Sandy was the eldest son of Gloria and Clarence Durban. He was born in the Burns Lake hospital and grew up on the Southside where he enjoyed fishing and other outdoor opportunities that make northern living so great. He grew up knowing how to work hard and he spent his young adult life working in the logging industry for his fathers’ sawmill.
You didn’t have to know Sandy very long to figure out that he was a big Elvis fan. Really big fan. And, you only had to play crib with him once to know he was hard to beat. Really hard to beat. The only time he didn’t want to play crib was when there was a hockey game to watch. When he was younger he was an avid hockey player. He also enjoyed travelling. He made three trips to Hawaii and countless road trips around Western Canada. He eventually moved to Prince George to work with his brother Gordon. These brothers were as close as a right and left hands. They knew one another’s hearts and minds. Sandy enjoyed the city life as much as he had the country life.
While in the hospital his sister in law, Kim and a family friend arranged for the PG Cougars to visit Sandy. This was a highlight and had so much meaning for Sandy and for his family who watched his joy. Sandy taught us how to be strong in the face of cancer and to how to live each day.
Sandy was born with a trusting soul and an open heart that stayed with him each and every day of his life. He knew what was important: Sharing a laugh with friends and family, counting and taking crib points that his opponent missed; with player stats in mind - cheer on a favourite hockey team, and enjoying a full plate of home cooked supper, followed by another full plate, followed by another full plate, followed by a “no thank you” to dessert, unless dessert is bokkels
Sandy is greatly missed by his parents Gloria and Clarence (Babe) Durban, brother Gordon (Kim), sister Debbie (Brian Marsh), and sister Barb (Blair Wilson) and numerous nieces and nephews.