Kevin George Ambrose Milnes

Kevin Milnes passed away peacefully on Friday January 4, 2019 at the age of 64 years surrounded by his loving family.

He was born in Easington, County Durham in England to Wilfred and Enid Milnes. Kevin grew up in England and moved to Canada while still young, settling in Saskatchewan before making his way to Alberta. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Wanda (Schaffer) and his sons, Owen and Ian.

Kevin had a strong and outgoing spirit that he carried with him through 32 years of living with quadriplegia. Nothing held him back from enjoying life to the fullest, including a full range of activities from swimming to white water rafting. Kevin was extremely friendly and charismatic, and his feisty attitude will be missed by many friends and acquaintances made in all walks of life.

Kevin had a lifelong love of building, working for many years in construction, before his injury caused him to turn his attention to architectural design, with an emphasis on accessible housing. He was proud of pointing out to guests the extra-wide doors and rolling counter top, which he designed himself for the house he, Wanda, and the boys lived in. Kevin was a staunch advocate for accessibility in architecture for those living with disability, with a strong sense of fairness and justice.

In his spare time, he enjoyed lounging in the sun and watching movies, especially Westerns, history, and war movies. He liked to collect naval paraphernalia and had a fascination with space exploration. In addition, Kevin also gave his time to education, teaching courses in architectural design at SAIT. Of course, between work and other interests, he and Wanda enjoyed travelling.

A celebration of Kevin’s life and legacy will be held on May 4th, 2019 at Pierson’s Funeral Home, 4121 17 Ave SE, Calgary, Alberta at 2:00 pm.