Eleven Mission residents were presented with Queen's Diamond Jubilee medals by MP Randy Kamp at Cedarbrooke Chateau on Nov. 3.
Dr. Marco Terwiel, Claire Clemo, Amanda Peebles, Leslie Reed, Sgt. Bob Reed, Dave Bryant, Don Lobb, Cal Crawford, Ken Herar, Sherry Edmunds-Flett, and Vir Singh Pannu were recognized for their service to the Mission.
"All of the recipients have stood out … as great examples of dedication and service to others. By their consistent commitment to the community, these recipients have made their community a better place to live," said a press release from Kamp's office.
The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal is a commemorative medal created to mark the celebration of the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the Throne as Queen of Canada. The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal is a tangible way for Canada to honour Her Majesty for her service to this country. At the same time, it serves to honour significant contributions and achievements by Canadians.
Claire Clemo
Claire was born in Hong Kong to parents Alfred Bertram and Daisy Caroline Clemo of Northern Ireland. Her father Alfred spent time overseas serving with the British forces and it was during this time that Claire, along with her brother Roland, leaned on her mother and her aunt Claire Kathleen. Both her mother and aunt were a source of great strength and stability during these difficult years. By the age of nineteen, Claire had already circumnavigated the world and by the time she graduated from the University of British Columbia, she had been educated on three continents. Claire received her first teaching position in 1964 and would spend the next thirty-two years encouraging and motivating students. After twenty-five years of teaching, Claire returned to her studies and earned a Masters degree in education at UBC. Claire’s dedication and commitment to teaching made her one of Mission’s most revered teachers. Among her honours are the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal, the Rotary Club Distinguished Service Award, and two post-secondary scholarships in her name funded by the Braich family of Mission. Since retiring from teaching in 1996, Claire has remained active in the community volunteering her time and energy always in the theme of giving back and life-long learning.
Amanda Peebles
Amanda is an extraordinary example of someone overcoming great challenges to become a sensational citizen. She was born with a developmental disability which hampered her ability to communicate and to develop motor and social skills. Through a lot of hard work, determination, and help from her family, Amanda was able to overcome these challenges. After high school, Amanda enrolled in the TASK program at the University of the Fraser Valley where she received a diploma in food safety and first aid. She also studied in the Community Support program through the Mission Association for Community Living. Amanda has used her education and experience to give back to her community. She has volunteered with the Salvation Army, Meals on Wheels, the Illuminaria Festival, the food bank, and Pleasant View nursing home. She also became a Big Sister for youth with disabilities. Amanda has also participated in Special Olympics softball, soccer, floor hockey, bowling, and track and field and has won many medals.
Leslie Reed
Leslie has lived her life with the goal of bettering those around her. One way Leslie has accomplished this is through her voluntary service in the community. Leslie has coordinated more than two hundred barbecues throughout Mission and the Lower Mainland to raise money for charity. She has been part of Beta Sigma Phi for thirty-five years and is a former member of the Mission Kinettes. As the Director of the Mission Hospice Society, Leslie has coordinated the Mission Hospice Gala which is its premier fundraising event of the year. Leslie has also served as the executive for PAC’s at Albert McMahon Elementary, Heritage Park Secondary, and Hatzic Secondary. She also volunteered for “Ride to Live” which in 2010 raised over $300,000 for prostate cancer research. In 2010, Leslie and her family (Bob, Emily, Katherine, Dianna, Thomas) were named Citizens of the Year for overall volunteerism in the community. Leslie continues to serve her community with great effort and a caring spirit which has influenced those around her and encourages all to give back to better not only their own lives, but the lives of others.
Bob Reed
Sergeant Bob Reed is a member of the RCMP serving in the Traffic Services branch. Bob has been a member of Mission Kinsmen for eleven years holding all the executive positions. He has been the Director and President of the Mission Marlins Swim Club for twelve years and has held the position of Meet manager for various swim meets for the B.C. Summer Swim Association and the Fraser Valley High Schools swim championships. Bob has been the PAC Director for McMahon Elementary, Hatzic Secondary, and Heritage Park Secondary where he also served on the Policy Advisory Council. Bob was a founding member for the Ride for Dad Prostate Cancer Research ride and the Ride to Live Prostate Cancer Research ride which raised over $300,000 in 2010. He has been the coordinator of the RCMP Volunteer Ski Patrol at Hemlock Valley Resort for fifteen years. Bob has been honoured with a number of awards including the 2010 Mission Citizen of the Year award, Kinsmen Outstanding Maple Leaf Award, RCMP Golden Whistle Award, and the Officer In Charge Certificate of Appreciation for excellence in performance.
Marco Terwiel
Dr. Marco Terwiel was born in the Netherlands and graduated from the University of Utrecht in 1961 with an MD degree. He moved to the United States where he continued his medical training as a physician in Seattle. After obtaining his medical license, Marco and his wife moved to Maple Ridge in 1968. Since his arrival here Marco has been a very influential in the community. For more than 40 years, has been a well-respected family physician who is always willing to go above and beyond the call for those around him. Marco has continued to give back to the medical community by conducting seminars for medical students at the University of British Columbia. He has also been involved with many Rotary events all with a goal of creating a better world for others.
Dave Bryant
Dave Bryant has been married to Irene for forty-three years and they have two children and four grandchildren. He joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 1966 leaving, with the rank of Seargeant, to come to Canada in 1980. During his time with the Royal New Zealand Air Force, he served in New Zealand, Singapore, Australia, and Fiji and has been part of UN missions in Africa, Europe, and the Arctic. Dave is a recipient of the New Zealand Defense Service Medal. Since arriving in Canada, he has worked in the helicopter industry in Canada and abroad. Dave Bryant is currently the president of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 57. Dave continues to be involved in a wide variety of community services in Mission including Canada Day celebrations and Remembrance Day services. Through his acts of service both in the military and in the community, Dave has proven to be an outstanding citizen of Canada.
Don Lobb
Don Lobb has served as the president of the Mission Association for Seniors Housing whose vision is “Caring for those who cared for us.” Through his efforts with this Association, Don has helped provide affordable housing options for seniors in the community.
Cal Crawford
In more than twenty years of living in Mission, Cal has contributed greatly to his community. At different times Cal has served as president, first vice president, second vice president, and director of the Mission Regional Chamber of Commerce, president of the Kinsmen Club of Mission, and has been an active Kinsmen for twenty years. Cal has also been the Chairman of the Candlelight Parade and the Chairman of the Mission Showcase. Cal was a founding member of the Mid-day Rotary Club of Mission serving as president in July 2007 and June 2008. Some of Cal’s achievements include the Special Citizen Recognition Award in 1992, Citizen of the Year award in 1995, and Business Leader of the Year Award in 2010. Cal’s contributions to the community have helped him become a very well-respected and trustworthy person who always looks to put others first.
Ken Herar
Ken earned his Bachelor’s degree in Sociology/Anthropology from the University of the Fraser Valley and a second Bachelor’s degree from Simon Fraser University in General Studies. Since then Ken has used his education to be a diversity columnist who has written for several publications and has spoken publically always promoting diversity. Ken was recognized for his efforts in 2007 when he received the Champion of Diversity award at the Fraser Valley Cultural Diversity Awards. In 2010, Ken received the Arts and Culture Service award from the District of Mission. Ken also took part in the skydiving plunge to promote multiculturalism in 2010. In 2011, Ken founded Cycling4Diversity, a team of cyclists who travelled for four days from Mission to Victoria speaking to thousands about diversity, culture and issues of racism. Ken continues to speak and write about the importance of multiculturalism and is a great example of how Canadians celebrate a uniquely diverse culture.
Sherry Edmunds-Flett
Sherry was born in Kingston, Ontario and graduated from Queen’s University in 1982 with a Bachelors degree in Sociology. Sherry continued on in her studies and earned a Bachelors degree in Education in English and Music. Later on, Sherry earned a Masters in African Area Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles and earned doctoral candidate status in History at Simon Fraser University. Sherry is a founding member of the Black Canadian Studies Association and a lifetime member of the Association of Black Women Historians. Sherry met her husband Glenn while he was in prison and teaching Adult Basic Education in provincial prisons. Sherry and Glenn then founded the Long-Term Inmates Now in the Community (L.I.N.C.) Society which seeks to positively intervene in the lives of persons sentenced to lengthy terms of incarceration and in the lives of their families. Sherry has successfully promoted her philosophy of restorative justice by helping offenders reintegrate into their communities to become positive contributors. Sherry’s efforts have brought hope to many who otherwise would have found themselves hopeless.
Vir Singh Pannu
Vir Singh Pannu served as a high school teacher from 1966-1982 and taught students Punjabi and music. In 1982, he moved to Malaysia where he served as a head Granthi, the principal religious official in Sikhism. In Malaysia he worked with a congregation in the area of drug prevention and betterment of all humanity. Since his arrival in Canada he has worked in various capacities as a preacher and has been involved in counseling cases of domestic issues. He always preaches and practices a peaceful and healthy way of life, drug and violence free. Many families have been touched by his gentle and nurturing nature.