May 17, 1982 - August 27, 2024

In loving memory ~

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Tomas Vytautas Jaugelis鈥攐ur dear son, brother, nephew, uncle, cousin, and friend.

Tomas (Tom or Largo to his friends) entered this world eagerly, in Calgary, Alberta on the morning of Monday, May 17, 1982, surprising his parents with an unplanned home birth because he could not wait for the drive to the hospital. Born in the safety of home, he began life with a gentle and trusting heart.

From an early age, he was drawn to the beauty of nature, and by his teen years, he was most at home in the outdoors. He acquired outdoor survival and hiking skills through his participation in the Outward Bound and Ghost River Rediscovery programs for youth. A trained and skilled draftsman and an avid gardener, his passion for eco-justice ultimately led him to environmental activism, engaging in trail building on Meares Island off Tofino for the Western Canada Wilderness Committee for several summers, and other initiatives.

Tom was a leader of the "Stop the Pave" actions aimed at halting the construction of the Highway 17 "South Fraser Perimeter Road" construction through Surrey and Delta, a protest movement that grew out of concern for the social and environmental impacts of the project. His leadership was admired by his peers and fellow activists, and he was quoted in media in articles written about the protests more than once.

For several happy years, he lived with his partner on Denman Island where he found a community of like-minded people, learning to live gently on the land and care for one another. Unfortunately, he began to suffer from debilitating vertigo, adding to other inflammation-related conditions he had been enduring for several years. By 2017, the Complex Chronic Diseases Program at the BC Women's Hospital and Health Centre had confirmed he was suffering symptoms consistent with fibromyalgia syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, myofascial pain in his arms, central sensitivity syndrome, and chronic idiopathic vertigo.

Before disability had finally curtailed his environmental activism and chronic pain diminished his quality of life, Tom continued to spend time outdoors, in the wild. Friends and family members who hiked and climbed with him fondly remember his camaraderie and skill.

Tom was keenly committed to the preservation of BC's old-growth forests. Although his abilities were significantly impacted by his health conditions, he participated actively in the planning of the first protest actions for what became known as the Fairy Creek logging protest on Vancouver Island, considered the largest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history. He spent his last year living on the Pacific Coast of Vancouver Island finding solace walking the beaches and listening to the ocean sing its ancient song.

Tom enthusiastically joined a family trip to Lithuania in June 2024, visiting his grandparents' homeland for the first time. With his parents, sister, aunt, niece, and nephew, he traversed the beautiful Baltic country by car, enjoying seaside, farmland and urban vistas and experiences, stealing moments of peace and quiet in nature, and making treasured memories with loved ones that will serve as a comfort to those he left behind.

His battle with disability and what he deemed to be unbearable suffering finally ended on August 27, 2024, the day he chose to end his life.

He is lovingly remembered by his parents, Vida and Algis (Al), his sister, Kristina (Giovanni), niece and nephew, Marina and Kristofer, aunts Ruta (Jim) and Rita (Simon), uncle Rimas (Brenda), cousins Sophia (Fernando), Ona (Jimmy), Laila, Sophie, and Nicolas, as well extended family in Lithuania and many friends.

Tom's memorial service will be held on Friday, September 13th, 2024, at 1:30 pm at Ladner United Church: 4960 48 Ave, Delta, BC V4K 4X6. In lieu of flowers, we suggest acts of kindness in his honor. You can also donate to charities working to protect the land and waters of British Columbia:

Raincoast Land Trust:

https://www.raincoast.org/land-trust/

The Land Conservancy of BC:

https://conservancy.bc.ca/about/

The Clayoquot Biosphere Trust:

https://clayoquotbiosphere.org