January 19, 1943 - November 29, 2020
Say not in grief he is no more, but live in thankfulness that he was.
It is with profound sadness that we announce that Dennis Stewart MacNeill beloved husband, father and grandfather passed away on November 29th, 2020 in Abbotsford.
Predeceased by his parents, Archie (1981) and Shirley (2003) MacNeill, he is survived by his loving wife Judy MacNeill of 48 years and their children:
Bob (Traci) Runcer, Heather (Jeff) Stein, Kathy (Rob) McCracken and their grandchildren: Mitchell, Amanda, Sarina, Kurtis, Blake, Miles and Calen. Dennis is
also survived by his 6 siblings: Janet (David) Carnegie, Marvin (Theresa) MacNeill, Sherene (Bobby) Suggs, Arleigh (Susan) MacNeill, Verna (Jim) Forsyth, Lori (David) Hannis and many nieces and nephews. He leaves behind a large extended family and a wide circle of friends.
Dennis was born in Richmond and then moved to Abbotsford. From an early age he worked on the family farm (Stewart Dairy Farms, now Birchwood Dairy Farm). He was the eldest of 7 children.
His grandparents were some of the original settlers of Sumas Prairie. Dennis graduated from Abbotsford Senior Secondary in 1961. With an eye to pursuing a flying career, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1963 and was posted for training in Quebec.
Upon leaving the Air Force he moved back to BC becoming a qualified commercial pilot. Dennis accepted a full time position as a Trust Office Trainee for Royal Trust where he remained for the next twenty-three years.
Dennis left Royal Trust in 1989 as the Regional Manager for BC. In the same year he started his own insurance company: Central Agencies Ltd. Dennis was a true trail blazer in the Insurance Industry. He was innovative and embraced the opportunities that technology offered.
As a result, the business has grown to 3 Branches: Richmond, Langley and North Vancouver, and his sales network now stretches from BC to MB with the Company employing 25 Branch Employees and over 50 Producers.
Dennis resided in Richmond for 29 years before returning to Abbotsford where he overlooked the very same farmland that he grew up on. He enjoyed life to the fullest: flying, boating, spending time in Palm Springs, RVing across Canada and the US, exploring the world, and enjoying the occasional cruise.
He also found the time to be a member of the Canadian Snowbird Association, FMCA , IBABC, a former President of the BC Dogwood RV Klub, and was also one of the founding members of the Richmond Sunrise Rotary Club. What a life, so full of love and filled with so many family and friends who admired the sunshine in his smile and the kindness in his heart.
Dennis will be buried at Musselwhite Cemetery in Abbotsford, and a Celebration of Life will be held when we can safely gather again to tell stories and remember him.
Those we love don't go away, they walk beside us every day. Unseen, unheard, but always near, so loved, so missed, so very dear.