GEORGE R. DINNEY

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GEORGE R. DINNEY With heartfelt sadness we announce the death of George R. Dinney, born May 7, 1928 in Winnipeg, Manitoba and died on December 18, 2016, in Victoria, British Columbia. The dignity and strength of character that distinguished his entire life is sorely missed by his surviving children, Dr. Colin Dinney (wife Jane) and daughters Laurel and Cynthia. Also loved are surviving nieces Gay Anne, Monica, Marcy, Merrill and Marlayne and nephews Kelly and Blair. He is predeceased by his devoted wife Nina with whom he shared his life for more than 55 years, sisters Lillian (husband Bertrum) and Margaret and brothers William (wife Margaret) and Alexander. Professionally, George R. Dinney will be best remembered for his invention of Universal Life in 1962 which was explained in his authorship of "Life Insurance As A Game" and for philanthropic work with important causes including his service as Chairman for the United Way and member of the vestry at Holy Trinity Church. Persuasive orator and scholarly writer, George had an accomplished command of both English and Latin. He will be remembered by his family for teaching us the importance of both higher education and good common sense and imprinting with absolute clarity the values of honesty, integrity and generosity. He taught us to have unquestionable confidence in decision making, encouraged us to be independent thinkers and empowered us to stand firm for what we believe in. He was certainly a polymath, a genius, but also a member of the Hole in One Club, a master gardener (seemingly defying the laws of nature), lifetime Airedaler and passionate collector of fine art, music and literature. Many of us still treasure our very first book that rests in our permanent library, a gift from him as he considered a book to be the most valued present one could give or receive. He travelled worldwide but his favorite cities were Sydney (Australia), London (England) and Santa Fe (New Mexico) regretting only that he longed for one last visit. On trips that took him far from family he never missed sending a post card from the exotic, wonderful places that existed only in our childhood imaginations. These post cards are precious mementoes of how important we were to him. One of his most remarkable qualities was an insatiable curiosity about any topic that interested us. In his pursuit of knowledge he became an expert at all things that tweaked the inquiring minds of his family - from theatre to punk rock. Politics to investment. Fashion to a broad range of favorite sports. He followed the Triple Crown to the level of researching the genetic lineage of the horses. No subject of interest was left undisturbed! His enthusiasm to learn was perpetuated by an innate intellectual inquisitiveness fed by the delight of his discoveries. While serious minded, it would be neglectful to ignore his sagacious sense of humor. Observing his request, cremation has taken place. A private remembrance for immediate family will follow at a future date in Winnipeg. Special thanks to the very dedicated, compassionate team of professionals at the Neuroscience Ward at Victoria General Hospital. Should anyone wish to commemorate George's remarkable life please send a donation to the Victoria Hospitals Foundation, Wilson Block, 1952 Bay Street, Victoria, BC, V8R 1J8. Unde Vadis, Quo Vadis?

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Feb 11, 2017