ROBINSON, John Frederick
June 11, 1955 - November 21, 2019
John Frederick Robinson of North Vancouver passed away at home November 21, 2019 in the company of his loving wife and children, Janet, Deyell and Dylan. John was born in Vancouver to Frederick John Robinson, an industrial machinery mechanic, and Marjorie Margaret Teresa Deyell, a talented homemaker. He is survived by brother Ron (Margaret) McGregor; sister Judi Beckett; Ron's children Ian (Linda) and Jacquie; Ian's children Owen and Kaiya; sister-in-law Maureen (Doug) Forward; Maureen's daughters Alexandra (Matt) and Kristen; aunt Marguerite Robinson; and cousins in Canada and Australia.
John grew up in East Vancouver where he was a star soccer player and topscoring basketball player on Gladstone Secondary's varsity teams. During high school he set his sights on a career in accounting. He paid his way through university working summers as a crew boss with an inventory auditing company, driving the crew van to retail outlets in towns around BC. After earning his Bachelor of Commerce degree from UBC, he joined Price Waterhouse where he enjoyed a 36-year career. He obtained his Chartered Accountant designation in 1981 and lectured for ten years with the School of Accounting program of the BC Institute of Chartered Accountants.
John was admitted to the firm's partnership in 1991, specializing in Canadian corporate tax planning, international tax planning and merger, acquisition and divestiture structuring. He served as head of the PwC Vancouver Corporate Tax Mergers & Acquisitions practice; as the BC Region representative on the firm's National Quality & Risk Management Committee and the firm's Canadian Innovation Committee; and as a lecturer at PwC's national tax conferences. John was highly regarded by his colleagues for his strategic thinking and problemsolving skills, his sense of humour, his good-natured disposition towards fellow partners and junior staff, and his success in identifying and mentoring promising young recruits. Following retirement from PwC, John joined the board of Lion One Metals and he partnered with other experienced business professionals to develop a trust and mortgage fund business affiliated with a number of BC credit unions.
John coached many of his children's sports teams and continued to coach basketball at Seycove Secondary long after they had graduated. He was a great mentor for both his children, helping guide them through their academic and career choices. During family vacations he worked hard to ensure that everyone had fun fishing, wakeboarding and playing endless hands of crib. Deyell will always be grateful that John took her to tour Queen's University in Ontario, where she eventually attended, and will remember his visits during which he always cooked a special dinner for Deyell and her roommates. Dylan will treasure memories of the many successful fishing trips he shared with John in the waters off Vancouver Island, especially the occasions when they landed those elusive Tyee salmon.
John liked to relax with math puzzles, word puzzles, fine rum, vintage wine and the Beatles. He enjoyed summer dinners on the deck with family and friends and reading a good book somewhere on a tropical beach. He played golf and coordinated the BC Arthritis Society charity golf tournament for many years.
John was humble, straightforward, unpretentious and well liked. A senior PwC partner told him he was one of the most respected professionals with whom he'd ever worked. John demonstrated heroic strength of character as he endured each new hardship while his health declined. It's been said that the only thing a man can finally take with him is the love and respect of his fellow citizens. John can easily claim this distinction. His wife and children will always remember him as unfailingly kind, generous and supportive in all ways possible. John, we are fortunate beyond measure that your happy presence cheered our lives for so long - we will love you, think of you and miss you during all the years ahead.
Special thanks to family doctor Will Johnston for his steadfast support and compassion.
We will celebrate John's life on Saturday, January 11th 2020, 2pm, at Seymour Golf Club, 3723 Mt. Seymour Parkway, North Vancouver. In lieu of flowers you may wish to bring to the service a donation for Shayne De Wildt, a Seycove grad and wheelchair athlete who supported John with the senior boys' basketball team, or contact Janet for Shayne's mailing address. Shayne is raising funds towards the purchase of a wheelchair van.