Family identifies man found dead after Warn Bay cabin fire in February

Joseph (Joe) William Cousineau. (Dignity Memorial)

A family member has identified the person who was found dead after a fire at a cabin in Warn Bay, east of Tofino, in February.

In an obituary posted online,  Anamarija Cousineau wrote her 63-year-old father, Joseph William Cousineau, died unexpectedly on Feb. 17, 2019, when his home caught fire at Warn Bay in the Tofino Inlet.

“My dad was one of a kind, a modern day pirate, a West Coast legend; it’s no secret he was haunted by voices only he could hear. Yet, despite his schizophrenia, Dad always tried to live life with the wind at his back and the throttle wide open,” Anamarija wrote.

She described her father as a “Joe” of all trades, who was a “a master carpenter, a deep sea diver, a small motor mechanic, builder of float homes, a storyteller, a carver, a cultivator of the rare Japanese tomato, a salvager, a bushman, a nudist, a fisherman, a sea captain, a fierce environmentalist, & a true survivalist.”

“His zest for a life of freedom was unmeasurable,” Anamarija wrote

A celebration of life will take place at a future date. In lieu of flowers, Anamarija is encouraging people to commit a random act of kindness, make a donation to a local food bank, clean up trash off your favourite beach or buy a buddy a beer in his memory.

On Feb. 25, 2019, RCMP confirmed human remains were found in a cabin and the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit (VIIMCU) and the BC Coroners Service were investigating.

RCMP now say the human remains have been identified. The cause of the fire is still being investigated but the blaze is not considered suspicious.

The BC Coroners Service said the investigation remains open and involves a man in his 60s.

RCMP and BC Coroners Service will not be releasing the man’s name.

Editorial Policies Report an Error