KOZAK, Joseph Harry, March 21, 1947 – July 4, 2018. Joe died suddenly and far too soon of cardiac arrest while hiking with his wife. Joe leaves behind the love of his life, soulmate, and best friend of 45 years, his wife Mary; his son, Peter (Kelsey); daughters, Julie, and Maia (David); siblings, Sonia, Robert (Rody), Barbara (Henry), and Edward (Debbie). Joe was preceded in death by his father, Leon; mother, Michelene; brother, Jerry; brother-in-law, Dennis, and sister-in-law, Mary. He enjoyed spending time with extended family members, including his in-laws, many nieces and nephews and their children. Joe was born in Waterford, Ont., spending his formative years in that province before moving to Nova Scotia in 1973. Joe and his family were fortunate enough to spend two years in Jakarta, Indonesia, igniting a love of travel in his children, before returning to Nova Scotia. In 2014 he moved to Ottawa for two years, before settling in Victoria in 2016. Joe will be remembered as a fun-loving, active, kind, and compassionate man. He was always smiling, and loved the outdoors; camping, hiking, kayaking, paddle boarding, and picnics were some of his favourite pastimes. If you could do it outdoors, he was in! He loved to travel, including cruising with good friends Nancy and Eric Horton. Joe was also an avid reader, recently had discovered a love of bowling, and always loved shopping for the best deal. In addition to fulfilling his family role with love and pride, Joe worked as an environmental engineer with Environment Canada for 35 years retiring in 2007. After retirement he set up his own consulting business and was proud to work on the Fundy tidal energy project. As per his wishes, cremation has taken place and no funeral service will be held. His family will be scattering his ashes in some of his favourite places. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or a charity of your choice. A special thank you to the Langford RCMP detachment and Metchosin Fire and Rescue for their efforts and compassion. We love you Joe! You will be missed by many and will remain in our hearts forever!
