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Friends, family say fond farewell to fallen skier

Dave Sheets remembered as ‘larger than life’; foundation for critical care equipment created in his memory Most of all, friends and family remember Dave Sheets as one of the happiest guys in Whistler – one of those lucky few who sincer

Dave Sheets remembered as ‘larger than life’; foundation for critical care equipment created in his memory

Most of all, friends and family remember Dave Sheets as one of the happiest guys in Whistler – one of those lucky few who sincerely loved his many jobs, his many friends, and his remarkable life in the mountains.

"He was larger than life," recalled Brian Leighton, a long-time friend and past employer of Sheets.

"He was a big guy, but he was pretty gentle and caring. He cared about people."

On Feb. 13, Sheets died at the age of 31 in a skiing accident on the Honeycomb Run of Blackcomb Mountain after colliding with another skier. According to Whistler-Blackcomb, at approximately 10 a.m. he skied over a knoll and crashed into another skier who was turning in his direction.

In the resulting collision, the other skier’s knee struck his head. Sheets was wearing a helmet at the time.

He was diagnosed with a head injury by Ski Patrol, and his condition deteriorated as he was brought to the Whistler Health Care Centre. After emergency treatment, he was sent by helicopter to Vancouver General Hospital, where he died as a result of his injury.

The other skier in the collision was also taken to the health care centre and was released without any serious injuries.

Dave Sheets is survived by his parents, Rod and Liz Sheets, his brother Peter, nephew Jordan, Grandfather Gordon Hillborn, and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. He was a loving partner to Dianna Carey.

Friends recall Sheets as an open, honest and generous person who loved life. But his final act of generosity was truly telling – he loved life enough to be a registered organ donor, and doctors at VGH were able to transplant his organs into six recipients, perhaps saving their lives in the process.

Sheets, or ‘Sheetsy’ to his friends, was born on Nov. 1, 1971 in Merritt B.C. He lived in Logan Lake, outside of Kamloops, until he moved to Whistler at the age of 19.

In Whistler, Sheets worked as a fishing guide, tended bar at Uli’s Flipside, and helped out at a local lumber mill. He was also an extremely talented skier who coached at the Camp of Champions, and was featured in various videos and photo shoots.

Through work and his love of the slopes, he befriended literally hundreds of locals in various circles.

At a memorial service at Millennium Place on Tuesday, mourners filled the auditorium, foyer, and staircases. At a celebration of his life at the GLC later that evening, the bar was filled to capacity while dozens of others lined up outside.

The crowd included co-workers, friends, and family members. You might have mistaken the celebration for an industry party there were so many pro skiers and photographers around.

"He just was hilarious all of the time," said Leighton, who employed Sheets for several years as a fishing guide at Whistler River Adventures.

"He came up with all kinds of things, words and phrases, that people will be saying for a long, long time.

"He was a part of our family since he arrived here. My children grew up thinking of Dave as a kind of older brother."

Leighton said Sheets would do anything for a friend, and always had a good sense of humour.

"Once we were on a fishing trip up north, and I realized I had left my rod about two kilometres up river," said Leighton.

"This is some serious bear country. So he claps me on the back, says ‘good luck’ and hands me his bear spray."

Bruce Irving met Sheets through skiing and snowboarding 12 years ago, and considered him one of his closest friends.

"We did everything together," remembered Irving.

"One thing you have to know about Dave is that I’ve never known him not to be doing something. He wasn’t one of those people who could sit around all day and watch television. He was always dragging us out to the most incredible places to do the most incredible things.

"Now I look back on it, all those places have changed, and I have so many memories. I’ll go back to those places someday, and I know I’ll really miss him. I’ll see rivers and runs, and I know I’ll shed a tear and remember my friend."

Joe Lammers met Sheets 10 years ago on the job, and they spent a lot of time skiing together.

"It was pretty cool hanging out with him," said Lammers.

"He was friends with people from all corners of town, people his age and younger guys. But he was just as good friends with some of the older people.

"He used to call Brian (Leighton) Uncle Brian, and Pat Rowntree ‘Aunt Pat’," said Lammers.

"He knew everybody, and was just great to be around – there was never a dull moment. He had a magnetic personality."

Ryan Harris, or ‘Razza’, as Sheets called him, worked with Sheets at Uli’s Flipside.

"We all loved him here," said Harris.

"He was always all smiles, always glad to see you, and really fun to work with.

"He would play around a lot, but he was a great sport, and really easy going. He was a true B.C.er in everything he did. He was outdoorsy, loved the rivers, and he could really ski – he represented us well. We’re definitely going to miss him, but he’s always with us in spirit."

Chris Quinlan also worked with Sheets at Uli’s for years, and they hung out together and spent time on the slopes.

"He was probably one of the happiest guys I’ve ever known in my life," said Quinlan.

"What kind of guy was he? How’s this for a Dave Sheets story: His buddy Dave Hughes, something happened to his dog’s leg and they were going to remove the leg if he couldn’t come up with $1,500 for an operation.

"He told Sheets about it, and the next day when Hughes came home there was an envelope on the table with 1,500 bucks in it. Sheets went out the night before and raised the money for the operation.

"That was Sheetsy."

In Sheets’ memory, Quinlan and other friends started the Dave Sheets Foundation for Critical Care Equipment to raise money for new equipment at the Whistler Health Care Centre. It will be administered by the Whistler Health Care Foundation, but run separately from their other campaigns.

Within two days of Sheets’ death, the foundation had already raised $6,000 for the centre, including $2,100 from a set of skis auctioned off by Rob Boyd after the last Kokanee Valley Race Series.

In addition, Quinlan is auctioning off a pair of Sheets’ skis at his coffee shop, Behind the Grind, starting on Feb. 20 and ending Feb. 27. So far the top bid is $2,000.

On Thursday, Feb. 27, Quinlan is also donating the proceeds from all coffee sales to the foundation, which he plans to formally launch next week.

If you wish to make a contribution, donation forms are available at the Whistler Health Care Centre.