Committed… passionate… strong-minded… compassionate listener… sense of humour… pastor… friend… family man… faithful servant of Jesus Christ. These are just a few of the words that come swiftly to mind as I remember a friend and colleague, Rev. D'Arcy William Lade, who passed away from cancer on Sept. 28. He had been working to establish a Presbyterian presence and ministry in the Comox Valley of Vancouver Island for the past decade. He was previously at St. Andrew's, Lethbridge, Alta.
D'Arcy never did anything half-heartedly. I learned that first-hand as I worked with him for five years in team ministry at St. Andrew's. He was dedicated to his calling as a preacher and worked hard at finding ways to connect the gospel with contemporary life. His pastoral presence touched many lives, and brought tremendous compassion and comfort to complex pastoral situations in the lives of his flock as he so frequently referred to his congregation. He was willing to try new things and often got frustrated with the slowness of change around him. D'Arcy liked a challenge and each congregation where he ministered, Forbes, Grande Prairie, Alta., St. Andrew's and the new church in Comox Valley, provided him with the challenges he needed in his ministry. He was also involved in various aspects of community life in Grande Prairie, developing strong ecumenical relationships in Lethbridge and networking in the Comox Valley. He was a faithful presbyter, usually travelling significant distances to attend presbytery meetings and other associated responsibilities. In Alberta winter weather, his faithfulness and dedication were exemplary.
More than a colleague, D'Arcy had a joy for life and a gift of friendship. He was happiest when he could spend time with his family: his wife Marion of 35 years, and their children Adam, Alexis, Nick and Ben. As a family they were an integral part of each congregation where D'Arcy served. In Lethbridge, renewal for D'Arcy often meant donning his blue jeans and cowboy boots to head off to the farm of a parishioner to give a hand, or investing some time and energy with an engine, whether it be car, truck, or boat.
In May of this year I received a call from D'Arcy to tell me that he had been diagnosed with cancer and that all he wanted now was to make the best of the time he had left. D'Arcy did that in true D'Arcy style. The last few months of his life were precious-treasured times with his family, time to read and reflect, and time to receive the support, encouragement and care from those who had known him throughout the years and whose lives he had touched.
D'Arcy had picked the closing hymn for his remembrance service, and had instructed all that it be sung with gusto. The hymn was: And Can It Be That I Should Gain. No voice had more gusto than D'Arcy's: "Bold I approach th' eternal throne, and claim the crown, through Christ my own."
