Paul Gregory Van Tighem

Paul was born in Mexico City, Mexico, on November 4, 1956, to Noelle Mary (Waters) and Clarence Joseph Van Tighem, shortly after the family had arrived from Brazil. As the son of a Canadian trade development officer and diplomat, travel was a regular part of his early life. In 1959, the family moved to Ottawa, where his brother John was soon born; his brother Mark was also born in Mexico. In 1962, they moved to Vienna, Austria, where Paul began school at the French Lycée and learned German. Two years later, the family moved to Westchester County, New York, where Paul completed his elementary grades. He enjoyed sports, pitching in baseball, playing football, and participating in the Boy Scouts.

In 1969, the family moved to London, England, where Paul attended the American School in London and began to enjoy the city’s pubs. In 1972, his father became Ambassador to Venezuela and the Dominican Republic, and Paul and his brothers spent the next three years primarily at boarding school in Oakville, Ontario, with vacations in Caracas. At Appleby College, Paul played basketball, football, and rugby, and he learned Spanish while at home. Eager for more freedom, he attended Neuchâtel Junior College in Switzerland for Grade 13 in 1975, the same year his father became Consul General in Milan, Italy. There, Paul became a skier and continued to play rugby.

After high school, Paul attended Queen’s University, where he studied commerce and economics, made many close friends, and supported Mark when he later joined him there. After university, Paul travelled by motorbike to Calgary, where he was warmly welcomed by his father’s family and encouraged by his cousin Gordon to begin a career in banking. That career spanned three major banks and eventually took him to Regina, Saskatchewan. During those years, he played an important role in the Calgary Olympics and was admired for his skill on the golf course. In Regina, Paul began a management consulting career that involved extensive travel across Canada, South America, and the United States. In the early 1990s, he accepted a management position with a mining operation in Prince George, British Columbia, and worked in South Africa for a time. Seeking new challenges, he later moved to Ottawa and returned to consulting, focusing on the mining sector. He travelled frequently to Chile, where he made many friends, and also worked elsewhere in Canada, including Labrador.

In recent years, Paul stepped back from work and developed interests in cooking and nature photography. He enjoyed walking through Alta Vista and along the Rideau River with his camera, as well as chatting with neighbours. He especially valued the friendship of Ed and Paula Krats and their family, who spent time with him regularly. Paul is deeply missed by his brothers, John and Mark, and by his extended family and friends.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, September 19 at Beechwood, Funeral, Cemetery and Cremations Services, 280 Beechwood Avenue, Ottawa. Interment and reception will follow.