Long-time former Chilliwack MP Chuck Strahl has died, his family has confirmed.
He was 67.
Current Chilliwack-Hope MP Mark Strahl posted publicly about the loss of his father on Facebook on Aug. 14. The elder Strahl died on Aug. 13 "after a courageous and exemplary battle with mesothelioma."
He shared an obituary of his father, who was the local member of parliament for six consecutive elections. When Strahl retired from politics in 2011, the younger Strahl ran for election and won.
Strahl had been open about his health issues with mesothelioma, which he had said was the result of a career in the logging industry.
The obituary notes that Strahl had grown up in a logging family that moved around rural B.C. through his early years.
They eventually settled in Ryder Lake in Chilliwack when he was 10 years old, "where Dad met the love of his life, Debby Bateman."
They marred in 1975, "and their relationship was a beautiful example of love, honour, commitment and companionship for nearly 50 years," the obituary reads. They had four children, and 13 grandchildren.
"Dad loved Mom with all his heart, and he made sure that his kids and everyone he met in his life knew it and saw it."
Strahl was known to have strong Christian faith and that is mentioned in his obituary, along with his long commitment to the Chilliwack Alliance Church.
"Dad lived out his values in every aspect of his life, and was known for his honour, integrity and faithfulness to all those who knew him," the obituary reads.
He first became a public official in 1993, and served Chilliwack and the surrounding area for 18 years.
"He was a gifted communicator and leader," the obituary reads. "He served in a variety of prominent positions and was appointed to Cabinet in 2006, where he served in the roles of Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs and Minister of Transport until his retirement from politics in 2011.
But that isn't what his family will remember about him the most.
"While he was a very successful politician with many accomplishments during his time in office, he didn’t let his job define who he was," they said. "He never lost sight of what was truly important: his faith, his family and his friends.
"Our loss is deep and profound. Our Dad was our best friend, our greatest defender, our biggest promoter and our rock."
They are planning to announce details of a celebration of life in the days to come.
