Sanguinetti, Michael Haughton
Born: 29 July 29 1938
Died: 12 November 2014
Born 29 July,1938 in Hove, England, died peacefully at home with his wife, son and daughter by his side, 12 November, 2014.
Michael spent his first two years in Hong Kong where his father was head of Chinese Maritime Customs. He, his mother and sister sailed to Victoria on the last ship out before Hong Kong fell to the Japanese. His father was interned for the duration of the war. He was educated at St. Michael's School, Oak Bay High, and Victoria College where he formed many friendships that have lasted to the present.
He left Vic College for the Navy's Venture Programme. Due to a well-known "attitude problem" he lasted only one year. A chance summer job with Atholl Sutherland Brown exploring the geology of Haida Gwaii led him to a career he loved until the day he died. He studied geology at UBC and attained his PEng. He worked for both major and junior mining companies before joining John Stollery and Bert Reeve in Cordilleran Engineering. The partnership discovered a number of properties which have been successfully developed. He left Cordilleran to form Sanguinetti Engineering in 1984. His professional travels took him throughout Canada, the United States, Russia, Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia and Mexico.
Throughout his life, animals, such as an orphaned ocelot and many 'rent a dog's in the Arctic, and almost every animal living around him, trusted him implicitly. This was also true of almost every kid he ever encountered and every old lady beginning with his mother-in-law.
This perfect gentleman with a wicked sense of humour was predeceased by his parents, Dorothy and E. Neville Sanguinetti, his dear sister Vivien, step-mother Winn Sanguinetti, and his brother Peter Sharp. He is survived by Sonja, his beloved wife of 50 years, his son David (Valerie), his daughter Jennifer (Larry), and his cherished grandchildren, Carson Sanguinetti, Kristina Reeves, Robyn Sanguinetti, and Emily Reeves . He is also survived by his brother Malcolm Sharp (Vicky), his sister- in-law Lynnda Sharp, his sister-in-law Daphne Kelgard, and myriad friends who he made and kept with such ease and grace throughout the years.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to either the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (www.rcmsar.com), 6040 East Sooke Road, Sooke, BC V9Z 0Z7, or the Salvation Army BC Divisional Headquarters, 3833 Henning Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5C 6N5 (www.salvationarmy.ca/ britishcolumbia) . For information about the Celebration of Life, please contact members of the family.
Published in Vancouver Sun and/or The Province from Nov. 21 to Nov. 22, 2014
Return to previous page