Tribute

Eugene Everett Best born Sept. 22, 1944, Middleton NS, died peacefully on Friday, September 16, 2016 at South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver, BC. Sadly, after a life of perfect health, Gene was felled by cancer; his loving wife Carol was at his side as he passed onto the next stage of eternal life.

His parents, Helena and Everett Best and brother Gordon Prime predecease Eugene.  Dearly loved, he is survived by his wife Carol Elaine (Hedegard) of 47 happy years, daughter Holly, (Gregory Shortall) and grandson Henry, Toronto, ON and his son Nathan (Suzanne McKinney) and granddaughter, Ailyn, Vancouver, B.C. He is cherished by his sisters, Maxine Whynot (Donald), Windsor, NS; Ethel Bramston, Burlington, ON; Mary Redden, Dartmouth, NS; Anna Richards (Bill), Windsor, NS. Gene will be lovingly remembered by his sisters-in-law Janet Prime of St. Catherines, ON and Kathryn Hedegard of Estevan, SK, as well many nephews, nieces, cousins and friends.  

After joining the RCMP at the age of 19, Gene (or Dean, dependent upon geographical location) met his wife while posted in Weyburn, SK. On August 2nd, 1969 they married, followed with the arrival of their two highly talented, attractive children, Holly (1971) and Nathan (1974). Wife and children in tow, Gene, the dedicated Mountie, moved his family across country with posting in Nova Scotia, Yukon Territory, Saskatchewan. The Mountie years were filled with family camping excursions; a few highlights being salmon fishing in Haines, Alaska, touring the Dempster Highway, and driving from Nova Scotia to The Yukon one long, wonderful summer. There wasn’t a stream, lake or river that wasn’t cast into if Gene was given the opportunity. He would teach his daughter to fish, while his son would throw rocks, all the while his wife Carol could be found reading a book, as the family attempted to catch dinner that no one had any intention of consuming. The Bests thoroughly toured Canada, loving every minute of the journey together.

Through out his life, Gene remained active; either participating or watching sports. Every fall, Gene and his son could be found at the kitchen table pouring over hockey stats, compiling a probable team for that year’s hockey pool. To his delight and somewhat dismay his son’s love of the Canadiens offered endless opportunities of playful teasing. But of all the sports, baseball was his passion. Luckily he found a wife who was smitten enough to watch him not only play but travel to ballparks to catch the Blue Jays in action.

During the 1992 American League Championship Series, Gene marched up through his house from the den, serenely passed his family in the living room, opened the door to Saskatchewan’s biting wind, boomed, ‘Okay, Blue Jays, Let’s Play Ball”. From with, he calmly closed the door retreating to the den but not before the twinkle in his blue eyes ignited his children’s delight. That twinkle, with his naturally teasing good-humour lit up a room. A man of quiet humility, with a booming voice and expansive, quiet presence made him a mountain of men.

After 25 years of dedicated service as a Mountie, Gene retired, settling in Regina, SK where he worked for SaskTel until finally retiring for good in 2001.  Carol and Gene proceeded to burn through their children’s inheritance by having a grand ole’ retirement.  Travelling the world, the two visited Norway, Denmark, Australia, New Zealand, wintered in Mexico, popped over to Japan (to visit their darling daughter), to name only a few of their amazing experiences. Tired of winter, and all of its bitter treats, Gene and Carol made Oliver, BC their summer abode with Tucson, Arizona their winter retreat. Hiking was a passion for Gene and the Sonoran desert was his choice location.

A loving husband, friend, father and Big Papa, he will forever be missed, cherished in our hearts, and honoured, as we all live our Best lives. 

 “The desert is calling and I must go.”