Clair Humphrey Davies

IIt is with profound sadness that we announce the peaceful passing of Clair Humphrey Davies at the
Nanaimo & District General Hospital on March 6, 2026. Clair, always the optimist and lover of God,
family, friends, music, reading, nature, camping, and travel was born March 27, 1940, in Brandon,
Manitoba, the eldest son of the late Humphrey and Joan Davies from Wales and the Isle of Wight,
respectively. Throughout his 85 years, Clair touched many lives with his wisdom, great sense of humour,
and fighting spirit when life threw curve balls.
First and foremost, Clair was a family man who loved his entire extended family dearly and cherished his
Welsh heritage deeply. Driven by an endless thirst for knowledge and challenge, Clair was also a lifelong
learner, devoted teacher, Scout leader, Freemason, Shriner, musician and singer. He earned his B.A. and
B.Ed. in Manitoba and loved playing football for Brandon College. He taught English, Geography, and
History for 28 years at CFB Shilo, and years of Driver Education, as well as playing Santa Claus in his
community. He volunteered in Nanoose Bay, BC with Citizens on Patrol for more than 10 years.
Clair enlisted in the military in 1960, joining the local Battery of 26 Field Regiment Royal Canadian
Artillery, where he trained and proudly served the Guns for 23 years achieving the rank of Lieutenant-
Colonel, retiring after his tenure as Commanding Officer of the Regiment from 1980 – 1983.
As a young boy, his love of music was seen in him playing the piano and singing in boys’ and church
choirs, as well as the Glee Club at the University of Manitoba. His voice was powerful, developing into a
strong, resonant bass that could lead us all in song. He had a passion for discovering new things and
sharing knowledge with others. He was an avid reader and ‘trained observer’ (as he would say) making
him a treasure trove of interesting facts and trivia. Games were his forte and he was a particular
champion of chess, backgammon, and any word game around.
Speaking of words, Clair was affectionately known as a “wordsmith”. His love of writing began in sending
208 letters to his dear Valerie while she was in Europe for 10 and a half months before they married. He
spent years teaching many students how to write well, and years of editing and proofreading a variety of
texts of others’ writing. His meticulous and beautiful penmanship was always a signature feature of
anything he penned.Clair loved travel and road trips making teaching the ideal career choice. He and the family spent every
summer travelling to BC and across Canada and parts of the US, making stops at every and all points of
interest rolling fun and education into one for the kids. A few favourite places for Clair were Riding
Mountain National Park, the Maritimes, Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, Haida Gwaii, Barkerville, and
Tofino. He had special memories of trips to New Zealand, Hong Kong, Alaska, and of course a trip to his
ancestral home of Wales.
After making the move from Brandon to Nanoose Bay in 1990 to help care for aging parents on both
sides, Clair also enrolled in Tourism Management at Malaspina College in Nanaimo, and made the Dean’s
Honour List. This program launched him into a second career as a Wharfinger at the Schooner Cove
Marina in Nanoose for 19 years. He absolutely loved his time spent working right beside the ocean,
becoming a well-loved member of the marina team, and getting to be featured on the local news when
the S.S. Minnow was docked at the marina for some time. The reporters even thought that Clair looked
like the Skipper from the show, Gilligan’s Island. Clair always thought it was fun when people mistook
him for famous people, especially Peter Ustinov.
His remarkable life will forever be an inspiration to his family and friends, a testament to the power of
how living with curiosity, resilience, and a sense of fun leads to a life full of contentment and joy.
Clair’s family has deep gratitude for all of the doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers who provided such
good care of him over the years and especially in the last few months of his life. Clair will be greatly
missed, but will stay forever in our hearts.
He is survived by his loving wife, Valerie, and their four children along with their spouses, Mark (Kristina),
Owen (Wendy), Shauna (Ted), and Roland (Adeline), nine grandchildren, Shelby (Ben), Kiefer (Rachel),
Cameron, Quinn, Nolan, Ava, Rhys, Rhys Hunter, and Marilla, and two great grandchildren, Beau &
Eleanor, (with one more on the way), nephews Rob (Liz), Andrew (Jenni), Sean (Stacy), Chris (Dalyce),
cousin Holly (Rick), and Clair's second cousin Lilian in Wales who all brought great joy to his life. Sadly, he
was predeceased by his younger brother, Lee (Ginny), but is survived by his brother-in-law David (Lynne).
A Celebration of Life service to honour Clair’s exceptional life will be held on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at
2:00 pm (slideshow starting at 1:30) at St. Mary’s Anglican Church, 2600 Powder Point Road in Nanoose
Bay. We invite all who knew and loved Clair, and who are able, to join us in honouring his memory.
In lieu of flowers, we encourage you to honour Clair’s legacy of loving life, learning, and being in service
to others by donating to any of his favourite organizations including St. Mary’s Anglican Church (Nanoose
Bay), the Nanaimo & District Hospital Foundation, Tumaini Fund Canada, Vancouver Island University
Foundation, the Chemainus Theatre Festival, or any charity in your local community that provides service
to those in need. This, we believe, would be the best tribute to his well-lived life.
For those who are able to join us for the Celebration of Clair’s Life, please help us make the occasion as
Clair wanted when he wrote “happy and uplifting. I’ve had a good and happy life, so I wouldn’t want my
last rites to be anything but happy. I have a great faith and I know that this is part of my journey to meet
Jesus.”