June 26, 1961 - October 4, 2021
Andrea Belsheim of Deroche, British Columbia is saddened to announce the sudden passing of her husband Gary Weber on October 4, 2021 at Killam Bay, British Columbia. A memorial celebration for Gary Daniel Weber was held October 30, 2021, at his home at NorrishCreek Farms, Deroche, British Columbia.
Gary was born June 26, 1961, at Mission BC.
At the time of his passing, Gary owned and operated Norrish Creek Farms with his wife Andrea. When not farming, Gary was the Chief Pilot for Black Tusk Helicopters at Squamish, British Columbia. Andrea would like to extend her deepest thanks to the many people who have contacted her and shared their stories and reached out. She would especially like to thank their friend, Brad Hjalmarson, for his enduring and unwavering friendship, support and sense of humour. In addition she would like to thank the crews from Black Tusk, colleagues, friends and neighbors who are travelling this difficult time with her. Your continued support is greatly appreciated. Thank you also to Eldon and Marcy Fehr from Agassiz Central Community church and the musicians who played Gary's favourite music, both sacred and rock and roll.
Gary's loves encompassed family, farm and flying. He met and fell in love with Andrea Belsheim in 2003, and his version of a hot first date,was a road trip to Gold Bridge to service his EL200 excavator, which was on a logging job. They knew that they were meant to be lifelong partners: and indeed, they were partners. Andrea would often say, I have no idea why Gary feels the need to drone on and on about the manure spreader, but their lives together was one of ongoing conversation. Gary's phone bill attested to that. When Gary was flying, Andrea was farming, and when he was home, they farmed together. Caesar, Zoey, Max and Spooky, were four-legged family members which Gary cared for as if they were children. Many a task was set aside to take Caesar swimming. Caesar remained dearest to his heart. Caesar was his best friend.
The daily lives of Norrish Creek Farms were filled with ongoing jobs and animal care. Gary and Andrea worked together to bring about a new vision for the farms that encompassed their beef cattle/horses, various rescues and their blueberries. Gary never did anything with half a heart. He never considered a task completed as "good enough". He was reminded often that he wasn't building a piano. Gary's trips to the Prairies with blueberries every summer were a highlight for the customers on that end. To customers in Alberta and Saskatchewan, he was the face of Blueberries... He was generous and engaging.
You can't speak about Gary without knowing what a huge part that his flying family played in his life. For the times that they waited for him to get off the farm calls, equally on this end, the farm waited for him to be off calls with this pilot or that co-pilot or engineer or Derek. Gary was a consummate teacher.
Following 10+ years of operating heavy equipment and driving truck hauling shake block, Gary drove into Chinook Helicopters at Abbotsford Airport and bought one lesson. He never looked back. From his earliest days of flying in 1986, Gary flew for numerous companies landing with Black Tusk in 2007 most recently as their Chief Pilot. In addition to Black Tusk, he worked for Oceanview, Turbo West, Campbell, Prism, Riverside, and Tundra Helicopters, amongst others. He had logged almost 24,000 flight hours between 1986 and 2021. Gary was one of those rare finds who truly saw "the person". It did not matter whether you were his boss or part of the hill crew, Gary saw you. He had the innate ability to just care for the individual.
Yet Gary was so much more than the work he did. His prison ministry experience serving Easter Dinner at Kent Institution impacted him greatly. He was a man of many private charitable acts and kindnesses for which he expected no recognition. There were the moments spent with Eldon Fehr and the discussions of the world in light of eternity. Ultimately, it was that relationship through which Gary accepted Jesus as Saviour.
We know that Jesus met Gary in that moment at Killam Bay. It is the comfort we have that Gary is in the presence of Jesus. That is the comfort that Andrea shares with you as his friends. It is the comfort Andrea shares with all of those today who feel the loss of Gary's presence on this earth, but the joy that she will see him again.
"I'll hold you in my heart Until I hold you in heaven."
For a link to recorded memorial, email norrishcreekfarms@gmail.com