REVscene Automotive Forum - UBC SUB homeless guy passes away

Familiar SUB face reportedly found dead

One of the SUB’s most familiar faces is no longer with us, according to reports from AMS Security.

A man, known to UBC Security as Trevor Wimble, who often sat in the armchair next to the south SUB entrance, was reportedly found dead in the UBC Village at some point between February 6 and 7.

“Last night at about a quarter after 7, the fire company from firehall 10 responded to a medical emergency, a report of a man down at Wesbrook and University. When they got there, they found one deceased male,” said Gabe Roder, a captain at the Vancouver Fire Department.

Roder was unable to release any official information about the man’s identity or the cause of death.

AMS security employee David Pendlebury learned of the his passing from UBC Campus Security. [Campus Security] phoned me up earlier to let me know, it was... Tuesday or Monday night,” said Pendlebury.

“He was found in the [UBC] village, [the death was due to] natural causes, as far as we're aware,” added Pendlebury. “I'm pretty devastated he's gone."

The man, who could regularly be seen reading newspapers in his chair, was a well-known figure among UBC students, many of whom were saddened to hear of his death.

Third-year pharmacy student Erik MacKinnon spoke to him almost every day, after striking a rapport with him from working at AMS Security in his first year at UBC.

“He liked coming to the SUB and hang out.” He loved watching Canucks games, MacKinnon said, and would watch them up at Pie R Squared.

“But he was an incredibly private guy, he never shared anything about his personal life or his background or anything…But all we ever did was shoot the shit, you know.”

And while many students generally assumed that the man was homeless, it was never confirmed. Permanent staff of the AMS said he had a place he went to sleep each night, but didn’t know the exact location.

“He would stay in the SUB until 9 or 10 o’clock sometimes, and then leave,” said MacKinnon.
“For all i know, he would have been a millionaire who lived in one of the houses on the endowment land.”

But he never caused any trouble, MacKinnon added.

“He sat and bought food in the SUB all day long, he never asked anybody for money, he never approached people, we never had a problem with him…I’m sure the rest of the security team would tell you he’s never been an issue. Never.”

His death has touched many, despite his private nature.

“Personally, knowing he passed away is awful for me, I don’t feel like I lost a family member—I feel like the whole AMS community lost a family member. The guy is someone who I’m not going to see on a daily basis anymore.”

“He’s always been there, he was a constant presence,” said UBC student Ania Kasprzak. “I’m sad…it’s always sad when someone passes away.”

Within hours of his reported passing, a bouquet of flowers was placed on his chair, along with an issue of The Globe and Mail.

On it was written “In memory of the old man in the chair: ?-February 8, 2012? in black marker.

In the subsequent hours, many students put flowers and cards on his chair. One of them, written by a fourth-year English lit student, is presented below:

Dear “Old Man in the SUB”:

I hope you truly enjoyed the cookies that I gave you.

I hope you smile forever at the pizza-snatching seagulls and confused pigeons.

I hope you never had drunken first-years demonstrate the consequences of rookie imbibing mistakes on your throne.

I hope you’ve understood by now that my incredible shyness and fear of offending you prevented me from having a long conversation with you.

I hope to know your story.

I will miss you. Rest in peace.

We are awaiting confirmation from health authorities. This story is breaking. Updates to come.

Homeless man disappears from UBC lands