Obituaries

To Ita and her family and to all of Brendan's loved ones. My sincere condolences on the passing of dear Brendan. He was certainly blessed with an interesting and rewarding life. He is now out of his suffering and has been welcomed to his eternal home. Take comfort in knowing that he lived a life dedicated to his loved ones and to his profession. Cling to precious memories and he will always be with you. May he rest peacefully in the presence of our Lord and Savior.

Dearest Trudy and family, we send our sincerest and deepest sympathies to you on the loss of your wonderful Brendan. He was a unique and terrific man, friend, and human being. Would that we could all be as kind, loving, and respectful of life and people as he was! We loved him and his adventurous spirit and cherish our memories of times with him. He brightened our lives. The world is a much lesser place without him.

Trudy and family. Our sincere condolences on the passing of Brendan. Although I was younger by a few years I remember him mostly at St. Bon’s and visits to the old homestead on Topsail Road. We had a great conversation when he visitied my sister Diane a few years ago. He was remarkable. Hopefully we’ll get a chance to meet when you visit later this year. Jim and Maureen Dunne

To. Ita and family of Brendan, So very sorry to hear of your sad loss. Brenny’s struggles are over and I am sure it is comforting to know that he is with our Heavenly Father and loved ones. The love and memories that you all shared will live in your hearts forever. As always, I will keep you all close in my heart and prayers. May God bless, comfort and give you His peace. Love and deepest sympathy, Vera

Condolences to Trudy and Family. Brendan being a first cousin and growing up near the Holden far, I can attest to his strong work ethic both on the family farm and in his pursuit of higher education. He fostered a positive attitude which led to a high quality of life both personally and professionally with many achievements during his time. Certainly, Brendan garnered much respect in his life journey. May his soul Rest in Peace! Keith and Annette

I’ve only met Brendan a couple of times in person, but I’ve learned so much about him through the eyes of my dear friend Madeline. What an accomplished man, and infinitely loved as a father! My deepest condolences to the Holden family. May his memory be a blessing.

Paul and family, I am so sorry to hear that your Dad passed away. My deep condolences to all your family. I still vividly remember my conversation and dinners with him when he visited you in Montreal several times. I admired his openness, respect for other cultures and international experience. He was a prime example of not only a Canadian man but also a man with an amazing heart. I was looking forward to meeting him again just before the pandemic and wanted to introduce my beautiful daughter to him. It is such a shame that I was no longer able to do so, but my memory with him and your family will stay with me for a long long time, and hopefully I will be able to meet your family to share my memory with him soon.

Dear Trudy and family, My deepest sympathy for you at this time. Please know that you and your family are in my prayers. Brendan will certainly missed in our parish. To me he was a gentleman and a man of service. May our Lord wrap His loving arms around at this time. And may Brendan be at peace in the house of our Lord. In sympathy, Bev Pulyk

Dear Trudy and family, we are so very sorry for your loss. We have many fond memories of time spent with Brendan, especially conversations over coffee. We were lucky to have known him. Our sincere condolences, David and Eileen

Dear Trudy and Family, I wish to express my sincere condolences on the death of Brendan--Husband, father, grandfather and friend to many. Reading the obituary and posted condolences stimulated my memories of the numerous rich discussions we had over the years at the University of Victoria about science education and schools and the efforts we might make to improve their effectiveness. He was proud and supportive of his family's education efforts and adventures. Clearly, he lived life well, which will make his passing even greater for you and his communities. I will be thinking of you. Larry Yore

I firs met Brendan in 1974 when we worked for the same engineering company in Toronto. Our friendship extended for more than 4 decades and included the Holden hospitality to me during stays in Fiji and Victoria ,BC. Brendan was both a "doer" and a "thinker" who would offer welcome moral support (as when I faced my own health issues). Brendan had a unique sense of humor often apparent in his email messages which were always thought-provoking. I will sorely miss his messages Condolences to Trudy and the Holden family.

My condolences to all the family in you loss of Brendon. He was an amazing and interesting man. I knew him in many capacities as a colleague at work, as the father of my daughters friend, as a fellow parishioner, as a fellow carpenter and as a great friend. I enjoyed his stories especially on Monday mornings as he seemed to be able to relate any life lesson through stories from the farm. He also shared his passion for education and live lessons from his travels. He was straight forward in his path and loyal to his friends and family. It was interesting to see how frugal and generous he could be at the same time. He did not need to show off and was happy with a good coat from government surplus, paper in his hat and doing repairs on his own vehicle. He introduced some of us to kippers which did not catch on for breakfast. I admired his courage and his acceptance as he dealt with his cancer. An example for all of us. I will miss him as will many others. A life well lived.

Trudy, Paul, Adrienne and Madeline, we are so sorry that Brendan has passed away. Although his faith sustained him and he wasn’t afraid to die, he really did his best to stay with you for as long as he could. You have many wonderful memories that will never fill the void but eventually they will give you some comfort. Knowing that so many of us also have good memories, hopefully helps a little too. It was always fun to see Brendan when he came home. We spent many hours remembering the fun times we shared with family and friends on Topsail Rd., current affairs and any topic that was brought up. I’m sure he was an inspiration to everyone he knew. Rest In Peace Brendan.

Brendan will be so terribly missed by all at Holy Cross Parish! I have fond memories of him training me to be a sacristan some years ago. He walked me patiently through the many tasks, gave me detailed written instructions, and encouraged and supported me all the way. The last time I talked to him at church was when he came to mass last Sept. 30 (Orange Shirt Day), wearing an orange coat. Always an advocate for social justice! And yes, Brendan had a passion for learning; outside of Holy Cross, the place I had the best chance of running into him would be a UVic classroom or lecture hall. My sincerest condolences to Trudy, Paul, Madeline, Adrienne, and all the family.

Adrienne and family, my heart felt condolences to all the family. I was lucky to have met and spend time with your Dad while visiting beautiful Victoria. I admired and loved his love for nature.

Madeline and family I am sorry to hear of your loss. I know how much you thought about your dad was so proud of his accomplishments. Please remember all the great times you guys had…it’s these memories that help us through these difficult times. Scott

Trudy & Family, Our sincere condolences and warmest thoughts to all of you. Take care. Teresa, Gerry & Gerald Douglas

Condolences to the West Coast Holdens. I’m sending my warmest regards.