Port Moody lost one of its most treasured residents, and surely its most ardent fan, on Oct 23.
Al Sholund was just shy of his 97th birthday and leaves behind his wife of 70 years, Nellie, and their two daughters, Christine and Pauline.
He also leaves behind a distinguished career at Imperial Oil, a wealth of recorded history about the city of Port Moody, a library that saw its beginnings shepherded by the Sholunds and, to anyone who knew him well or just met him in passing, a smile.
"Whatever was going on in the city, he was smiling and he was in on it," said David Driscoll, a former alderman and mayor, and a Freedom of the City recipient in 2000. "He had just a tremendous commitment to the local community."
Sholund served in the Second World War — he and Nellie met while he was stationed in England — and they moved to Port Moody in 1956, when there were only about 5,000 people calling the city home.
The couple quickly made a name for themselves, putting together PoMo's first library and library board, and lighting up the dance floor every weekend at Bennett's Hall (now the Kyle Centre).
"The floor was sprung so you could dance all night without getting tired," Sholund said with a wink in 2013 for a story that was part of The Tri-City News' Port Moody centennial coverage.
The duo's pioneering spirit and love for all things PoMo — and anything involving a good time — were plain to see. They remembered the joy in raising their family in a small town, and some of the quirks, too. Whether it was business at the bank, a trip to the store or a conversation on the city's party line, "Everybody knew about it," Nellie said. "It was a great community to grow up in."
They recalled Halloween festivities, complete with a firefighters' bonfire, church parties and skating rinks in the parking lot of the old rec hall.
"Up until a year and a half ago, he and Nellie were still the first ones on the dance floor at any good party and jumping up to have fun, because I think they bleed Port Moody blood in that family," Mayor Mike Clay said at Tuesday's council meeting.
Sholund was passionate about his work as well.
As a chemist, Sholund was one of the first to implement wastewater treatment systems in the petrochemical sector, Driscoll said, using biological organisms to break it down into harmless material.
"Al was trying to explain it as a biological process and it forever after became known as 'Shollie's bugs at work,'" Driscoll said. "He maintained his wonderful sense of humour, which he had all his life."
In his spare time, Sholund turned to one of his other great loves: local history.
He was instrumental in creating the Port Moody Station Museum, volunteering countless hours to its restoration, its artifacts and the development of heritage education programs for all ages, notes a tribute to Sholund on PoMo's website.
"He was a longtime supporter of the museum and had a great knowledge of Port Moody history," said the museum's executive director, Jim Millar. "Al will be missed."
Sholund wrote historical articles for the city and the Focus newsletter for 25 years, confessing a particular fondness for railway history, and contributed to the Port Moody Historical Society book Tracks in Time.
Robert Simons met Sholund when he joined the Historical Society about eight years ago, although there were few who didn't know of the local legend, Simons said.
"Al exuded vision, dedication and passion to protect, preserve and communicate the history and heritage of Port Moody. His published articles of historical insights will forever provide readers with memorable vignettes of Port Moody."
Fellow local legend and devoted historian Mary Anne Cooper described Sholund as a "gentleman and a scholar, a researcher self-contained and principled."
"He had a fabulous memory about Ioco, and was gracious in sharing information when asked. Always based on collected facts, his stories were treasures of history, authentic and beautifully written. His other interests, centred around collections and fellow workers, were equally thorough and impressive contributions. He also had a great sense of humour I loved.
"I admired and respected him, humbly."
Mayor Clay, a lifelong PoMo resident, said Tuesday it was difficult to imagine a Port Moody without Sholund, who, along with Nellie, was granted the Freedom of the City in 1998.
It's an honour that goes to those who go well beyond the ordinary to improve their community, and few have done so in quite the same spirit as the Sholunds, Clay said.
"Our heart goes out to Nellie on her loss and the unimaginable void in her life, losing her best friend and partner and a funny, fun-to-be-around guy."
A memorial service will not be held, in accordance with Al Sholund's wishes.
spayne@tricitynews.com
@spayneTC
