Tribute

By Donna Cochran and Greg Spendjian

It is with sadness that we share the news that Carol Tabbers passed away at Amica Jubilee House on May 29, just 10 months after the passing of Henry, her dear husband of 42 years. Also mourning her loss are her cousins, Lynne DeCew, Gale LeGoff and Mark DeCew, and their families, as well as Henry’s siblings and their families in the Netherlands.

Carol was born in Vancouver to Frederick Reginald Ritchie and Helen Dora Ritchie (nee DeCew). She was predeceased by her older brother, Peter. From a young age, Carol said she had “itchy feet” and wanted to see the world. After high school graduation in 1956, she traveled on her own to Martinique, Barbados and Trinidad. Then in late 1957, she traveled to Europe with her cousin, Judy, often recounting the story of how they took the wrong ferry and ended up in East Berlin! Carol found secretarial jobs in London, UK, after her travels. But after almost two years away she was ready to return to her family and friends in Vancouver.

Around 1960, Carol’s mom saw a recruitment ad in the Vancouver paper for work with the Canadian Foreign Service. Carol applied and was accepted and was soon off to Ottawa for a year of training. Her first posting was in Cairo, Egypt at the Canadian Embassy where she stayed for 5 years. Three other postings followed – Accra, Ghana for 3 years, Brussels, Belgium for 5 years and Tokyo, Japan for 2 years. In all she spent 16 years with the Foreign Service and made many friends along the way, many of whom she stayed in touch with well into her 80s.

Back in Vancouver she fell in love with Henry Tabbers who had emigrated to Canada from the Netherlands in the 1960s and was working at the Museum of Vancouver. They were married in 1982 and settled in Surrey where they renovated a home, built a beautiful garden and welcomed the first of many dogs and cats in their lives.

Henry and Carol retired to Salt Spring in 1995, following Carol’s cousin, Diane Hales, who had moved to the island a few years before. They enjoyed their island life to the full. They had a huge circle of friends and loved entertaining. Carol was a wonderful cook and a born storyteller so she had many tales to tell over coffee or one of her delicious meals.

For all of their lives, Carol and Henry were generous contributors to many local and international organizations in the arts, nature and conservation, public broadcasting, international humanitarian assistance and animal rescue. They also participated in the group sponsorship of refugees from Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Mosul, Iraq.

Carol wanted to give special thanks to Dr Vaughan, the Wellness team and Memory Care aides at Amica Jubilee House for their loving care during her last year.

There will be no service at Carol’s request. Donations to ArtSpring, Salt Spring SPCA, Cats of Salt Spring Rescue Society or an island charity of your choice would be appreciated.