In Memoriam
"Precious in the sight of the LORD, is the death of his saints."
Psalm 116:15
Nicole Robichaud
April 24, 1957 - November 8, 2010
Nicole Robichaud was born in Montreal on April 24, 1957. She grew up in Repentigny. She studied microbiology at the University of Sherbrooke and obtained her Masters degree in Veterinary Microbiology-Pathology at the Université of Montreal in St. Hyacinthe.
While at university, she attended a crusade and heard the good news of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. She began attending a local Fellowship church, and about a year after her initial contact with the church, she accepted Christ.
This experience was a turning point for Nicole. She returned to live at Repentigny and took theological courses at SEMBEQ, the Evangelical Baptist Seminary of Quebec. It was after taking a course on Missions that she saw the need in Pakistan both in the area of evangelism through literature, and the ministry through the hospital and the budding public health program.
She shared her desire to be a career missionary with the Association of Evangelical Baptist Churches of Canada. This led her to take a course at Central Baptist Seminary in Toronto. She then served for 11 years in Pakistan, from May 1991 to 2002. She was involved in a ministry with women in Bible study, training and literacy. She was part of the Community Development Project team that visited villages. She also provided evangelism leadership in the Shikarpur area until she had to return to Canada for security reasons.
Following her return, she worked in water analysis, making use of her university studies, from 2002 to 2005. From 2005 to 2006 she worked for a Canadian food inspection agency. Cancer soon interrupted her work, and after a brave battle with the disease, Nicole went home to be with her Saviour.
Dr. George Dawe
October 29, 1905 - August 28, 2010
George was born in Golden, BC, and lived most of his life in that province apart from a short time in Los Angeles, where he attended the Bible Institute of Los Angeles and where he met his wife (and also a short time in Alberta). He served as pastor of Baptist churches in Mission, Armstrong, Enderby, Salmon Arm, Edmonton, Kamloops and Prince George, as well as 25 interim pastorates.
He co-founded, administered and taught at Western Baptist Bible College in Calgary, which later became part of Northwest Baptist Bible College in Port Coquitlam, now incorporated in Northwest College and Seminary in Langley.
He initiated Camp ministry at Mission, and founded Sunnybrae Bible Camp. He also served at Boundary Bay and Qwanoes. In addition, he authored a number of books and pamphlets.
At 23 years of age, he was a participant at the very first Annual Meeting of the newly formed Regular Baptist Convention in BC. He was honoured with a Doctor of Divinity degree from Talbot Theological Seminary in 1953, and with the award of Merit at the Fellowship Pacific Convention in 1985. Dr. Dawe would have been 105 years of age in October, 2010.
Donald Whitelaw
June 3, 1922 – February 13, 2011
Donald Whitelaw was born to missionary parents in China. He was five years old when the family returned to Toronto, Canada. After his schooling in Toronto, he spent 4 years in the Air Force. He met his wife Marion while he was stationed in Toronto. In 1945, he was moved to Vancouver to help discharge the soldiers from the army. In 1946, Donald went to the Baptist Seminary in Toronto.
From there Donald pastored several churches across Canada. He was at Kitchener Park Baptist in Scarborough, ON, for 9 years where he had a vibrant Friday evening children’s ministry. His next ministry was in Winnipeg, MB, and then he moved to Atikoken and then Lively in northern Ontario. Rev. Whitelaw had the ability to help struggling churches and handle many different interpersonal situations.
He then served at Thistledown Baptist in Toronto and followed that at Langstaff Baptist in York Mills. He last served as pastor for seniors in Woodstock, ON. While living at Fellowship Towers in Toronto, Donald suffered a stroke in 2007. After struggling to regain mobility, Donald went home to be with his Saviour and his beloved wife Marion in February, 2011.