Tribute

With hearts full of love and grief, we share with you the news of the passing of Sally Passey (born Sarah Salome Gowing) July 22nd 1937 – August 11th 2022.

Sally was raised by Guy and Girsha Gowing in Salmon Arm, where she spent her early years with her deeply beloved sister Judy by her side. Whatever the season, the pair of them could be found outside –  either halfway across the Shuswap Lake in their canoe or with cross-country skis strapped to their feet or roaming the fields of their family farms.

In ninth grade, Sally began attending Queen Margaret School in Duncan, where she first learned to ride and care for horses. Sally criss-crossed Vancouver Island with her horses, sleeping in barns and befriending everyone she chanced to meet. After graduation from QMS, Sally attended a riding school in Porlock Somerset, England.  For the next five years, Sally cared for horses on various estates near London, then outside of New York, then North Carolina and Boston.

Sally returned home to Duncan in 1962, where she met Brian Passey, just shortly after Brian himself had arrived in Canada from England. Sally and Brian were married on 23^rd September 1967, in a ceremony in the QMS Chapel in Duncan. Over the next fifty-five years together, Sally and Brian would raise two children, several donkeys, oodles of chickens, and a small army of Golden Retrievers, Poodles and Border Terriers.

While raising their kids, Sally and Brian lived in Jordan River, Duncan, Langford, and Wycliffe (among other places), before finally settling on Jim Smith Lake. Brian built the home and Sally filled it, with stacks of books and a constant supply of tea, fresh baked brownies and scones. And a wealth of love. The lake and its resident loons, woodpeckers, and herons provided Sally with abundant joy – as did the first crocuses appearing in the spring, the turning of the larches in the autumn, and the mist that rises off the water in the early morning. Sally was deeply attuned to the beauty that surrounded her.

Sally will be widely remembered for her generosity, her exuberant joy, her full-hearted celebration of community, and the constant click of her camera’s shutter. Throughout her life, Sally prioritized relationships and connection above all else. She built and cherished strong networks of friends wherever she lived, whether through her involvement with her Church, her decade of volunteering at Rice Crackers and Fort Steele. or simply through her reliably cheerful presence at the Cranbrook Farmers Market. Sally was late to everything, because she never passed by someone she knew without a great “how ARE you?” and at least a photo or two, just to celebrate the encounter. The photos she took cover entire walls of her home, creating a photographic mosaic of all the people who she loved and loves. We were never, ever far from her sight; she kept us all so close. Sally’s capacity to show and express her love for her family and friends was limitless, and her care for us came from a cup that was simply overflowing. The impact of her spirit upon those around her cannot be overstated. We have been so lucky.

Sally is survived by her husband (Brian Passey), her sister (Judy Hayne), her three children, (Chris Passey – Kirsten Hammond, Susanna Passey – Grant Lemke and Bob Robertson), eight grandchildren, many cousins in Norfolk, England, and many beloved friends.

Please join us for a celebration of life for Sally.  This will be held at the Anglican Church on Monday August 22nd at 1pm.  Live stream available.  Reception in the Anglican church hall to follow for ALL.  Please bring a written memory, joy and-or photo for the cork board in the church hall.  The interment will be for family only at the Fort Steele cemetery.