Germán José “Gerry” Pareja passed away peacefully on September 21, 2026. He was
77 years old. Germán was born in Bogotá, Colombia. He moved to Vancouver in 1971,
studied geophysics at the University of British Columbia, and embraced his nickname
“Gerry”.
An avid cyclist, Gerry completed the prestigious Paris-Brest-Paris endurance bicycle
ride in 1979 as a member of the first Canadian team to ever participate. In the 1980s,
Germán established himself as a professional Spanish-language translator.
Germán was community-minded and volunteered generously with many groups
including the Vancouver Bicycle Club, the BC Randonneurs Cycling Club and the
Society of Translators and Interpreters of BC. He is survived by loved ones, Beth,
Daniel and Annalisa, and many dear relatives, friends, and colleagues. Germán was
pleased to know he would be given a green burial in the sustainable site at Mountain
View Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the UN High Commission for
Refugees (Donate in Someone’s Name – Honour a Loved One | UNHCR Canada) or BC
Cancer Research (Give in Memory, Honour or Celebration – BC Cancer Foundation)
Memorial gathering October 15, 2026.