Roy - Vike Andersen

Roy 'Vike' Howard Andersen, passed away in Calgary, Alberta at the Foothills Medical Center just after 8 pm on Thursday, August 19th.

He was 83 years old. Although Roy had a tough year battling health issues, his passing came very suddenly and unexpectedly.

Roy was born on January 11th, 1938 in the northern town of Kirkenes, Norway. As the story goes, it was a cold, crisp, Tuesday morning when he arrived in the world, 18 months before the start of WW2.

Roy's family immigrated to Canada in November of 1951, sailing across the Atlantic, where they briefly stopped in Brooks, Alberta. There, his father worked on a farm until moving the family again to Haney, BC where they settled for good.

Roy joined the Canadian Armed Forces in his late teenage years and moved to Edmonton, Alberta. There he met and married Irene Sevard in 1962. They had two children together; Tammy Rosemarie and Kaare Roy Robert. Irene and Dad divorced in 1966.

The pull of the Canadian Rockies brought Dad to Banff in the mid-sixties. He worked at Sunshine Village, taught skiing, and married Ellen (Wilson) Andersen in 1969. They also had two children together; Bradley Robb and Lindsay Kim.

Roy spent 55 years in Banff, living on the shore of the Bow River, and loved being in the mountains. His true passions were skiing, flying, and photography. It would be hard to know where to begin with all the stories he shared of his extraordinary life. He was a ski jumper, coach, ski instructor, paratrooper, soldier, helicopter pilot, fixed-wing pilot, athlete, photographer, artist, writer, father, brother, and a friend to so many. Roy was charming, intelligent, funny and warm. He loved to tease, tell stories, was engaging, passionate, vibrant, and full of light

right until the end.

We pray Roy is at peace, resting now, and guiding us with grace and love. Roy built a strong community in the Bow Valley, and there is no doubt his legacy will live on. He was a good man who lived a good life, and we will miss him so much.

Roy did not want a service. He wanted his ashes to be spread at his favourite lake up in the mountains and an afternoon tea party at the Whyte Museum in Banff, Alberta. We will likely organize this for next summer, 2022.

"If there ever comes a day when we can't be together, keep me in your heart. I'll stay there forever." – Winnie the Pooh In lieu of flowers, gestures of condolence can take the form of a donation to the 'Peter and Catherine Whyte Foundation', which meant so much to him. www.whyte.org

Services provided by Russ Reynolds and Bow River Funeral Service.

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