One of Squamish's most influential community members, Dr. LaVerne Kindree, died at the age of 88 in Squamish General Hospital after a brief illness Saturday morning (Sept. 26).
Dr. Kindree leaves behind an inspiring legacy, which was honoured last month when he received the country's highest civilian medal of distinction and became a member of the Order of Canada.
A true pioneer, Dr. Kindree was instrumental in establishing many of Squamish's core institutions and organizations, including the Squamish General Hospital, the Squamish Rotary Club and the Squamish Chamber of Commerce.
"It's really hard to separate Dr. Kindree the man, Dr. Kindree the doctor, and Dr. Kindree the Chamber senator because he was really all-encompassing," said Chamber president Margo Dent. "He was a man before his time in a lot of ways."
Dr. Kindree, who moved to Squamish with his wife Norma in 1947, was the region's sole physician for several years, and in the early days, travelled by train and horseback to serve patients in Pemberton and Mount Currie. He was also British Columbia's longest serving coroner, having worked in that capacity for 42 years.
Dr. Kindree also served as a municipal councillor for 23 years starting in 1955, and as a representative of the Squamish Lillooet Regional District for eight of those years. He led or supported at least a dozen more organizations, including the Squamish Health Care Foundation Society, Community Futures and the West Coast Railway Museum Society.
"He'll be remembered as someone who contributed incredibly to this community over the past 60 years," said Mayor Greg Gardner. "He has left his mark on our community in many, many ways."
Well before being named to the Order of Canada, Dr. Kindree received significant recognition and honours. He received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Squamish Nation and became an honourary member in 1999. He was the original recipient of the Order of Squamish, twice named Citizen of the Year and earned the Premiers Award for Community Achievement. He was also given the Certificate of Service Award from the BC Health Association and the Queen's Jubilee Medal from the House of Commons for outstanding contributions to the community.
A public memorial for Dr. Kindree is being held at Howe Sound Secondary at 11 a.m. on Saturday (Oct. 10). Donations can be made to the Squamish Health Care Foundation for the purchase of a CT scanner, a cause that kept Dr. Kindree actively fundraising over the last few years.
"One of his very last wishes was for Squamish to hopefully raise enough money to buy a CT scanner for diagnosis of traumas," said his son Paul Kindree. "He thought that was really important for the community, it was the next step to helping everybody in the community."
