Paul Anthony Crilly

In every memory, we find a part of you. ~ Unknown

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Paul Anthony Crilly.

Paul passed away on September 19th, 2025 after a long battle with cancer.
Survived by his beloved wife of 48 years, Zoria, daughter Barbara Tanya Marya Koike (Tom), sons Sean Paul Crilly (Katherine), Jordan Aaron Crilly (Vanessa), sisters Denise Morris (Andrew) and Julie Robinson (John), brothers John Crilly (Kathy), David Crilly (Amy), Thomas Crilly (Theresa), and numerous nieces, nephews and extended family.

Paul was predeceased by parents Dennis and Mary Patricia (Pat) Crilly of Cobourg, Ontario.

Born September 7th, 1953 in Derby, England, Paul immigrated to Canada with his family at the age of 10 and settled in Ontario. In 1973, he joined the Canadian Armed Forces and served with the 3rd Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment in Petawawa, Ontario and the Canadian Airborne Regiment 2 Commando. His service with the Canadian Armed Forces included peacekeeping in Cyprus, Egypt and Israel, and deployment to Baden-Sollingen, Germany as part of NATO.

Paul was released from the Canadian Armed Forces in 1983 and settled in Edmonton, Alberta where he supported his family through long haul trucking as a Tractor Trailer operator and Class One Highway Instructor., as well as undertaking seasonal work as a Customer Service Representative with Northwestern Utilities Ltd. (now the Atco Group). He moved his family to Vancouver Island, British Columbia in 1996 and undertook a variety of jobs until he joined the Commissionaires in 1999. In 2007, he was deployed to Afghanistan where he provided security services in Kandahar and Kabul until 2016 for the Commissionaires and Centerra Group LLC. Upon his return to Canada, Paul worked for Paladin Security until his cancer diagnosis in 2023.

Paul was an adventurer at heart, a risk taker who thrived on new and challenging experiences. His fondest memories and biggest source of pride was his service with the Canadian Airborne Regiment 2 Commando, and the years he worked security in Afghanistan. He had a strong work ethic and was not afraid to go the extra mile regardless of the risks. He travelled to dangerous places, undertook dangerous work, and was always on the lookout for the next great adventure.

To those who knew him, Paul was a kind and generous man – a Crusader for Christ who showed compassion to those less fortunate, and a willing hand to anyone who needed help. He always had a positive attitude despite his setbacks, and was full of life, love and laughter. He was known for his sense of humor, his strong opinions, one-liners and entertaining stories.

To his children, Paul was a dad “who could fix anything – no matter how broken – with a little duct tape and a hug”. No matter what crisis arose, when it was time to give up, he would always come up with a plan. He was quick to make a joke, always made time to listen, was excited and proud of every achievement, and made the best Shepherd’s Pie. Not all heroes wear capes, and he was certainly a hero to them – a great leader and teacher who adapted and took on every challenge. He modeled kindness, patience and generosity, and most of all, through his dry English humor and Chevy Chase movies, humility.

To his family, Paul was loyal, caring and fiercely protective – to his wife, a loving and devoted husband. He was “anything and everything” to so many – a man who lived life to the fullest – unapologetically and on his own terms. It is said there are some who bring a light so great to the world that even after they have gone, the light remains. And for those who knew and loved him… it will.

Rest in peace, beloved.

We begin to remember not just that you died, but that you lived.
And that your life gave us memories too beautiful to forget.

Acknowledgements
The family would like to acknowledge and thank the health care teams at the BC Cancer Centre, Victoria General and Royal Jubilee Hospitals for their compassionate care of Paul throughout his cancer journey.