It is with great sadness that we share that Geoff passed away peacefully at home with his wife at his side on June 23, 2024. He was 87 years old. He is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Barbara, his two children, Julie and Chris and Julie's partner Ian, his nephew Greg Souter, his great niece Alison and great nephew, Brendan, and his in-laws Betty-Lou and Ken Souter.

Geoff was born on November 1, 1936 to Robert Lancelot and Elsie Voisey Bowen in London, England. An only child, Geoff excelled at math and science, and began a lifelong love of gardening and travel.

Geoff followed his father's footsteps into engineering – opting to attend Cranfield College of Aeronautics where there was an aeronautical engineering program that paired academic studies with an apprenticeship on the shop floor. This grounding led him to a successful career in aeronautics and also manifested in his love of carpentry and in the furniture he built for family and friends.

Geoff met Barb on a boat to Norway in 1962, both of them on their way to the same popular ski hill. Their chance meeting resulted in an ongoing courtship once they returned to the UK, Geoff to Bristol, where he was working for Bristol-Siddeley Engines and Barb to London where she was working in Swan and Edgar, a department store in Picadilly Circus. Geoff immigrated to Canada and married Barb (as soon as the ice left the St. Lawrence river and the boats from England could safely reach Montreal) in 1963. They settled on Ridgewood Avenue (a popular area for young couples) and Geoff began a long career at Pratt and Whitney Canada designing engines for helicopters and aeroplanes. They then moved to Notre de Dame de Grace (NDG).

They welcomed their daughter Julie in 1965 and son Chris in 1968. They moved to St. Lambert in 1968 where they lived for many years, introducing their children to the joys of skiing in the Laurentians, and camping in the Maritimes in summer.

In 1979, the family moved west to Oakville when Geoff's job at Pratt and Whitney was relocated to Mississauga.

Geoff, a lifelong gardener, began the work of turning a sandy backyard into a beautiful oasis of flowers and  greenery – a  perfect spot for hosting many a barbecue. He also had a community garden plot from which he supplied friends with the bounty of his efforts over the decades.

Geoff was the go-to person for help in fixing things for many friends and family. Always with a smile and the right tool, his ability to find solutions, as well as build things from scratch has been passed to his children.

Geoff took up golfing later in life, spending many a Thursday morning enjoying the outdoors and the company of friends, while chasing that elusive par. Golf provided another good reason for spending some part of the winter in Arizona, where Geoff and Barb, along with good friends rented a house, golfed at many different courses and explored the area around Phoenix for many years.

Geoff and Barb traveled extensively exploring Europe, enjoying African safaris, cruising down rivers, skiing in western Canada and the US, camping / glamping in the east, trips to New Zealand to visit family and Australia to catch up with far flung friends. A family trip to Costa Rica spawned many a story around the dinner table in later years – from the beauty of the scenery around every twisty corner to the quirky Hotel California.

Geoff was fortunate that his health remained strong throughout most of his life. It was only in the last few months that his health failed, worsened quickly and took him from us too soon. His quiet strength, kindness and gentleness will be greatly missed by all those who knew him.

A gathering of family and friends will be held at the Kopriva Taylor Community Funeral Home, 64 Lakeshore Road West, Oakville (one block East of Kerr Street) on Wednesday July 24 from 2-4 pm.

In lieu of flowers the family kindly requests donations to the Salvation Army or the Lion's Foundation of Canada Dog Guides .