Auxiliary Coast Guard member had plenty of tales to tell
Roger Graveline is being remembered as a good- natured man with great stories by those who served with him on the Port Colborne Marine Auxiliary Rescue unit
Graveline, a member of POCOMAR for three years, died after a lengthy illness on Sunday at age 60. He worked for more 30 years in emergency medical services, primarily with air ambulance.
“Roger was one of the most interesting people I have ever met,” said POCOMAR commander Norm Dashwood. “Every time I saw him he would share stories about the adventures he had throughout his life. From land ambulances to air ambulances, Coast Guard and accidents … there was always an interesting tale.”
When Graveline joined his crew two summers ago “he quickly became a part of the team and was well liked by everyone,” Dashwood said. “He was very competent on our vessels and extremely dedicated to POCOMAR. He was keen on safety. I will never forget him showing up for training each week in a bright yellow live vest and a reflective helmet. At first I found it a bit quirky, but his mannerisms quickly grew on me. I have considered Roger a dear friend almost from the beginning and will miss him.”
Last year Graveline received a medal for heroism from the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary.
“It was an honour to present this award to him. In the midst of his medical battles, it gave him a little reason to smile,” Dashwood said. “Although, he always found a reason to smile. Even in the thick of it he would tell me things weren’t that bad.”
Said unit member Tim Welychka, “I looked at Roger as a true professional who brought a great deal of experience and knowledge to the Wednesday crew. In his past working life he had faced many situations as an EMS personnel that would probably unnerve even the toughest person. I think it was as a result of that past experience that he always seemed to have a calmness while out on the water.”
Welychka said he enjoyed listening to Graveline’s stories of his EMS days when he told them or his thoughts on life in general.
Amber Dashwood, POCOMAR’s training officer, said Roger will certainly be missed by the Wednesday crew.
“He was humble, yet very competent and extremely dedicated to the unit and our mandate. He exemplified what a POCOMAR crew member should be. He was always quick to smile and share a joke ( usually when we were downwind of the cormorants). There was never a time he wasn’t a pleasure to be around.”
She said her most memorable moment with Graveline was on a call in 2016, for which he was awarded his medal.
“In all the chaos of a very urgent and dangerous situation as we were securing the distress vessel to pull it from immediate danger, it was Roger who kept his head and obtained information we needed to perform the call,” she said.
Marty Courage said Graveline loved the training and working with crew members.
“He had great life stories, surviving falling out of a helicopter, involvement in a motorcycle collision and other near- death experiences.”
He said Graveline was a qualified pilot and his dream was to be a fulltime member of the Canadian Coast Guard, which he finally achieved but was forced to put on hold after notification of his cancer.
Sheila Lindsey said Graveline was on her crew the first year he was with the unit and she had the privilege of being his coxswain.
“He had an amazing wealth of knowledge and experience. He was so good- natured. He definitely endeared himself. I’ll miss his joyful spirit and his servant’s heart,” she said.
Scott Wolfe, the unit’s operations officer, said Graveline went out of his way behind the scenes to help him with maintenance when he was healthy.
“He was incredibly helpful and never self- serving and never stopped asking how he could help. He was incredibly professional and safety-orientated. When I visited him in the hospital, he fought cancer with more poise and patience than I could possibly imagine. Not a nasty bone in his body,” Wolfe said,
His obituary said he He enjoyed the outdoors, especially fishing and spending time with son Justin at a hunting camp in Pembroke.
Family will receive friends at Armstrong Funeral Home and Chapel, 179 Clarence St., Port Colborne today 2 p. m. to 4 p. m. and 6 p. m. to 8 p. m. Funeral service is 10: 30 a. m. at St. Therese of Lisieux Roman Catholic Church, 379 Fares St.