We regret to advise of the death of Sergeant Jeff Bourns, CD (Ret’d) on 1 May 2021 in Shawnigan Lake, BC at age 65. Jeff served 20 years as a member of the Canadian Military Engineers - first as a Field Engineer and then as a Construction Engineering Procedures Technician.
Jeff was born in Manitoba and moved to Vancouver BC at an early age. He enrolled in the Primary Reserve with 6th Field Engineer Squadron in North Vancouver and transferred to the Regular Force in 1975. Upon completion of his Field Engineer training at Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering in Chilliwack BC, Jeff was posted to 3 Field Squadron (re-named 1 Combat Engineer Regiment in 1977) in Chilliwack. This was followed by a posting to 4 Combat Engineer Regiment in Lahr, Germany. While in Germany, Jeff qualified as a Combat Diver.
Jeff returned to Canada in 1984 and remustered to the Construction Engineering Procedures Technician trade. He was subsequently posted to Germany at Canadian Forces Base Lahr where he completed a tour with the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR). Later, he was a member of the CFB Lahr close-out team. Upon return to Canada, Jeff was posted to CFB Esquimalt and he retired there in 1995.
Jeff settled in the Shawnigan Lake area after retirement from the Canadian Forces. He completed the Quality Management Program at the University of Manitoba and then went to work as the Quality Manager, Environmental Health and Safety Officer at Point Hope Maritime shipyard in Victoria BC.
Details concerning a funeral are not yet available.
