Gemma Cowan (Lavan)

It is with full and heavy hearts that we share the news that Gemma Cowan (Lavan) has officially upgraded to her next big adventure - she left this planet on November 13th, 2025, ready to explore whatever comes after.

 

Born on July 21, 1952, in Kiltimagh, County Mayo, Ireland, Gemma was the youngest of four (siblings: Marita, Jacqueline, and John) to James and Anita Lavan. The Irish people and landscape shaped her, but her heart was always restless, seeking beauty, connection, and adventure.

 

In 1973, she married Chris Cowan, and together they embarked on the wildest adventure of all: raising two fierce and loving daughters, Trista (Gershom) and Olwen (Lawrence). Their journey carried the family of four across the Atlantic to Canada, through the far north, across the prairies, and finally west to British Columbia…because the call of the west coast is impossible to ignore. Along the way, Gemma collected homes, friends, stories, and probably far too many scarves.

 

Gemma’s superpower was her open heart. She loved music, travel, laughter, and turning strangers into friends with nothing more than a story, a joke, or sometimes a particularly dramatic eye roll followed by a big cackle. She adored her grandchildren more than anything - Rowan, Finn, and Leo - who were the loves of her life and her partners in crime.

 

In true Gemma fashion, flowers are nice, but the best way to honour her is to do what she did best: make a friend, share a story, tell an inappropriate joke, and sprinkle kindness wherever you go. As she always said, “Strangers are just friends you haven’t met yet.”

 

The family would like to thank the compassionate and caring Sechelt Hospital staff as well as Dr. Chris Ryerson who tried hard to fix her lungs and keep the wind in her sails for as long as possible.

 

Gemma wasn’t about stuffy ceremonies or long faces, so the family (and friends) will be planning a proper summer bash/festival in her honour during her birthday week in the summer. Expect laughter, music and stories - just the way she would have wanted. Rest up, it will be a wild one just like our darling Gemma.