Tribute

At a young 54 years of age, it deeply pains us to have to say good-bye to our beloved Drew who passed away on December 29, 2022, after battling a resistant respiratory infection.  We will miss and forever love Drew.

Drew was predeceased by his loving father, James (Jim) Everett Atkinson. His family regarded Drew as resilient for facing all of his life’s challenges with such a passionate soul.  To mourn his passing Drew leaves behind his devoted mother, Jacqueline (Jackie) Atkinson; his brother Bruce (Fritz); his sisters, Heather and Beth (Gord), and his many nieces and one nephew.

Drew was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He spent his childhood in Lethbridge, AB, his teenage years in Ottawa, Ontario, his early adulthood in Chilliwack, BC, residing there until his unfortunate death.  Family mattered most to Drew and his family wanted him to thrive, which meant enlisting the support of social and community services to have that independent life the rest of us take for granted.  With the support in place, it proved to be a challenging but good path because Drew was surrounded by caring and dedicated family and service teams. When Drew was younger he embraced his disabilities and would not let them get him down by using special expertise and tools so he could enjoy the likes of swimming, water polo, downhill skiing.  He loved participating in sports as much as watching them with friends and family. Drew also spent countless years volunteering at various charitable organizations and shelters and made fast friends there, sharing common interests.

We would like to thank all of Drew’s support teams for their care, guidance and regular collaboration and to the compassionate hospital ICU staff at CGH and ARH for taking such good care of him

Funeral Services will be held on Feb 15 at 1 PM at St Thomas Church, 46048 Gore Avenue in Chilliwack.