May 22, 1977 - September 2, 2019
Marty Harold Walter Carew, b. Trail, BC May 22, 1977; d. Port Moody, BC September 2, 2019 from small intestine cancer.
Marty spent his formative years in the small community of Castlegar where, thanks to friends, teachers, and family, he developed the characteristics that would define his life: determination, creativity, and humour.
Marty attended Stanley Humphries High School where his best subject seemed to be golf! Graduating in 1996 he pursued adventure on the high seas with his best friend, Angela Osmachenko, where they both worked as Youth Co-Coordinators for Children's Activities for Carnival Cruise Lines. Yearning to get his land legs back, Marty settled in Coquitlam where he trained and worked as a teaching assistant for special needs children for the Burnaby School District. It was during this time that he met the love of his life, Cheryl Nelson. Marty and Cheryl were married in Assisi, Italy in 2007 and in March of 2009 their daughter, Chimera, was born.
Marty had an absolute love for children. Marty and Cheryl started their children's entertainment business Young Wizards Academy in 2015. In the fall of that year their business was nominated for Douglas College's Entrepreneur of the Year Award. By the fall of 2017 Marty was named by Today's Parent Magazine as #1 of the top 10 children's birthday entertainers in the Lower Mainland. These and many other accolades, although received with gratitude, were not Marty's objective. Marty strongly believed that the power of imagination could allow children to develop creative, healthy ways of dealing with problems in their formative years: "The beauty of imagination is it allows you to see it before it happens, creating what you are not now but what you can be!" The testimonials from clients on his website indicate that he succeeded at doing that for children and adults alike!
Marty loved life and family. Three months before he died he and Cheryl hiked 200 kms across the Highland Mountains of Scotland; 2 months before he died Marty took his family to Australia where he surfed, sailed and golfed; 2 weeks before he died Marty golfed his final 18 holes with his brother. His final days were spent with Cheryl and Chimera. Encumbered with the pains of cancer and the side effects of the necessary ever present bag of drugs, Marty's determination and ability to visualize his goals gave
him the strength and courage to take control of the little time he had left and make the most of that time.
The threads of Marty's life are woven into the fabric of many other lives and especially those of family and friends who loved him: his wife, his Princess Leia, Cheryl, who stayed at his side throughout this final journey on earth loving, advocating, and caring for him & his beloved daughter Chimera who met the challenge of her dad's illness with courage and humour, both of Port Coquitlam; devoted big brother Jody and partner Julie of Brisbane, Australia; friend forever, Angela Osmachenko, of Prince George, the Carews of Castlegar: mother Marsha, father Glen, Aunt Ellena and Uncle Martin, Tom (Mako), Colin, Jake, Eddie, Sam; numerous Carew relatives in Ontario; Aunt Norma Moll, Katherine, Becca and Holly Symons of Vernon; Diane Marshall of Brentwood Bay; and the Nelsons: Dave and Carmen of Nanaimo; Ian, Jodi, Andrew, Mathew of Fort McMurray.
Marty did not want a service of remembrance; he requested should something be held then it must include children and it must be a happy event. The family will hold that happy event next year in Port Coquitlam. If desired, donations to Marty's Go Fund Me Campaign online or to Crossroads Hospice Society, Suite 209—2773 Barnet Hwy, Coquitlam, BC V3B 1C2 will be deeply appreciated.
Marty's family is very grateful to all those friends and family who took time to travel to Vancouver to visit Marty during the time of his illness; to those that made special efforts for our family's benefit while we were in Australia; to Dr. Michael Van Vliet for continuous contact with Marty and family; to Marty's meditation group who kept him close to them at his time of need; to Patricia, Russ, Kevin, Dustin Rilcof & families for giving our family a place to stay; to Keli Moore for setting up a Go Fund Me page for Marty and to all those who have contributed to Marty's Go Fund Me Campaign since 2018 and continue to do so for Cheryl and Chimera; to Glen's customers at the barber shop in Castlegar who often times gave much more than the price of a haircut with the words: "for your boy;" to those who helped us deal with everyday problems so that our time was free to be with Marty; to so many who sent cards and emails, brought us food, flowers, and visited with us, or stopped us in the street to give us a hug. Everlasting gratitude to the staff of Crossroads Hospice in Port Moody who gave Marty a place where he found peace and exceptional caregiving.
Marty would not want us to weep for him. Marty had a happy life expressing his passion for children through his work and enveloped in love and laughter with his family and friends. Destiny does not provide us with much advance notice as to time of our demise. Marty put what time he had to good use leaving those of us who knew and loved him with the immeasurable joy of sharing this miniscule time in eternity with his beautiful presence.