Tim Jones's memorial tribute ends with helicopter sendoff

The memorial was unlike anything the North Shore had seen before: a massive public parade and ceremony usually reserved for heads for state, which was organized this time for a volunteer and local hero.

Tim Jones, atireless volunteer who had become the primaryspokesman forNorth Shore Rescue, died Sunday evening at the age of 57 after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest on Mount Seymour.

He had spent the daywith histeam, conducting avalanche awareness andtraining exercises, and collapsedon the trail to the rescue cabin, with daughter Taylor, dog Abbi, and North Shore Rescue teammate, Erik, by his side.

Jones worked as an advanced life-support paramedic with B.C. Ambulance in North Vancouver, andvolunteered up to 40 hours per week with North Shore Rescue. Hetook part in dozens of rescues every year, and touched the lives of many members of his community many of whom came to pay their respects and say goodbye.

On Saturday morning, thousands of peoplelined the route of the procession, which left the Fell Armoury inNorth Vancouver and headed to Centennial Theatre.

Jones's cremated remains travelled inside an ambulance, escorted by search and rescue volunteers, bagpipe players, and anhonour guard of police, paramedics, firemen, military personnel and other emergency responders on the closed streets.

DarrellMussato,Mayor of the City of North Vancouver, said the response was overwhelming.

"I've been on council for 20 years and I've never seen anything like this," said.

Tributes from the nation

Prime Minister Stephen Harper sent his condolences to Jones's family including wife Lindsay, son Curtisand daughter Taylor which were read byMP Andrew Saxton.

Tim Jones was an exemplarof the valour demonstrated by these everyday heroes.- Statement from Prime Minister Stephen Harper

"I admire the courage, compassion and dedication ofrescue service volunteers. Tim Jones was an exemplarof the valour demonstrated by these everyday heroes," Saxton read. "Countless families have had a loved one saved from peril thanks to his valiant efforts."

B.C. Attorney General Suzanne Anton read a statement from B.C. PremierChristyClark, on behalf of the entire government of British Columbia.

He represented the North Shore and British Columbia at our absolute best.- Statement from B.C. Premier ChristyClark

"It takes a unique, dedicated person, a courageous and tireless individual, to rush from the comfort of bed, or dinner table, a school recital or a birthday party, into the cold of night and trekdeep into the wilderness for someone else's sake. That was the kind of man Tim was," Anton read.

"He represented the North Shore and British Columbia at our absolute best," she said.

"He dedicated the best part of his life to helping people in the worst moments of theirs. Tim Jones and North Shore Rescue, for many people, meant the difference between life and death."

Lifelong friend Ross Hallawaydescribed knowing 'Timmy' ever since 1962, when Mary and Owen Jones moved their young family Susan, Owen, and Tim from Edmonton to North Vancouver. He developed a love of reading in school and, once the family moved to a home under the shadow of Grouse Mountain, he alsodeveloped a great love of nature andthe Pacific coastal mountains.

By the time he graduated from high school, Jones was fully into football. On a full scholarship at Simon Fraser University, he earned aB.A. in geography and then gotdrafted by the Toronto Argonauts. Aknee injury sidelined those plans and he went back to SFU, to complete a teaching degree and begin coaching football. Soon, however, hefoundhimself calledto the path of a paramedic.

"The intense, often heart-racing urgency of the first response, the challenge of making instantlife anddeath decisions and the incomparable satisfaction of saving a live appealed to Tim's life," Hallaway said.

In 1981, Jones met the love of his life, Lindsay, at a New Year's Even party at Mount Baker. Three years later, they were married and their children, Curtis and Taylor, were born in the following years.

A father remembered

Son Curtis Jones, who alsovolunteerswith North Shore Rescue, spoke publicly about his father earlier in the week, said the one word that fit his fatherbest was "unique."

"Not just unique in the ordinary sense, but unique in the sense that he always stood out in the crowd," he said."He set his own path and he did what was right without getting bogged down bypolitics or protocol, and for this he made noapologies."

"Thisdrive is why he was the guy you'd want looking for you if you ever got lost," he said.

"I feel privileged to have not only been able to call him dad, but also my best friend, my mentor, and my colleague," he said.

"Dad, when the pager goes, we'll be there."

Then colleagues,team members and friendstold stories and jokes about Jones's determination to do the best job he could, all the time, but especially when someone's life was on the line.

Jones's daughter, Taylor, spoke last at his memorial, where she said she loved his smile, his laugh, his kind heart, devotion to helping others, devotion to making a difference in other people's livesand fierce determination to growing North Shore Rescue's capabilities.

"He was my hero and my best friend," she said."I'll remember growing up at the rescue base and playing my Barbies amongst the rescue gear, while he tireless worked to make North Shore Rescue the organization it is today.

"I'll miss sometimes cringing at what he says on the news, but I'll always remember how proud I felt of my dad for bringing other people's loved ones home," she said.

"He love my family and I and our huskyAbbiso much," she continued, through tears. "On Sunday night, my dad left me on Mount Seymour to become an angel.My heart broke into a million pieces."

"You are now my angel, and the angel of everyone who goes into the mountains," she said. "I will love you forever."

She encouraged everyone to make donations in memory of her father to the North Shore Rescue's Legacy Fund

A slideshowof family photos set to music was shown to the 600 people seated in the theatre, and also broadcast to screens outside the theatre.

A few more remarks where made, pipersplayed Amazing Grace, a trumpeter played Tapsand then Jones's memorial moved back outside.

As a line of first responders, from various organizations in various uniforms, stood watch and saluted, Jones's remains and personal effects hat and helmet were walked to anadjoining field toward four helicopters, including the 442 squadron military helicopter and RCMP Air 1that assisted Jones and his team on so many life-saving rescues.

Tim Jones was passionate about the use ofhelicoptersin search and rescue operations, and had worked to make sure there was funding for and availability of both pilots and machines for operations in the coastal mountains.

Fittingly, as his North Shore Rescue family stood watch, Jones'sremains were carried onto a Talon helicopter, which took off to take him on one final flight over the North Shore mountains.