His given name is Abe, but he’s been known as “Bodie” for as long as he can remember.
Bodie Samodien explains that “‘Boetie’ is an Afrikaans word meaning ‘eldest son.’ When we arrived in Canada, it was easier to change the spelling to Bodie.”
The Samodien family emigrated from Capetown to Canada in 1968, in search of a better life. Bodie’s parents chose Vancouver for the climate, similar to that of his homeland, he says, only colder. “It was a family decision,” he remembers. “If one of us wanted to stay in South Africa, all of us would have stayed.”
Bodie was 21 when the family arrived, a young man making his way in a new world. He was one year into an apprenticeship as a plumber but those credentials did not count in Canada so he completed his new country’s five-year apprenticeship program.
“Getting a job at Burrard Dry Dock – that was the nicest thing that happened to me for work. The job came in on a day when I was at the union hall, and I took it.” He worked at Burrard Dry Dock and at Vancouver Shipyards, and later at the University of British Columbia.
Besides having three sons in the plumbing trade, Bodie is most proud of working on one of the BC Ferries that was “stretched,” that is, cut in half so that a new section could be added in the middle. He installed the ferry’s sprinkler system.
“It was just me and a welder up on a scaffold, installing the sprinklers the whole length of the ferry, and not one injury or accident.”
After he retired, Bodie looked for something to keep him active. Nothing fit until he discovered lawn bowling. This came about in an unexpected way, like so much the good life
brings us.
Bodie’s wife, Patti, is an early morning walker. On her walks, she would pass by a woman at the bus stop. Greetings led to conversation, friendship and Bodie’s future pastime. Myrle Lawrence, the woman at the bus stop and a member of West Vancouver Lawn Bowling Club, invited Patti to the club’s Open House, held in May every year. Patti passed the invitation to Bodie. “Why not give it a try?” she encouraged her husband. He said, “Okay, I will give it a try.”
Almost exactly one year ago, Bodie zipped over from his North Vancouver home to the club’s Open House. Imagine the sight. Green lawns and flowers in bloom under blue skies, backed by the urban forest of Memorial Park, and a throng of folks, all talking about, or playing bowls. It was rather overwhelming for a first visit, and Bodie recalls he felt a little lost. But only for a moment.
“Everyone was welcoming and friendly,” he says. “In no time, I was learning the right way to hold the bowling ball and how to ease it onto the green, not to toss it so that it bounces around like a potato. You know, when I would drive by the North Vancouver club, I would think, ‘It looks so easy.’ When you begin to play, you realize how much there is to learn.”
The club runs on volunteers and there is a role for everyone. They tend the greens and the gardens, set up the games and the tournaments. The bonus, in Bodie’s view, is the club’s dues. An annual membership is about the cost of a round of golf, and the club bowls year round, outdoors in summer and indoors in winter.
Camaraderie and learning a new skill outdoors in good company. What more could a new retiree want? At first, Bodie was at the club so much that Patti suggested he might as well get a bed installed. “Patti doesn’t say that anymore,” Bodie says. “She knows where I am, she knows I’m there for the people and for the fun, and she’s happy that I am happy.”
The club started in West Vancouver in 1934, making it younger by 11 years than its friendly rival, the North Vancouver Lawn Bowling Club. The rivalry peaked in 2018 when West Vancouver wrested the Leyland Cup away from North Vancouver after six long years. Is it a coincidence that Bodie Samodien joined the club that year? Only the lawn bowling gods can answer that question. Will West Vancouver hold on to the trophy for another year? The answer to that question will be determined at the annual Rose Bowl and Leyland Cup tournament. It takes place in North Vancouver on June 15th and in West Vancouver on July 6th.
August brings West Vancouver’s inaugural Heritage Club Games, a celebration of the three participating clubs’ long history in the community. The West Vancouver Tennis Club started in 1925, West Vancouver Lawn Bowling Club in 1934 and Hollyburn Sailing Club in 1965.
The three venerable and vibrant sports clubs invite the community to share a day of activities and friendly competition. Find more information about the Heritage Club Games on the clubs’ respective websites. Or visit West Vancouver Lawn Bowling Club. You will be sure of a friendly welcome.
Laura Anderson works with and for seniors on the North Shore. Contact her by phone at 778-279-2275 or email her at [email protected].
