Laura Entwistle was born in Darwen England on March 14, 1934. Laura was raised in a terrace house with no indoor plumbing and shared a room with her brother Alan. She grew-up during WW2 and lived 20 miles from some of the areas most bombed. Laura went to a convent grammar school where she most enjoyed math and English. Laura first met Deryk Snelling at the Darwen Baths where she taught him to dance. Laura and Deryk were married on Laura’s 21 birthday. They soon welcomed sons Peter and Paul. Laura always worked hard, raising two boys, working at the bookstore and taking in as many as 4 swimming lodgers at a time. Laura and Deryk moved to Canada in 1967 and in 1971 had daughter Leslie. Laura had an interest in fitness, gardening and cooking. She had a smile and a kind word for everyone she met. Laura and Deryk have lived in many homes and have travelled to many places. They loved retirement in Nanoose, looking out at the ocean and watching the wildlife. Most of all Laura loved her family. When asked how she would like to be remembered she said….”For who I was, and as someone who loved them all, wanted them to be happy and wanted them to love each other”.  Laura passed away after a lengthy battle with dementia on March 5, 2020.

Deryk Sydney Snelling was the eldest of 5 children born in Darwen England on July 22, 1933. Deryk enjoyed an active childhood and developed an early love of sport. He was never afraid of hard work and by the age of 11 he was helping his grandma with the grocery store and pushing the heavy grocery carts up the hill. He used his spending money mostly on movies, sometimes seeing as many as three in a day. As he matured his interests focused mostly on boxing and swimming. He loved boxing as he felt it made him tougher and fitter. In 1951 he won the National Championships in the 200m breaststroke. Deryk met his wife and best friend Laura at a dance and the two were married on Laura’s 21st birthday. Deryk always had a positive attitude and was never afraid to take a chance, applying for jobs that moved him in the direction he wanted to go. Deryk started coaching in Southampton, transforming the club into the best in England. After moving to Canada he built the Canadian Dolphins Swim Club into one of the best in the world. He had an eye for talent and was a keen observer of all things swimming. He was a frequent commentator for CBC’s swimming broadcasts. Deryk loved to travel and had many adventures all over the world. Some of the peaks of his career included the extraordinary success of the Dolphins, receiving the Order of Canada, being inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Florida, Mark Tewksbury winning gold in Barcelona, and meeting Pierre Trudeau and Bill Clinton. But all of his career successes he credits to his wife of 65 years. He says “Everything comes down to Laura. She’s the only reason I was able to do all the things I did”. Deryk was also proud of his children Peter, Paul and Leslie. After retirement he finally got to spend some time with the family and enjoyed being with his grandchildren. After Laura’s passing Deryk would come almost every day to her gravesite to sit and chat with her. I know many of us hope that in some way they are back together again. This is what Deryk had to say…  “After death, I think Laura will be alive, in that she’s still alive in whoever knows her, in their mind, in their memory. I try to enjoy each day. I don’t dwell on what comes after. I just want to be here until the end, and hopefully that’s how it works.”  Deryk passed away from heart failure on September 4, 2021.

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