Huw Cawthorn

A Life Built on Friendship, Love, and Laughter.

It is with profound sadness that we share that Huw Cawthorn died peacefully at Lionsgate Hospital, North Vancouver, on 28th March. He was 50 years young. As promised, Emma, his wife, was at his bedside. Huw is survived by his two children, Gethin and Nia, and his parents, Tony and Linda Cawthorn.

Born in Newport, South Wales, Huw moved to Canada as a toddler, accompanying his mother, Linda, and older brother, Paul (deceased), to join his father, Tony, who had travelled ahead to secure work in Port Alberni. The family set down firm roots in the community and continue to have close ties there. Huw had many fond memories of childhood including spending time at the lake, testing out homemade ziplines, ripping round the neighbourhood on his bike, family trips back to Wales, and of course countless hours playing soccer and basketball. 

Huw’s school years not only ignited enduring friendships which he felt incredibly fortunate to carry with him throughout his life, but also sparked a life-long passion for basketball. Whether it was his formative years with the Port Alberni Armada, his adult years with the Benchwarmers or dropping in for Wednesday night ‘ball, Huw always loved an opportunity to shoot some hoops, buy new gear, and be part of a team.

After graduating from high school, Huw moved first to Nanaimo and then Vancouver to continue his post-secondary studies, successfully completing a Diploma in Marketing through BCIT in 1996. Capitalising on his interest in new technologies, he moved swiftly from real estate to the media industry, becoming an early expert in the digital media field. After a year of living large in London, a shaggy haired and bright eyed Huw returned to Canada where his affable disposition and passion for continually extending his wealth of knowledge allowed him to establish an extensive professional network grounded in genuine friendship and mutual respect. He worked at numerous corporations in the past couple of decades including CBC, Rogers, and most recently Bell Media, where he was a two time recipient of the President’s Award. Appreciated by colleagues not only for his expertise, but also for his humour, engagement, and kindness, Huw will be missed greatly by the industry on both coasts.

In the summer of 2008, Huw ventured bravely on his trusty Ruckus scooter to the Eastside of Vancouver to meet a random Welsh girl: happily, it was the date that never ended and quickly led to the formation of Team Breeze Cawthorn. After three years of sharing copious amounts of tea, attending numerous concerts at the Commodore, running a number of half-marathons, and enjoying various travels at home and abroad, Huw and Emma were married in Wales. It was a partnership which thrived on the balance created between the two of them and definitely passed Huw’s smart but simple relationship test of “Would you be happy to just sit on the couch with this person for the rest of your life?”. Although their ultimate goal of growing old together had to be revised, they worked hard to remain grateful for the years they were privileged to share and to take strength from their unconditional love for each other.

The team expanded in 2012 with the arrival of Gethin, soon to be followed by the welcoming of Nia in 2016. Huw was a loving and proud father who made the most of the time he was able to spend with his young family. Whether digging the biggest holes on beaches in Parksville and Wales, crafting increasingly complex forts from snow or cardboard, normalizing the consumption of breakfast chocolate, or demonstrating the importance of life-work balance by napping on the couch, Huw was unwaivering in his commitment to providing a rich and fun-filled life for the family that was rooted deeply in appreciating the moments of love and friendship to be found in each day. His natural curiosity, quirky humour, positive attitude, dynamic conversation, and passion for music are gifts that he shared readily and that will live on through his children.

By 2018, the call of the mountains and forests was proving too strong: the family made the tough decision to leave Mount Pleasant and make the big move across the bridge to Deep Cove, North Vancouver. A year later, Huw unexpectedly had to have his kidney removed as a result of renal cell carcinoma. He recovered well from surgery only to then be thrust into further uncharted territory with the onset of the global pandemic. The months that followed combined raising the children and working from home with undertaking various renovations and shed moving, often with Tony, by his side; basking in the sunshine on the deck; enjoying quiet family evenings by the fire, and playing a legendary Canada day roof-top solo performance on his beloved electric guitar. 

Huw was in active treatment for the past three years in efforts to manage the cancer which had metastasized to his lung; however, this rarely limited him in what he was able to do personally and professionally. Most notably, Huw joined the Deep Cove music program in 2021, which led him to accomplish a life-long goal of performing on stage in 2022 and perhaps more importantly to become the bass player with Jetlag. From attending weekly band rehearsals to organizing the band’s first official gig at Wildeye as a fundraiser for Emma’s Tour de Cure ride, Huw relished all aspects of pursuing his rock and roll dream. He was devastated not to be well enough to play the most recent concert in March, which was not only a hugely successful fundraiser for Lionsgate Hospital but also intended as a celebration of Jetlag’s album Tomorrow Doesn’t Need to Know hitting Spotify. Completing the recording of the album was one of Huw’s proudest achievements in life.

It was only in the past ten months that both the treatments and the cancer began gradually to extend their toll on him. The recent rapid decline of his health was unexpected and came as a huge shock. It is a tribute to his immense strength and positivity that he remained able to smile and joke even on being readmitted to hospital for what would be his final three days.

Although impossible to capture in a few words the life force that Huw embodied or to convey a sense of the void that he has left in so many people’s lives, the love, friendship, and adventures that so many of us were lucky to share with him will keep him forever in our hearts and memories. We will “meet you on the other side”, Huw.

Huge thanks are offered to the staff at Lionsgate Hospital for the care and support they have provided to Huw and our family since 2019, especially in recent months.

A celebration of Huw’s life will take place at 2:30pm Saturday 14th June at Mount Seymour United Church in North Vancouver.
In lieu of flowers, donations could be made to the Lionsgate Hospital Foundation or BC Cancer.