Nicholas Gerard Culshaw

With great sadness  we announce the passing of Nicholas Gerard Culshaw, beloved husband of 49 years of Julie (nee Lynch) and father of Rebecca Veronica Smith (Nathan), Elena Afelskie (David), Martha Culshaw, and Denise Tomlinson (Tony Pearson-Smith). Nick leaves behind 14 grandchildren:  Rhett, Jasper, Miriam, Emeline and Clara Smith; Jacob, Hannah, Benjamin, Joseph, Isaac, Sarah, Mariana, Matthew and Simon Afelskie. He also leaves his sister Elena Joubert and his brother's wife Patricia. Nick was predeceased by his parents Gerard and Elena Kathleen Culshaw, his brother Simon, and his brother-in-law Bruce Joubert. 

Nick spent his career teaching earth sciences at Dalhousie University and he loved his field seasons spent mainly on Georgian Bay where he introduced many students and life-long friends to the beauties of Canadian geology. He could never resist stopping the car to look at an outcrop. He was featured on The Nature of Things where he shared his love of Georgian Bay geology in a show called Geologic Journey. Nick was well known for his quirky humour, his ability to see the comedy in situations, and his love of Texan cowboy hats. He had that British way of tweaking a statement to bring out the humour.  He once posted a cartoon with a picture of a fridge over three girls; the  caption read "fridge over troubled daughters".  As the girls can recall, a common acronym Nick used in our house of highly emotional women was "TWS" (tears will squirt). Today we often write TWS to one another. 

Central to Nick's life was his faith. His greatest desire was to pass on that faith to his daughters and their families, and it seems that he succeeded. May he join with the heavenly choirs in celebrating the wonders of God's creation in that land where we will meet again.  Where there will be no more TWS.  We love you Nick, Julie and the girls