Van Egan--RIP

[Cuba Libre]

Friends, colleagues recall Van Egan, the 'soul and conscience of the community'
Dan MacLennan, Courier-Islander
Published: Friday, July 16, 2010
With the death of Van Egan, Campbell River has lost one of its finest, a soul and conscience of the community, and one of its strongest links to the legendary Roderick Haig-Brown.

Egan passed away peacefully in the Campbell River Hospital last Thursday, July 8 at age 84. This week friends, colleagues and community leaders shared their thoughts about the man and his many contributions to Campbell River.

"Van was our father's finest fishing companion and a wonderful, gentle friend to all of us," said Valerie Haig-Brown.



"I will miss him always and especially when I am in Campbell River."

"Mr. Egan was first my biology teacher, one who gently inspired and demanded of me," remembered her sister Celia. "Over the years, as my parents' close friend and colleague, he was welcomed into our house, and then became one of the most enduring parts of visits to Campbell River. I will miss him."

"He was such a strong part of our community," said North Island MLA Claire Trevena. "He was a foundation for Campbell River. He was in some ways the soul and the conscience of the community and a very good person to talk with, to listen to. He was a very good man and he will be missed."

Noted writer and fly fisher Art Lingren recounts a chance encounter more than 55 years ago that would change the shape of things to come.

"Van was a reader of good angling literature and specifically Haig-Brown's writings. A River Never Sleeps and The Western Angler drew him to (Campbell River) in 1954. Van, while fishing the Campbell's Sandy Pool with a double-handed rod and a Silver Lady, noticed someone watching him from the logging bridge. After a while Van heard a voice behind him asking him if he lost this. Van turned around and there was Haig-Brown holding a Van Egan-tied Silver Lady. With pleasantries exchanged, Haig-Brown invited Van to dinner and a game of croquet. This chance meeting on the banks of the Campbell River with Haig-Brown started a long-time friendship.

"Good friends share common interests and Van and I each had a passion for fly fishing, fly tying, fly fishing books, conservation, and the preservation of the natural world. My admiration for Haig-Brown drew us together in the early 1980s and since that time Van shared so many stories about Rod with me that I felt as if Haig-Brown was my friend as well."

Egan helped to perpetuate the memory and messages of Haig-Brown. Mayor Charlie Cornfield remembered Egan from their days together on the Campbell River Environmental Council (CREC).

"Van cared not just about the environmental values of the river but also about people," Cornfield said. "He made a big contribution to our community. I think of the issues that Haig-Brown was involved in, the river, the mine, the health of our streams. Van carried on in that tradition and kept it going. It's sort of what defined us as Campbell River. Haig-Brown was part of that defining of Campbell River. Van was that same style, enjoying our community and caring deeply for it, deeply enough that you stand up to be counted. That's what I think of when I think of Van.

20ft Alumaweld Intruder

 

[Dave H]

I sat with Van as he enjoyed lunch on Tuesday last week, in the hospital here in Campbell River.
We talked about a few things, laughed over a couple of remembrances from my High School days when he was my Biology 91 teacher and generally carried on as always.
He complained about the lack of salt in his hospital meals so I offered to smuggle some in to him next visit. He smiled at the offer and I was going to do it too.

Sadly, I didn't get the chance.

I met Van, or Mr. Egan then, in September of 1962 when I started Grade 12 at CARIHI.
As mentioned, he was my Biology teacher for the year and even though I was far from being one of his better students I grew to like him very much.
Fast forward some years and we meet up again, in 1990, here in Campbell River.
We became friends as adults and he and Maxine, his much beloved wife, were very kind and helpful to me in a number of ways.
In 1997, after serving seven years as Secretary-Treasurer of the local branch of the SSBC I retired and was immediately hustled by Rory Glennie to take over the same position for the Haig-Brown Kingfisher Creek Society. He told me that Maxine was having a knee replacement operation and Van would be busy looking after her and well.........they needed someone to take Vans place.
I thought it would be a cakewalk as the HBKCS hadn't really done much for a number of years and didn't appear to have any big things on its agenda, so I took the position.
How could I say no?
The rest is history and shortly I was engaged in helping fulfill the dream of Roderick Haig-Brown himself.......and always being helped along by Van.
After Maxine passed I saw less of Van but others filled in and he didn't lack for company.
Now and then I'd pop by and we'd visit a bit.
He told me some really neat stories, one of which I'll share here someday.
Van meant a lot to me in many ways.
He rowed me to my first fish ever in the Tyee Pool, although it was undersize.
He tied the fly I caught my only Coquhilla steelhead on, back in 1996 when fishing with Craig Orr.
I have Fry flies in my fly box that he tied to use in the spring when the fry are heading seaward and cutties come to feed on them. There are bits and pieces reminding me of him throughout my home, books, flies, pictures and the like.
Van will be sorely missed by many of us who were fortunate enough to have known him.
He was a kind, generous, thoughtful and caring human being who welcomed all to his door and then into his living room.
I wish there were more men like him.

Take care.

 

[TheBigGuy]

Sadly another of the old guard fishermen has passed. My condolences to the family.

 

[Cuba Libre]

Dave-- thanks for the personal perspective. I only met Van and Rod H-B twice but it didnt take much exposure to understand that they were "special" folks.

20ft Alumaweld Intruder

 

[Whole in the Water]

I was one of his Biology students at Carhi. Van was one of the best teachers and one of the finest men I have ever met. His passion for life, nature and fishing will be surely missed. May he rest in peace.

Long live wild salmon!!!
>&lt)))>