Alvin ROTH

It is with great sadness that we announce that Alvin Roth, 86, of Port Alberni, passed away on Jan. 7th, 2022, at home, in keeping with his wishes.  His daughter, Michele was by his side.

He was preceded in death by parents, Fred & Minnie Roth; sister, Alida Meyers; brother, Gerald Roth, and grandson, Branden Soria.  Alvin leaves behind his son, Calvin (Angela); daughter, Michele; grandchildren, Starla, Ryan, Brett and Kayla; great grandchildren; Evan, Gauge, Harley, Eden, Brady, Brooklyn and Franco; brother, Fred (Jan), numerous nieces and nephews, and many dear friends.  

Alvin was born on Oct.21st, 1935 to Fred and Minnie in Leader Sask. In 1942, the family made their way, by train, as Alvin liked to recall, from the frigid cold of the prairies to Vancouver Island.  He spent the rest of his life living in Port Alberni.  He married, divorced, raised his children, built his own homes, worked on cars, and was with M&B Sproat Lake division for 48 years.

He approached life the way he approached most things; straightforward, honest, and to the point.  There wasn't a problem he couldn't tackle, his view was, there is always a solution. When he put his mind to something, there wasn't much he couldn't do.  When he decided to do something, he was all in.  When he quit smoking, it was cold turkey, when he got a treadmill, it was an hour a day, everyday.  Some would say he was determined, others might say stubborn.

Whether he was Alvin, Old Gray Bear, Dad, Grandpa, G-pops, Pops, Rocky, or Mr. Roth, to you, you'll remember him fondly.  Whether your memories are of him hopping fences, fixing cars, working out in the bush, going on rescue missions, or anything in between, you'll probably remember his deep voice and the way his laugh was a half smile and a punctuated chuckle.  You'll also remember someone who was dependable, honest, always willing to help, and hard working. 

Good books, walks, going for a drive, old cars, and a burger and a beer, were some of his favourite things.   He was a straight shooter; you always knew where you stood with him.  He had no qualms about letting you know if something was "haywire", "That's bullshit", was his go to phrase when he didn't agree with you.  His deep voice made him sound gruff, but he was good natured and fun to be around.

Alvin didn't do much in the way of travelling, he built a life that he loved and didn't feel the need to escape from.   I hope that we can all find a way to live life like that.   He always had some project on the go, his shop to tinker in, a great view, friends to go for coffee with, Friday lunches, family visits, and spontaneous adventures.  That was life to him. That was home.  

It's hard to accept a loved one being gone.  Let us not dwell on the loss but hold dear the memories.  Gone, but never forgotten.  We were lucky to have him. 

A special thank you to Dr.DePape, Alvin's long time Doctor, for the help and support, Doctor Johnsen and nurses for doing house call appointments, and also to the amazingly caring, home support workers that helped at home.

Dad requested no service.