Kevin was a keystone in the architecture of his family and community. He was resolute, grounded, and calm. A deeply caring man with integrity, kindness, and quiet strength. He provided a rock-solid foundation along with insight, humour, and depth.
Despite his astronomical impact on family, friends, and colleagues, Kevin preferred to let others have the limelight. He was non-judgmental and found common ground with anyone, unafraid to dive into beliefs, values, and perspectives. People often learned something about themselves during their exchanges with him.
Salmon Arm was in Kevin’s bones. He left after high school to study at the University of Victoria, where he earned an honours degree in biochemistry, followed by UBC Medical School in Vancouver. His radiology residency took him to Kingston, Ontario, where he and Suzy bought their first home and started their family. Then after four years in Kamloops, they made Salmon Arm their forever home and sank in thoroughly.
Kevin and his brother Mike had an adventurous start with their parents, Marcia and Jim; overnight canoe trips as preschoolers, alpine backpacking in primary school, and a multi-day cycling trip through the Columbia Icefield in high school. They won first-place ribbons at the Salmon Arm Fair every year for their chickens and ducks (and a hot-headed rooster), and did projects shoulder-to-shoulder, like the meticulously detailed WWII diorama, with hand-painted tanks, planes, and soldiers.
Kevin chose to be independent at a young age. In grade six, when the chalkboard was blurry, he made his own optometrist appointment. Jim was shocked when Kevin showed up as his 3 pm patient. At the age of eight, after finding mismatched socks in his drawer, he started folding his own laundry and never looked back.
Kevin worked for the BC Wildfire Service for three seasons during medical school, joining the Telkwa Unit Crew in 1996. He became a skilled saw operator and tree faller, and was a trusted crew member who stood out for his hard work and diligence. This is where he met Suzy and worked alongside her on her squad.
Suzy and Kevin had a strong partnership. Their love was gentle and kind, but they teased each other often. They pushed each other’s buttons the right way and knew how to make each other laugh and smile. They did many things together, like skiing, biking, and hiking. But they also maintained their own interests, friends, and a strong sense of self.
They introduced their kids to everything possible. They went to the Banff Film Festival every year after Maggie was born. They scraped the ice on the Shuswap so the kids could skate and play hockey. Kevin was a coach for Max’s hockey teams from Novice to Bantam, often showing up early to feed the keeners one-timers. He’d pick up anyone who needed a ride and always made a Tim Hortons pitstop after the 6:30 am practice.
Kevin was fiercely proud of Maggie and Max and avidly supported everything they pursued. He’d drive seven hours to watch a hockey tournament or ski race, even when he had to work the next day. He would gladly hop out of bed to drive down some obscure dirt road in the middle of the night to pick up his kids and their friends. He considered this bonus time with them.
Both self-proclaimed science geeks, Maggie followed a similar academic path to Kevin. They shared a love of so many things, like bikes and skis and Art. Their knowledge exchange was reciprocal; Maggie might ask Kevin to explain a biological process, and Kevin would ask for tips on waxing skis. They loved their lunch and coffee dates together in Vancouver and Salmon Arm in recent years
Film was one of the art forms Kevin revered. He introduced Max to movies, and they watched and critiqued hundreds together, including a David Lynch movie marathon. Eventually, it was Max feeding movie recommendations to Kevin, who watched them all. Kevin valued the quality of the acting over the story or the visuals, which gave them much to debate.
When it came to the future of his children, he made sure they knew it didn’t matter which interests or future careers they pursued. It only mattered that they liked what they did.
He tended to his dogs with the same diligence he gave the humans in his life. Boulder and Igor (and sometimes Missy the cat) were his constant sidekicks.
Kevin loved his work family at the Shuswap Lake General Hospital. During his seventeen years in the Radiology Department, he was the guy you could always go to with questions or run a case past. He made time, and if he didn’t have the answer, he’d find it.
He was a mentor, a teacher, and a steadfast leader. He became the first Interior Health Authority Regional Head of the Department of Diagnostic Imaging and served as Chief of Radiology. He sat on the facility engagement working group for years because he was vigilant about quality improvement and patient care. His extensive research and advocacy were instrumental in the purchase of new hospital equipment and technological upgrades.
All staff, regardless of their position or role at the hospital, considered Kevin a friend. He asked questions about people’s lives and listened with genuine interest. He paid attention to what they valued and who mattered to them. And he remembered.
Kevin and Suzy share a large, playful, and tight-knit group of friends whose antics know no bounds. An annual themed dance party, PEI lobster feasts, bowling and paintball parties (by rented bus!), and multi-day backcountry trips. Kevin might have needed some nudging to dress up for the theme parties, but no one had to coerce him to join the crew to watch the 2026 Team Canada Hockey finals at 5 am.
His name appeared often in the Salmon Arm Observer – from Bastion Minor Soccer to a 30-point Salmon Arm Golds basketball game to claiming a championship banner alongside Max as coach of the Atom Silverbacks. In Grade 12, he was named MVP at the Okanagan Valley Championships while playing for the Salmon Arm Golds. But his athleticism wasn’t reserved for the courts and arenas. As a teen, he loved skateboarding and was an avid fan of the Bones Brigade (Tony Hawk et al.).
Hockey was his favourite sport and a lifelong passion. A highlight of his year was playing for the Penticton team at the annual Vernon Doctors Hockey Tournament for more than a decade. More recently, he played with the Salmon Arm Aces and Cavaliers.
Larch Hills Nordic Ski Club was a constant. Kevin skied there as a child, volunteered at his kids’ events, and was proud of Suzy’s decade on the Board. This past reading week, Suzy and Max commiserated about being left in the dust by Kevin on his skate-skis, a sport he had only recently taken up.
When Kevin decided to do something, he was all in. He had exquisite taste in fine art, hand-crafted furniture, midcentury lines, and stained glass. His collection was vast and refined. But he was also resourceful, keeping his trusty pickup truck running for more than twenty years and content to savour a Coors beer.
When he made a crazy one-liner joke or landed a punchline, Kevin did something with his eyebrows that was so subtle you wondered if you had imagined it. He liked to plant something to shock others, and then innocently watch the bewilderment unfold from his favourite chair. His family loved to watch him laugh.
The family trip to Portugal in 2018 was a favourite, but the many backpacking and canoe-camping trips were close behind: The West Coast Trail, Azure Lake, Clearwater Lake, Berg Lake, to name a few. Hawaii and road trips to the Grand Canyon are fond memories.
He loved being near water and valued Hornby Island, Eagle Bay, and Tyhee Lake (Smithers), because they bring extended family together. He wanted this to continue for generations.
Kevin will be deeply missed by his wife Suzy, children Maggie and Max, parents Marcia and Jim, brother Michael (Pauline), and nephews Dane, Owen, Will; sister-in-law Laura Tayler-Hanson (Ryan), and nieces Teslin, Tlell, and Teagan; parents-in-law James and Margaret Tayler; and a large and supportive circle of extended family, friends, and colleagues.
To honour Kevin’s life, watch a film with your family, ride the trails, go golfing, or sit by the lake with a favourite drink and watch the sun set.