A 29-year-old Canadian Armed Forces member stationed in the Comox Valley died in a hiking accident at the end of November, according to his family.
In an obituary printed in the Comox Valley Record, the family wrote William Francesco Vant Erve, 29, died on Nov. 27 while hiking.
The Canadian Armed Forces has confirmed Erve’s passing.
Erve was a firefighter at 19 Wing Comox and a volunteer with the Courtenay Fire Department.
“The firefighters of 19 Wing Green Crew remember him as a kind and humble man who would drop whatever he was doing to help another person. Will was always willing to cook for the crew, and never shied away from a harmless practical joke or an impersonation of his peers,” the obituary says.
Erve was also a mountain biker, cycle enthusiast, a parachutist, fisherman, and amateur chef.
“Will lived every day to its fullest and for whatever he was doing – more epic was always better. He was a caring man both to those he knew and to others in the community. He possessed the gift of humour and a soft spot for those who were more vulnerable,” the obituary says.
The BC Coroners Service says it is investigating the death of a man in his late 20s from the Comox Valley who died in a non-suspicious event last Wednesday.
“Our investigation will look to determine how, where, when and by what means he came to his death. Due to the privacy of the deceased, the Coroners Service does not confirm or release identity,” Andy Watson, manager of strategic communications from the BC Coroners Service, said in a statement.
According to the BC Coroners Service, the hiking incident took place in the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District.
Erve is survived by his parents, Silvana Pasceri and Leo Vant Erve; his spouse Alyssa Bird; his sisters Catherine (Vineet Kauden) and Emma Vant Erve; his grandmother, Caterina Pasceri; godparents Peter Pasceri and Connie Bettencourt Costa; and many aunts, uncles, and cousins.
A vigil will be held tonight between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Comox Valley Funeral Home at 1101 Ryan Road in Courtenay. The funeral for Erve will be held on Dec. 5 at 11 a.m. at Christ The King Catholic Church at 1599 Tunner Drive in Courtenay, with a reception to follow.
CHEK News
