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John Kenneth Groves
October 9, 1945 - May 16, 2017
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<div itemprop="description">After a sudden and brief illness, John Kenneth Groves passed away peacefully on May 16 in Ottawa. A tragic and heartbreaking loss to his family, friends and all those who knew and loved him so. <br> <br>John will be dearly missed by his wife of 46 years, Else (nee Elden), his two children, Erik and Kristina, his two granddaughters, Maisie and Astrid, his son-in-law Scott and his daughter-in-law Lauren. <br> <br>The son of Kenneth and Maisie (nee Clugston) Groves, and brother to Alan (d. 2013) and Carol, John was born and raised in Vancouver, BC. He was an engineer by trade, graduating from UBC in 1967 and worked in sales & marketing in air pollution control for Flakt Canada Ltd., ABB and Alstom Power for over thirty years. <br> <br>John was an adventurer at heart and his passion for the outdoors ran deep. His connection to nature fuelled many lifelong pursuits. In the winter, he lived for snow and cross-country skiing in Gatineau Park and spending time back country skiing at his beloved Lady Lake cottage. In the summer, John coordinated an avid cycling group and enjoyed hiking, too. He loved paddling his canoe and the sea kayak he crafted by hand around Lady Lake and down many rivers in Ontario and Quebec. The list of adventures John pursued in his life is endless – hiking at Lake O’Hara, paddling the Nahanni and Thelon rivers, ski touring and sea kayaking in Greenland and hiking around Mont Blanc, to name just a few. <br> <br>A keen interest in photography eventually blossomed into a full-blown obsession, often leading to early morning escapades chasing snowy owls or late night attempts to capture the Milky Way. John was a tireless volunteer at the RA Photo Club and received the “Outstanding Contribution Award” for significant contributions within the first five years of membership in 2015. <br> <br>John and Else, who met serendipitously on a ski hill at Leysin, Switzerland in 1969, spent many good times traveling throughout Else’s native Norway. John loved visiting family and pursuing outdoor adventures high on the ‘vidde’ either on skis or by foot. Else’s Norwegian family embraced him as a true Scandinavian and relished his effort and success in learning the language. <br> <br>One of John’s greatest joys in life were his children, Erik and Kristina. They will forever be thankful for his lasting gift of adventure, hard work, family and of course, the ‘Groves Rule’. <br> <br>John was generous with his time and expertise, always lending a helping hand when others were in need. He was instrumental in organizing family gatherings, frequently connecting with his sister and brother, aunts and uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews, and even distant relations. He will be forever remembered for his kindness and ability to connect with others, and for always bringing his family and friends together at every opportunity. <br> <br>A heart-breaking end to a life so well lived, but one that offers us all inspiration to pursue the life we so desire and gratitude for the time we have together. <br> <br>A funeral service will be held at the Riverside United Church, 3191 Riverside Drive, Ottawa, on June 10 at 12:00 noon. Visitation: Friends are welcome to meet with the family prior the funeral service at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada, David Suzuki Foundation or Nature Conservancy of Canada would be greatly appreciated. <br></div>