A Biographical Account of Ian's Life and Achievements
By his wife, Raywyn and his sister Joy.
Some background information about Ian's family: His father Edward Engledow-Currie was a British Electrical Engineer from Skipton, England and worked on contract for Reckett and Coleman while travelling across Asia. He met and married Angela Littlewood in Calcutta, India. They had two children; first Joy Elizabeth and then Ian Hammond.
Ian grew up in Calcutta and went to St. Thomas's College where he achieved his G.C.E. “O” Levels through Cambridge University, England. A high achiever, Ian was a champion field hockey player, loved history and, of course, music. His grandmother accompanied silent movies on the piano and was the first woman to get a degree in music in the Commonwealth, (i.e. outside Great Britain), so Ian came by his talent naturally.
Ian apprenticed as a welder and then qualified as a mechanical engineer . He wanted a career like that of his Father, i.e. one which paid him to travel around the world. Which he did. Being very versatile at drafting, welding, testing various systems, equipment products, he worked as a Quality Control Inspector for Commonweath Gases Pty Ltd., Indian Oxygen Ltd., among other companies a job that took him on international assignments.
Ian was always upgrading his education and furthering his skills. After retirement he continued to upgrade his level of professional expertise and went on assignments to Los Angeles (Disneyland) and Boston (Salem). He renewed his American Welding Society Membership for their 100th year - and for his final year in 2019.
On a personal level, he met and married Clover Gillson while she sang with his band in Calcutta. Their son, Ian Leonard Douglas was born on April 9th 1966.
Clover and Ian immigrated to Melbourne Australia where Ian was employed variously as a draftsman, a welder, and a Chief Quality Control Inspector. After upgrading his qualifications and certifications he worked for Harnishfeger Pty. Ltd. (P & H Cranes) a company of which he always spoke highly. He remained in touch with their Melbourne staff throughout his life.
One of his proudest achievements was his membership in the Musicians Union in Australia. Ian always spoke of his years in Australia with affection and respect – in particular his outback adventures, and travel opportunities on work assignments to Asia and the Middle East, as well as pleasure vacations to the UK. He was a proud Aussie.
In 1975 he accepted a six month contract in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, and the family travelled here via the UK in order for Ian to upgrade his Certification at Cambridge University. His family remained in Surrey while he and his crew worked on the Alaskan gas pipeline. This was an unforgettable experience for Ian moving as he did, from plus 36 degrees in Melbourne to minus 36 degrees in Alaska. He said his little tummy used to shake with the cold, and declared that he would never go back to those conditions again. He claimed that is where he learned to drink Scotch, but we wonder about that!
When the contract was over, instead of going back to Australia they decided to stay in Canada so as to be able to travel through America, Mexico, and the UK. Michael James was born on February 21 st 1977 and is proud to call himself a Surreyite from Whalley.
Ian worked for Tristar Industries from 1981, first in Richmond, then in Delta until he retired as a Quality Control Inspector in 2006. He was later head-hunted by several organizations, and did 3 rd party Inspections on contract for Quality Assurance Inc. out of Alberta which job involved quite a bit of travel across Canada and USA. Ian did go to La Pa way up North from Thunder Bay in the winter which was an amazing experience. He also went to Saskatchewan when it was colder than the North Pole - and survived!
Ian and Clover divorced in 1982 and Ian moved to Delta, but then came back to Surrey where he lived out the rest of his life. He took his son Michael on holidays to Disneyland and San Diego Zoo, as well as Australia. They visited England to meet Ian's sister Joy, her son Ashley, (Michael's cousin) and his wife Debra, and their children, Hope and Ethan. They also paid several visits to Ian's parents.
As an active member of the ANZA Club (Australia New Zealand Association.) in Vancouver, Ian would socialize over a game of pool and a couple of beers after work. He participated in car rallies as co-pilot with his buddy Rob Daniel, and won 2 nd place on one occasion. He also learned 10-pin bowling, took up golf and attended all their special activities and social and ethnic functions. He even joined the Anza Players and participated in plays and pantomime. In 1982 he was part of the Kiwi Performers Maori Dance Group when they participated in the Sea Festival Parade in Vancouver.
In 1983 the ANZA Club Float theme was Christmas Down Under in July and they won the best White Spot Award. Michael was the Kiwi Mascot on the float - but that's another story. The Anza Club made Raywyn an honorary Aussie and Ian an adopted Kiwi for their contributions over the years.
In 1992 he re-met Raywyn Erickson who used to organize the Anza Club ethnic functions each month including the Sea Festival Parade and Anza Cookbook. This was after her husband Roy had passed away.
She and Ian attended the Can Orient Boxing Day Dance with his family and friends. They had a great time so he invited her to his Bowling Banquet in May. Imagine being that organized and planning ahead - Raywyn was amazed as she rarely knew what was going on week to week in Vancouver! And so their friendship developed.
In 1993 Raywyn intended to go to Choices Life Skills College in Surrey and was thrilled to have found her new vocation. Unfortunately, the College burned down and around that time Raywyn was laid off from her job in Vancouver. By this time their relationship was developing and Ian offered her his spare room to save money and time travelling from Vancouver to Surrey daily, via Sky Train.
1993 Ian's Sister Joy and her husband Tom Perkins from England visited Canada in August and after a lovely sightseeing tour around Vancouver Ian surprised Raywyn with an engagement ring at their farewell salmon dinner in Surrey. They decided to celebrate their engagement at the ANZA Club in September, and Raywyn moved to Surrey to be with Ian in October.
In 1994 another opportunity came up, so Raywyn began a three-month intensive Life Skills Coaches Training with another College in White Rock – an event that totally challenged their relationship and everything she believed and yet was the best thing that ever happened to her just as her new career began.
The story has a happy ending: Ian and Raywyn were married on February 29th 2016.
Ian Jr. his son, who lived with his mother in Las Vegas, USA was married but separated and he came to live here for six months. He attended some classes at the Life Skills Programs for Young Parents, while Michael was also learning the same Life Skills at his high school. Ian felt very challenged by these new skills and ideas that we were all learning, but it helped us all communicate and become better human beings, taking responsibility for our own attitudes, behaviour and life.
Ian quit smoking without telling anyone during this very stressful time.
Around that time Ian acquired a new keyboard and started playing music again after 17 years. He also re-met Deanna Vowles who used to sing in Vancouver's Georgia Hotel. They began performing at the Fusion Festival and other locations. They then competed in, and won several Senior Star and Senior Idol competitions. They both loved jazz and practiced diligently so he began to feel more confident about playing his keyboard and his musical abilities in general.
Ian later joined the Vaudevillians as a back-up pianist, and Alice, the producer, had him practice voice and encouraged him to sing and play his keyboard in the Kennedy Choir and Variety Plus shows. In addition to participating in the Vaudevillians performances, Ian also helped to transport and set up the equipment for the shows which took place all over the Lower Mainland. This continued for seven years until his work assignments took precedence. Nonetheless he continued to support and help them with equipment; last year the Vaudevillians presented him with their Honorary Life Membership Award.
Ian's golfing prowess took him and his buddies Tom Graham, Johnnie B, Gerard W and Les, from Sunshine Woods in Delta to Mylora Golf Course and Country Meadows in Richmond, to Poppy Estates and Tall Timbers in Langley. They played there all year round (even in the snow) for many years. Around this time, Ian acquired his famous "golf club" cooler that was a handy - and portable - receptacle for Scotch, his favourite tipple!
Then Ian returned to Sunshine Woods as a Member of Kennedy Seniors Golf Club in Delta, where he got his first ever hole-in-one in 2015 on the 16 th hole. He was ecstatic! A sign from above that he was on the right path again. In 2016 he got another hole-in-one on the 19 th hole. Kennedy Senior's Golf Club have now, this very season, put a plaque on the 16 th hole bench which reads “In Remembrance of Ian Currie.”
Ian used to organize all the Tristar Company Golf Tournaments at various locations for many years, and naturally won most of them. He was thrilled to pass the baton to a young Tristar employee before he retired, and trained him to play in these tournaments in his own style. Ian changed the name to John Borsck Golf Tournament after his friend was killed in a work accident in 1996. That's another amazing story for another time.
Ian learned 10-pin Bowling with the Anza Club at Brentwood Lanes in Burnaby where he and Mike won several trophies including the BC Provincials. He later bowled at X-Cabliber in Surrey and when it closed, Gerhard and Diane, Les and Marilyn, Tom and Cathy plus others moved to Sandcastle Pub in White Rock to compete and to enjoy their mid week exercise. They called themselves the Baarstuds which derived from Les imitating Ian's accent in the early days. They travelled to Portland in the USA several times to compete in Bowling Championships and think came in second on one occasion. That was another great adventure to remember on bus tours!
Ian worked part time for 10 years on contracts doing quality control inspections. He continued his music, playing as accompanist to Deanna, Joy, Bernadette, Doris and Variety Plus entertaining at Senior Care Facilities and Community Centres all over the Lower Mainland from UBC to White Rock. He found his voice, became very entertaining professionally. He loved getting a rise out of people, making them laugh and bringing joy to their lives. The ladies used to compete to do duets with him, which was a lot of fun, as he changed the words to play tricks on them, often causing confusion, frustration - and also getting a good laugh out of the audience.
There were also a couple of memorable parties in the backyard of Ian and Raywyn's house, with throngs of friends enjoying the afternoon as they sipped wine and beer, while a piglet turned slowly on a spit. The entertainment included a Maori dancer and a Hawaiian dancer both of whom were much appreciated by the audience, and Ian's hearty laugh could be heard as he exchanged banter with his buddies - clearly enjoying himself thoroughly.
On other fronts, Ian loved a challenge and would fix anything and everything and never discarded something unless there was no hope – he was a real handyman. He loved gardening and his hanging cherry tomatoes and chilli peppers did exceptionally well as did his black currants, apples and green onions. So too did the cucumbers, egg plants, strawberries, brussel sprouts and potatoes - not forgetting his pixie grapes and roses.
Creating a house full of surprises for all who came to visit, Ian added solar powered lights and butterflies to add colour and movement and his home was full of chiming clocks, birds that chirped as the light sensors moved and fibre optic decorations. He was proud of his bar and loved to entertain everyone, especially children who he adored and had great patience with. He loved to give people a “tune-up” and that's what we shall miss the most.
Ian enjoyed cooking on rare occasions especially oxtail stew, katti-kebabs, bacon, eggs and hash-browns and of course his signature food was sausage rolls for potluck functions.
Ian left a legacy of bringing smiles to the faces of those he encountered, from bank and store clerks to seniors, some of them almost non-responsive in care homes. His light shines on, blessing all who knew him.
Thank you for being friends over all those years.
Namaste
Raywyn, Mike & Joy
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Here is a summary of significant dates in Ian's life, as compiled by Raywyn
1. Ian was confirmed at St. Thomas's Church, Calcutta, 25th September 1955.
2. Ian was a member of the Phoenix Scout Group in Calcutta 1955-1961
3. Ian attended Calcutta Boy's School (Not St. Thomas's College) 1961 and achieved his GEC "O "Levels with University of Cambridge in 1963
4. Ian was an active member of Entally Athletic Club in Field Hockey in 1963.
5. Ian worked as a Welder for Sree Durga Diesel Engineering Ltd. 1963-66
5. Ian attended Welding School with Indian Oxygen Ltd., upgraded in 1966 & 1967.
6. Ian worked as a Welder for R.K. Engineering Syndicate 1966-67