Garth Andrew Henderson, second son of Walter and Jean Henderson,
born February 7, 1949 in Sherbrooke, Quebec, passed away
November 25, 2024, following a tragic cycling accident near his
home in Diamond Valley, Alberta. Garth was predeceased by his older
brother Ian in January of 2023, and is survived by his wife, Kathleen,
and his younger brother Colin and his wife Joanne.
Garth headed west over fifty years ago, in an old van, loaded with
several sets of skis, all to experience powder skiing in the Rockies.
He became the consummate mountain man, downhill & telemark
skiing, solo hiking & mountain lake fishing as well as biking the
backcountry trails around Banff. Garth took up paragliding over
30 years ago and was often seen launching off Mount Seven in
Golden, where he had a vintage, off grid, trailer base camp where he
could escape the hustle and bustle of the rest of the world.
So enjoying skiing around Banff, Garth then established new roots
in the mountains, taking up photography in the off season and after
numerous part time jobs, started his career at the Banff Centre,
putting his Bishop’s BA degree to work, pushing his way up through
the ranks to VP of the Banff School of Management. It was also at the
Banff Centre where he met Kathleen, his wife of 40 plus years!
Garth drove an “antique” pick up around town in those early years,
then eventually graduated to his cherished rag top MG that he toured
the west coast in and finally a slick Miata convertible, his “mid life
crisis” splurge! In his retirement years, Garth helped out his friends
and colleagues with the then evolving, Website Design marketing,
putting his computer and photography skills to good use, while still
enjoying all that the Mountains had to offer the outdoor enthusiast
that he had become.
When the floods ravished the Bow Valley and Canmore, he & Kathleen,
left his beloved mountains, and settled in Diamond Valley, where
he gained a true appreciation for his new found Alberta foothills,
forever travelling down every back road, now in his “new” pick up &
quad, photographing the expansive vistas and long ago, abandoned
homesteads. He continued his love of the outdoors on walks and bike
rides with Kathleen, even in frigid winter temperatures, just to take
it all in.
It was on another of those gorgeous, clear, crisp, fall days that Garth
was out on one of his weekly 20 km tours, on his pride and joy, Fat
Tire E Mountain bike, when tragedy struck. He will be forever missed
by Kathleen & her family, Colin & Joanne and their family, as well as
his numerous friends and relatives in Western & Eastern Canada and
those down in the New England states. Garth sends out one of his
trademark “grins” of gratitude, to all of you, for a life so well lived.
Now forever soaring above us all on his glorious mountain breezes.
In lieu of flowers, should you so wish, please make a donation in
Garths name to STARS or the charity of your choice.
