David "Dave" Graham Alford Obituary (1945

David Graham "Dave" Alford, aged 80, of Comox, British Columbia, passed away on December 20, 2025, in Comox. David is survived by his wife Gillian; his children Sarah (Ryan) and James (Crystal), his grandchildren Emmett and Felix, and his brother Donald, as well as many dear family and friends. Born on September 3, 1945, in Dublin, Ireland, David was the oldest son of Pamela and Graham Alford and older brother to Donald. His childhood was full of adventure, mischief, and stories that became family legend including visits to the Dublin Zoo getting to know the elephants, climbing the drainpipes at the Harcourt St home and playing marbles with dignitaries in his father's dental surgery. He enjoyed childhood caravanning with the family, and time spent with his cherished grandfather. He attended Wesley College as a youth and later Trinity College Dublin, where he studied dentistry. After graduating with his dental degree David embarked on an adventure to Canada working in Hamilton, Whitehorse and finally settling in Chilliwack in the 70's. He embraced Canadian life continuing his love of mountaineering on new peaks, learned how to hunt and raise horses. He met Gillian through the local equestrian centre, and they married in June 1980 beginning a partnership full of love humour, and shared adventure. David become stepfather to 6 year old James at their marriage and in April 1981 they welcomed their daughter Sarah. They lived on their farm on Hinkley Hill in Chilliwack for many years raising not only horses but also goats, sheep, pigs and cows getting involved with the 4-H Beef Club. They had many family dogs, cats (to his chagrin), a rabbit and even a crow. He became the local farmer dentist driving to his Young Street office in the pickup truck daily when he wasn't running into work to train for a marathon. Following in his father's footsteps David was a dedicated dentist, he was known for his skill, humour and kindness. David practiced in Hamilton, the Yukon, Chilliwack, and Alert Bay. He was known to take trades of salmon or homemade mustard for dental service and even worked on a Doberman's teeth one time. David opened his own practice at the Young Street Dental Clinic in Chilliwack in the 1970s until he retired in 2008. He loved his time there and the, patients, staff, and colleagues he worked with over the years. David had the ability to strike up a conversation with absolutely anyone and often discovered long lost relatives in the process. He enjoyed being part of the Rotary Club in Chilliwack, hosting many exchange students over the years, giving talks at the yacht club in West Vancouver and Comox, and helping new immigrants to Canada settle into a new country. David and Gillian retired to Comox, BC where they found deep joy in the ocean and their local community. Watching his grandchildren play on the beach, on the boat, or hike and sled at Mt. Washington was how David passed many happy moments. He loved to bring friends and family out sailing, sharing his passion for the water. He and Gillian enjoyed many travels together over the years including the Cook Islands, Africa, and Russia to name a few. David recently was able to travel to Antarctica with his cousins and brother. The trip of a lifetime for him. He embraced life with enthusiasm. David loved rugby though his career as a player didn't extend beyond his youth he regularly set early alarms to catch Ireland's matches. He would have been proud to see his Grandson, Emmett playing his first rugby season this spring. Running was another love of David's that extended beyond his youth from cross country teams to winning the Belfast-Dublin race, participating in the Vancouver Marathon and coaching Sarah to run that same race years later. Sailing was a lifelong passion that he continued to enjoy in retirement with notable trips to Alaska and sailing warmer waters with his brother Donald whom he enjoyed reconnecting with over the last number of years. He and Gil were avid followers of tennis and the Vancouver Canucks. There wasn't an activity that David wouldn't try whether back country camping, windsurfing, painting, or wood working. He even took on white water rafting with his Irish nieces Nicola and Rachel a trip he may have thought twice had he known the size of the rapids! David's quirks were part of his charm: running out of gas more often than he'd admit, chatting up strangers, hosting Irish hoolies, dancing with absolutely no rhythm, and wearing glasses tied together with dental floss. His slight Irish accent never left him, no matter how many years he lived abroad. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, May 23 at 1:00 p.m. at the Kin Beach BBQ Hut in Comox. There will be no formal officiant or speeches--just a gathering of family and friends to share food, stories, and memories of David. His ashes will be spread by his family at the beach in Comox, a place he loved deeply. For more information, please contact Sarah at sarahalford@gmail.com The family extends heartfelt thanks for the support received from family, friends and the Astra Road community. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer's society of BC "See you just over the next ridge."