundless compassion, a friend full of charm and laughter, a devoted husband, father, brother, uncle, and grandfather, and a nightmare to restaurant employees, he was an awesome person in all senses of the word. Ian had his own flaws, but it was all the better that he could relate to the most broken-hearted people with disarming and sincere love and empathy.
He leaves a gaping hole in the lives of his wife, Cathy (Victoria, BC); son Dan, daughter-in-law Jen, and grandson Matty (North Vancouver, BC); and daughters Rachel (Vancouver, BC) and Letha (Toronto, ON). Ian is also survived by his sister Maggie (Vancouver, BC) and many nieces and nephews in Alberta, British Columbia, and Quebec.
We, his family, are grateful to the professional and caring staff at the Royal Jubilee Hospital, as well as to his friends and family for their innumerable prayers on his and our behalf.
A visitation will be held on Friday, January 2nd, from 6pm to 8pm at McCall Bros., Johnson & Vancouver (1400 Vancouver Street, Victoria). A service of witness to the resurrection, in thanksgiving for his life, will be held at 2pm on Saturday, January 3rd, at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Victoria, BC (680 Courtney Street).
In lieu of flowers, we would be grateful for contributions to Presbyterian World Service & Development (50 Wynford Drive, Toronto, ON, M3C 1J7) and to the capital campaign of the Presbyterian College of Montreal (3495 University Street, Montreal, QC, H3A 2A8).
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Bros. Funeral Home
www.mccallbros.com.
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Gavin Robertson - on behalf of the Presbytery of Kootenay
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Rick Cleaver loved him.
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maggie victor Thank you everyone for your loving messages and kind thoughts. For us, Ian left all too soon. We would have preferred that he stay longer.
He decided on a life of service at a very young age, and it was between him and God when that service was fulfilled.
However faultily some may see his living of that service, I know that he honoured it to his last breath!
His Big Sis,
Maggie Victor
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Judy Grat Pitt Dear Margie,
Lynn passed this on to me. I was so sorry to hear about dear Ian. I remember how he loved to play “kick ball” with the big kids. Such a tragedy for your family.
Judy
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Lynn Carmody Dearest Maggie,
It is with much sadness that I write this condolence on the recent passing of your brother, Ian. I still remember him as that young lad growing up on Prairie Drive in Beaconsfield. My prayers and thoughts go out to you, my dear friend, and to all the Victor family and their loved ones. God Bless.
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Elaine Nagy Cathy, I was so sorry to hear of Ian’s death. When I think of him, I am reminded of his huge smile and terrific sense of fun! He had such a gift for helping people connect with each other. After Presbytery pub nights were never much fun without him. I cannot imagine what a huge hole he leaves in you lives. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family in the coming months. Elaine Nagy
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Mark Mackenzie Ian was a great support and comfort to my family when my father died almost exactly 2 years before Ian. He was generous with his time and presence and we really appreciated that.
Very funny, conspicuously smart, and a great preacher.
Cathy – you and your family are in our prayers.
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Rober.t Barr Dear Cathy and family.
Lilias, Catherine, and I were shocked to hear of Ian’s death. He was a great influence on our family during our time of association at West Van Presbyterian. Please accept our deepest sympathies. He will be missed.
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Dr. Stephen Starr Dear Cathy and children,
I was grieved to hear of Ian’s passing. We shared a deep, warm friendship and fellowship. He enriched my life as he did for so many others. After our professional relationship concluded, I continued to think of him often. I will remember and cherish our friendship all my days. I wish you strength through this difficult time. May his memory always be a blessing to you.
With love,
Stephen Starr
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Dorothy and Kate Ferguson We were so sorry to hear the sad news of Ian. Our family have a treasury of happy memories of the Victor family in Ottawa, from a swim on a hot summer day to time spent with Oscar who despite the theological influence in his life had taking ways. We will miss Ian,. Please keep in touch. Kate and I wish you the blessing of peace.
Dorothy
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Ina Cummings I saw Ian as a person defined by wit and wisdom in equal measure, mixed with large dollops of generosity of spirit. Though my contact with him was minimal, I feel the richer for it. My sincere condolences to his family.
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margaret stonyk To Cathy and the Victor family
Heartfelt condolences from Margaret and George Stonyk. Ian was a larger than life presence in our lives, through the wonder that is the internet: an unfailing source of wit and wisdom, good counsel, and bemused sympathy at the vagaries of government. His spirit lives on in an archive of comments, and many generously shared sermons from St Giles and St Andrew’s. Ian was a man of consummate faith, who met and encouraged us in our own Christian journey, living his own beliefs in every aspect of his existence. His family was constant joy to him, and he was blessedly able to continue teaching until the very end.
We treasure his memory, and look to meet again. Meanwhile, there is Facebook, to keep us in touch with you all. It was such a lovely memorial service.
God bless you.
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Rick Medlock Cathy and all the Victor Family,
We, the Medlock Family, extend our deepest sympathies on hearing of Ian’s passing. I (Rick) personally am glad to have met you both this last summer. With that one encounter and seeing this obituary & condolence contributors above I can see that Ian had the “realism” factor well in hand. Common family item is jokes and fart jokes….
May the love of your family get you through any tough times ahead.
Rick & Elaine, Ken and Linda, Barry and Bonnie and Wendy.
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Sasha Culley I only heard of Ian’s death this morning at church. My sincere condolences , Cathy.
My husband, Robert, always appreciated Ian as a student…..his sharp mind, his sense of humour, his kind ways…a fun student to teach. He continued to keep tabs on Ian over the years and shared Ian’s jokes with me.
We met a few times during his time in Montreal, the last time being at the reading of The Christmas Carol at St. Columba on Dec. 6th. He was such a marvellous reader ! He was a very fine man. We were all blessed to have known him.
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Heather C. I am so very sorry for your loss.
Our hearts go out to you and your family and we send you lots of love and will be thinking of you.
Sincerest sympathies,
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M Harker It was my plan to be at the service but threat of snow changed my mind. The obituary, surely the best I have ever read, made me feel as if I had known Ian, and not just you, Cathy. Clearly an intense loss but also what a wonderful use he made of his time with his family and numerous connections. Sincere condolences.
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Roy Hodges Dear Cathy and Family,
I was saddened to read of Ian’s passing in the Globe and Mail. My sincere condolances and prayers during this time of sorrow. I pray that God’s strength and comfort will be yours. Doreen and I were your neighbors in Suite 407 at The Avenue before moving to Lethbridge in August 2008. Our acquaintance with you both, though brief, was a blessing to us. Doreen passed away on Oct 4 2013 . My feelings for you are therefore real and sincere.May God be your Comforter.
Roy Hodges
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Charles Lewis Please accept my apology that I have not responded sooner. It is a great shock to learn of the death of Ian Victor. Fellowship can be described as the encouragement we give one another , in work , in play, in love, but especially in the community of Christ. This is what Ian Victor gave to me and my fellow student wishing to become Pastors. Thus a legacy has been bestowed and with Christ’s help it will become a reality.
My sincerest condolences to his daughter and Cathy ‘his wife and the large community of believers who he truly touched.
Sincerely
Charles Lewis
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Corinne & Ted Perry Rachel and Letha, long-time friends of our daughters, we are thinking of you and your family during this sad and difficult time.
Corinne and Ted
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Duncan McDowall & Sandy Campbell January 3, 2015 Kingston, Ontario
We noted with great sorrow the loss of Ian Victor, who was our minister at Ottawa’s St. Giles Church. Ian was full of humanity and compassion; his sermons were erudite and spiritually uplifting, but never superior in tone. He always projected a tremendous sense of life — it was always clear that his family, especially his parents in Montreal, his love of a good meal and his trust in God were uppermost in his life. He possessed a good sense of humour — we recall the lovely story of his children “borrowing” mangers from the various churches that he and Cathy oversaw in Ottawa one Christmas eve and presenting them to their parents as a “gift” the next morning. . Ian seemed to understand that an eloquent and activist minister could make a difference in his parishioners’ lives — and indeed he did. Our sincere condolences to Cathy and family. God bless you all.
Duncan & Sandy
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Karenne and Alan Hartley Dear Cathy, Dan, Jen and Matty, Rachel and Letha,
Alan and I extend our heartfelt condolences at this very sad time. We heard first of Ian’s hospitalization and then his passing through Paul Myers.
We met Ian through the death of my father and his pastoral support and kindness to us and our step mother drew us to West Van Presbyterian when we were looking for a church home on the North Shore.
We have so many memories of Ian leading dressed in the robes and honoring the liturgy but using humour and the straight talk of Jesus to challenge us to not be satisfied with the superficial but to be open to the daring path of following Jesus in every day life.
We felt slightly anxious wondering what the kids would put in the mystery bag and so relieved and amazed when Ian would with dramatic flair and sitting with the kids on the steps manage to somehow pull a spiritual lesson from a goofy toy or object.
Ian also taught us patience and tolerance for each other across generations, experiences of faith and cultural practises ( ie all those Scots). He cared about each person and how we lived as a community of Christ’s followers. His acceptance of his own and our faults and foibles helped us be more honest and not take ourselves too seriously. He led and cared for us very well. We honor him in our thoughts and memories.
Love
Karenne and Alan Hartley
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Ann Cowan Buitenhuis Dear Cathy and family,
I was very sad to hear of Ian’s death. You both were great friends to the Stephenson family in Petrolia and I know Mother (Marguerite) very much enjoyed her times with your children, especially in the pool. Dad (Ross) and Ian hoisted a few while you and Mother and any of us who were home enjoyed the splashing. I am sorry we didn’t see you more in Vancouver, but I do know from my Scottish Country dancing friends how much you both contributed to the church in West Vancouver. Ian was a wonderful writer and speaker and Cathy, your ministry gave him great joy and support.It has been ten years since my husband Peter died, five since Mother died and fifteen since Dad’s death. I miss them all, but with time the joy of having had such love in my life, from my parents and my husband has overcome the raw pain of loss. The heart does break and it does take time to mend. My prayers are with you all,
Warmly,
Ann
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Margaret Blair Please accept my condolence.
Sincerely,
Margaret Blair.
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Brenda Nestegaard Paul Ian’s passing is too soon. I am so grateful to have had him as a colleague and friend. My heart goes out to you Cathy; you know how beloved you were by him. To you and your family, may the memories sustain you in the coming days and may the promise of resurrection bring you peace.
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The Rev. Canon Karen K. Fast My deep condolences to Ian’s family, especially Cathy. What a shock to learn of Ian’s death at his relatively young age. I am so sorry.
I came to know Ian through Downtown Churches in Victoria. He brought to the monthly noon time gatherings of ecumenically minded clergy and lay people an open sincerity, respect for all, and especially humour. We were all overworked, tired, and needing a healthy laugh or two before we parted ways again. Ian never let us down. Until I read his obit I had no idea all that he did for his own denomination. He was just one of us for an hour, eating a bag lunch and drinking the coffee provided by the host church for that particular meeting day.
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Josée Lemoine I was just notified of the passing away of Prof. Ian Victor and it comes as a shock to me. He was a great professor, a good listener and someone who deeply cared. I appreciated his humility when teaching me this fall, generously sharing his own experience, sometimes glorious and sometimes imperfect, always very human. I also appreciated his great sense of humour, de-dramatizing everything. He often talked of his family, all of whom he dearly loved. I offer you, family and friends, my condolences. May God be with you as you journey through the mourning process.
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john and carol burke We were saddened to hear of Ian’s passing. We have great memories of our years together in Petrolia. We admired him for his years of ministry to his congregation . We appreciated his humour and his genuine friendship. Our thoughts are with Cathy and family.
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Ian Wishart The notice of Ian’s death is a surprise and a cause of sorrow. Our last meeting was at the funeral of Sheldon MacKenzie in Chilliwack two years ago. My sympathy is extended to Cathy and all the family.
Ian Wishart
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Jim and Sharon Phelps What a sad surprise it was when our friends Grev and Shar Martin of Petrolia informed us of Ian’s death. I (Jim) was the minister of St. Paul’s United Church United Church for seven years and some of these overlapped Ian’s tenure at St. Andrew’s Church there. So, we came to know and appreciate Ian and Cathy and their children. Sharon and I are now in the process of organizing a huge number of family photos. We have come across a very cute picture of the three Victor children on our front step on Princess Street, all dressed in costume for Hallowe’en . Also we have a photo of Ian nailing spikes into planks at the Martin’s house the day “the boys of summer” (as we referred to ourselves on such occasions) gathered at the Martin’s place to help build their deck. We shall send these to Cathy, as they bring back warm memories of earlier times. His unique combination of intellect, imagination, empathy, active faith, wide-ranging interests and sense of humour made Ian what we call “a Prince of a Man.” God’s blessings upon Cathy and all family members, relatives and friends of this wonderful person. Jim and Sharon Phelps, Lindsay, Ontario.
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Ralph Loader Wow, will we miss him! Working through our new and dynamic strategic plan at Presbyterian College, Ian served our Board as a rock of wisdom, strength and conviction over the past two years. Facing down challenges one at a time, his support for, and encouragement of those around him proved Ian a natural leader and mentor. Please accept the condolences of our entire Board of Governors and please retain and perpetuate the Victor family spirit forever.
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Malcolm and Debiie Heaton Debbie and I were so saddened to read in the Globe and Mail of Ian’s passing. We extend our sincerest condolences to you, Cathy and the extended family. Through Cursillo, here in Sarnia, we were blessed in getting to know the “Victor” family in so many ways – including fun, fellowship and our spiritual growth – this in the mid 1980’s. Ian was one of four spiritual leaders for these gatherings and what a difference their leadership brought to the community leaving a mark of never ending, life changing impacts……. something very special that to this day and beyond was and will be a glorious memory for us and more importantly a time lived that has shaped us to who we are today. Thank you God and thank you Ian!
God’s Blessings.
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Terry Doucet Being incredibly happy that I never called him Don, I pass on deepest condolences to all the family and friends. Ian had a rare gift of being easily comfortable and genuinely comforting. It is tough to get over the fact that he will not walk through our door again. I’ll never listen to Bruce Cockburn or Paul Simon again without thinking of Ian.
And where are we going to get out jokes?
Terry
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Code Family Our condolences to the Victor family; May you have many good memories. It’s so nice he has such a wonderful family to carry on his spirit
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Erica Maller Letha, Rachel, and hilarious Victor family. Our heartfelt condolences to you all. What a shock and extra sad time of year. I was relieved and not surprised to hear of all the warmth and support you all received. Heaven is a little richer now and funnier too.
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Gina Frank My deepest condolences to the Victors and to all who were blessed to know Ian. My memories of him and the entire Victor family are of those filled with laughter and love. He will always be with you all.
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Mike DiCola Lovely remembrance, guys! I personally wouldn’t have qualified “fart jokes” with the limiter “good”, having been present when a great many stinkers (in the figurative sense) were dropped; and while I can definitely understand “nightmare to restaurant employees”, I can only personally vouch for our breakfast restaurant meetings, pre-coffee. Then woe betide any hapless table tender who failed to produce the carafe and a voluminous mug by the time Ian’s jacket was draped over his chairback. I trust you already know the spirit in which these comments are being offered is entirely one of deep and abiding affection. You already know how much I am going to miss him and I regret that I’ll be missing the party, which I fully expect will set the benchmark for anyone in future seeking guidelines for holding a proper Irish wake. Cathy… hoist a Guinness for me, please. For my part, I am going to re-read John Gillespie Magee’s poem, “High Flight”, and send you all nothing but my deepest condolences and warmest wishes while I imagine Ian dancing among the “footless halls of air” just before he puts out his hand, and touches the face of God. Take care. Mike
Kathy – Please forgive these late condolences – Kootenay Presbytery meets only 4 times a year, but at their last meeting they did ask that I send you their best wishes and sincere condolences. Many in the court (including Meridyth and I) had many fond memories of Ian, and how they have been blessed by his friendship and example. You and your family are in our prayers.
Gavin Robertson
Clerk