Aubyn Coad

The family of Aubyn Coad are saddened at the loss of our father, grandfather, and great grandfather.

Aubyn first came to the Yukon in 1969 for a one-year stint as the maintenance man at the Choutla Residential School in Carcross.

He returned permanently to the Yukon from Kingston, Ontario, via Moose Factory, Port Alberni, and Vancouver in 1973 with his wife, Victoria, to operate a group home in Ross River. He then moved to Whitehorse and worked at Yukon Hall, the Whitehorse Correctional Center, and McCauley Lodge for over 30 years before moving onto Copper Ridge Place and the Whistlebend Place Long Term Care facility for a short time before retirement.

He was one of a group of single parents raising their children in a Riverdale condominium complex and remained lifelong friends with many of them.

One of Aubyn’s jobs at McCauley was to drive the residents to various events around town. He gained anonymous fame as the driver who took the elderly male residents to see the strippers at the Kopper King during Rendezvous celebrations. The government ordered him to end the service when male strippers arrived in town and the female residents demanded equal treatment.

He loved watching and playing hockey. For many years, he was a regular in the Old Timers League and one year decided to try out for the Yukon hockey team at the Senior 55+ Games.

There weren’t enough hockey players to make a team, and he found himself recruited to the curling team instead. The first stone he threw in competition was the first stone he had ever thrown in his life. It was also the only stone that he threw that ended up where it was supposed to go.

He was predeceased by his parents, Phyllis and Aubyn, brother John, and brother in law Jim, granddaughter Lorrissa, and grandsons Stephen, Serikia, and John.

He will be sadly missed by sister Pam Graham (Jim) and daughters Acacia and Lois (John), son Aubyn (Emily), grandchildren Jennifer, Rachel, Aubyn, Hannah, Angel, Desiree, Cassandra, Mia, and Sienna, and numerous great grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

For those who wish to pay their respects, there will be a viewing at Heritage North on Thursday, Sept. 12, at 1 p.m.

A celebration of life will be held at a future date.