Sad news spread quickly through Whistler after Brad Sills shared that his mentor, Dave Cathers, is no longer with us. The news was shared through an e-mail message to the members of the Whistler Search and Rescue (WSAR) team. Cathers passed away following a long battle with cancer.
“It is with great sadness that I convey the news that Dave Cathers passed away at 3 a.m this morning in Lion's Gate Hospital,” Sills wrote in his e-mail message to Search and Rescue personnel.
“All of us will miss the great strength that he brought to each of our lives,” wrote Sills.
He added that plans for a memorial are being planned for October.
“Life is short,” wrote Sills. “Dave's was much too short.”
In November of 2007, Pique reporter Alison Taylor asked Cathers why he dedicated 250 or more hours a year to the WSAR program both in training and in calls.
“Anybody can put themselves in a position like that, where you go out and hurt yourself,” Cathers said. “And it’s always nice to know that there’s some sort of resources that might come out and get you.”
Cathers was a long-time resident, a dedicated father, husband and community leader. In addition to playing a key role in setting up Whistler Search and Rescue he was also involved in youth activities, including Boy Scouts, junior hockey and baseball. He was a volunteer firefighter, a member of the Whistler Health Care Centre planning committee and a former Citizen of the Year.
