Obituary of Robert James "Rob" Rea

Robert (Rob) James Rea, Jr., 49 years old, passed away on July 31, 2016 after a courageous battle with brain cancer. He is survived by his beloved wife Karen, the love of his life, his mother and father Marsha and Bob, his brother and sisters Scott, Tara, and Brandee, and his children Christy, Jennifer, Sarah, and Holley. As many of you may know, Robert was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2006. He fought hard to stay in this world going through six craniotomies, radiation therapy, and countless cycles of chemotherapy. He was a true warrior. But, as a wise man once told me, "There comes a time when all warriors must put down their sword." Rob derived great satisfaction pushing the edge of the possible. He loved the rush of testing boundaries. Even as a boy, his default was set to push boundaries in order to see how far his fearlessness would take him. In typical "Rob" fashion, he would strap on a pair of skis, get to the top of the mountain, assume the tuck position and shoot straight down the hill (much to the horror of his Uncle Doug). Being a bit of an adrenaline junkie, Rob fell in love with off-road racing, which worked out well as he shared this passion for racing with his benefactor and dad. They travelled to numerous races together. Rob's "need for speed" was realized. There was one race in which one of his best friends, Shawn, tagged along. This, as always, would not be a trip without incident. In typical fashion, there was an "incident" at the border crossing in which they were pulled over and the whole car was ripped apart, suitcases and all. The only other thing to be said about this specific trip was that there seemed to be a lot more drinking than racing. Rob and Shawn were friends for thirty-five years. Their love for putting words to music solidified their life-long friendship. Rob had a way of making his words sound like heavens orchestra, intertwining and pulling apart, captivating his audience with every verse. How to describe Rob and his love for music? "When words fall, music speaks." This was one of the greatest passions in his life and without a doubt, a gift that few are granted. Rob also loved hockey. He even played for quite a few years. Although he eventually stopped playing, his love for the sport remained strong. He was a devout Canucks fan, never giving up hope that one day they might actually win the Stanley Cup. That dream lives on people. Simply put, Robert was the hardest working, warmest, kindest, and most loving man. His love of and knowledge of this country was unique and inspiring. He believed in taking chances, strapping himself in and enjoying the ride. Life is not meant to be viewed from a window, it is meant to be seized and experienced to the fullest. He will be deeply missed. He is at peace. As per Robert's wishes, his ashes will be scattered at the mouth of the Fraser River in the spring/summer of 2017. A Celebration of his life will be held shortly thereafter in North Vancouver. Dates will be posted on www.bergeronfunerals.com as soon as possible. Until we meet again, my love. Forever and always, your girl K. Thank you to all of the nurses at the Dawson Creek Hospital. Service 2:00 pm Saturday, October 8, 2016 Seymour Golf & Country Club 3723 Mt. Seymour Parkway NORTH VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Canada V7G 1C1