Skip to content

April 5, 1928 - March 23, 2017


Born April 5, 1928 in Vancouver General Hospital to Aida Thorgeirson and adopted 27 days later by George and Elsie May Hamilton of Fort St. James, BC, Harold spent the first 12 years of his life there except for tagging along on his adoptive Mother's nomadic wanderings. In 1940 he became a resident student at the Christian Brothers of Ireland Vancouver College where Elsie May was the cook.


Returning to Fort St. James in 1942 his adoptive parents separated permanently and Harold was left alone. His first job was acquired at age 14 when he was hired to work in a logging camp at Menzies Bay. He was seriously injured by a falling tree and hospitalized at Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Campbell River. On recovering, he joined the Merchant Marine and went to various ports worldwide. One of his favourite destinations was the Republic of Ireland where his Viking ancestors had settled centuries earlier. He returned repeatedly to Northern Ireland and the Republic in later years.


When Ottawa scuttled Canada's Merchant fleet Harold found work in the auto transport industry, first as a long distance driver and later in management. He was transferred from Detroit , Michigan to Regina, Saskatchewan to open a terminal there in 1965. In 1966 he joined CKCK Radio and CKTV as a prime time news anchor and retired from there 24 years later, receiving a plaque designating him "The Voice of the Great Prairie West". Harold retired to one of his favourite places, Port Alberni. His first visit to Port Alberni was made aboard a Merchant Marine Park ship in the 1940s to load timber bound for Britain. He likened the Alberni Inlet to the fjords of Norway. On retirement he settled in Port. His favourite spot to visit was the Cassidy reflectors on Arbutus Ridge where the entire valley panorama can be viewed from the mouth of the Somass River to China Creek. His near daily walks were taken on the Kitsuksis dike path. His ashes are to be distributed on high ground in this valley.


Harold leaves behind 2 daughters, 4 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.



Your condolences will be approved within one business day. You will need a valid Facebook account. Please email us if you have any questions.