July 31, 2024
Alan Rae passed away peacefully in Surrey, British Columbia on July 31, 2024. He leaves behind his wife of over 46 years, Debbie and children Andrew, Vicki, Michael, and Thomas; daughters-in-law Chloe and Nicole along with five beautiful grandchildren: Lyla, Clementine, Callum, Phillipa, and Eden, all of whom Alan absolutely adored.
Alan was born and raised in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa; son of Bill and Vicki Rae and brother to Mary Ellen. After graduating from Alexandria High School in Pietermaritzburg, Alan did his mandatory one-year military service. He then worked for Barclays Bank for a year in the village of Mooi River in the Drakensberg mountains. He then left for Rhodesia where Alan became the youngest branch manager in the history of the UDT Group and also served with some distinction in the Rhodesian Army.
After three years living in Rhodesia, he traveled to London, where he spent a year working on Carnaby Street with friend, John Hawkey. Fatefully, Alan then travelled to Canada on his way to Australia. Alan was drawn to Canada because his grandmother came from Chatham, Ontario. Stopping in Montreal, he met, fell in love with, and married Debbie. They then headed West to Vancouver where Alan had secured a position that would eventually lead to his long-time employment as a wealth advisor at RBC Dominion Securities.
Alan's greatest passions were golf and giving back. Nick Price introduced Alan to a young golfer from Zimbabwe, Lewis Chitengwa. Lewis was destined for greatness on the PGA Tour but died tragically at age 26 while playing on the Canadian Tour. Alan had been Lewis's 'Canadian Father' helping him get established in North America. Alan loved playing golf and traveling to accompany this passion. Ireland was Alan's favourite place to play and whilst he never achieved a handicap lower than a 7, his passion lasted until his final days. Alan has been involved in many charities, the one that has appealed to him the most was Movember, the group trying to eradicate men's prostate cancer. He decided to get the MoSistas (the women who are involved with Movember) to encourage their male family and friends to get tested.
Alan's proudest accomplishments were receiving the Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2010 for his community work and, for a time, being the top-ranked wealth manager at RBC Dominion Securities.
Alan was a man amongst men, a leader, and much loved by everyone who knew him.