John Ronald Service

John Ronald (Ron) Service passed away on May 10, 2026, after a three-year battle with cancer. This was a private journey for him, his family, and his close friends.  He never stopped fighting. He never lost hope that he would have a little more time with his family to complete “another project or two”.  Through it all, he maintained his strength, humour, and incredible work ethic. Working right up to the end, he passed away as he would have wanted, with Carol and his children by his side.

Ron was born March 3, 1948, in Vancouver, BC, to Olivia (Wallace) and George Service. The family moved to Roberts Creek in 1952, when George was hired as First Engineer on the Black Ball Line’s MV Quillayute.  He grew up in Roberts Creek with his parents, three sisters, and many cousins with whom the family was fortunate to remain close throughout their lives.  During the 1950s, Ron formed a circle of wonderful lifelong friends. They attended Roberts Creek Elementary School and Elphinstone Secondary School.  Over the years, the friends shared hunting, fishing, travelling, many a beer, and countless adventures. Now Smirk has joined Ira, Cameron, and Fats in the sky. There’s no doubt he’ll be keeping an eye on Chopper and Leghorn down here.

He was also a member of the Roberts Creek Volunteer Fire Department and the Gibsons Kinsmen Club.  Ron began his working life in the mid 1960s in commercial fishing as a deckhand on the MV EVA out of Finn Slough. He then worked on the Great Northern 8 and spent a couple of seasons on the Cowichan Star.  After his fishing career, in 1968, he began his Carpentry Apprentice Training at VVI in Dawson Creek and attained his Journeyman Carpentry Certificate in 1972 from BCIT. He was a member of the UBCJA Local 452 & CMAW 1995 for over 40 years, and many of his industrial projects were performed as a Union contractor.  In 1980, Ron Service – Bld. Ltd. was established. As a Bonded General Contractor, Ron was well respected on the Coast, known for his craftsmanship, professionalism, and competence. He believed in working hard and doing things right.  His work included residential, commercial, and industrial projects. He deeply enjoyed shaping concrete in an industrial environment, welcomed a challenge, and worked alongside his crew while holding himself to the highest standard.  Some may remember the side-eye he gave anyone standing around on a job site—but they likely also remember his sincere praise and encouragement for a job well done. We are grateful to all the employees and businesses who worked with Ron.

He is survived by his loving wife, Carol; son Aaron, wife Pam, their children Braedon, Katya and Duncan; son Ryan, wife Ashley, their children Austin and Peyton; daughter Tanya, husband Kelly Smith, and their children Logan and Connor.  Also remembered by his sisters, Georgina (Richard) Goluboff and family, and Anne (Denny) Boulton and family; brother-in-law, Read and family. He was predeceased by his sister, Beverly Jenkins.

Ron and Carol married in 1971. Their journey together spanned more than 60 years. They were true partners in life, work, and adventure.  Ron was always proud to say that anything he achieved was possible because he had his “Bert” in his corner.  His family was his greatest joy, and he loved having his children and their families nearby. He delighted in his grandchildren finding him around the neighbourhood—jumping on the lawnmower with him, climbing into the back of his truck for a drive, or stopping by whatever property he was working on to say hello and have a chat.  If he could have chosen it, he would happily have had his kids stop by every day to sit on the grass, share updates, and tell him all about their latest plans and adventures. He always encouraged them in whatever they pursued.  Ron had a special affection for each of his dogs, who were rarely far from his side. He also took great pleasure in caring for his ducks.

Heartfelt thanks go to the teams at Sechelt Hospital, St. Paul’s Hospital, and BC Cancer for their exceptional care and compassion.
At Ron’s request, there will be no service. Instead, he asked that you raise a cold one in his memory.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of John Ronald Service, please visit our floral store.