Veteran staff and regular customers of a West Vancouver institution are remembering Gary and Carol Troll as pillars of the Horseshoe Bay community after the couple, longtime owners of Troll’s Restaurant, died within days of each other over the weekend, after 52 years of marriage.
The couple leaves behind a legacy, said Troll’s manager Holly Kemp, who counted Gary Troll as both her boss and a personal friend over the past decade. Since the news broke, former employees and customers have been sharing memories of the establishment on social media.
“Gary Troll was the host at the first dinner when my family emigrated to Canada in the late ’70s…” wrote Nigel Malkin on the restaurant’s Facebook page. “Gary gave my sister her first job, he remembered everyone and must have bought more coffees than I can count for his customers who were all his friends. He was a customer of my family business for years and always had time to talk and share a laugh.”
“Gary hired me as a 14-year-old in 1976,” wrote Jeremy Greene. “I’ll never forget the Troll’s and Horseshoe Bay influences on my life.”
Gary Troll’s parents Joe and Dorothy started Troll’s in Horseshoe Bay in 1946 as a fish and chip shop on the waterfront. The restaurant became a fixture in the community, and grew significantly with the arrival of ferry service in the 1950s and ’60s. Gary and Carol Troll took over the restaurant in the ’70s and continued the family tradition.
“Horseshoe Bay grew around it,” said Kemp. “We’ve had thousands of staff members come through. It’s always been a go-to place.”
Kemp said Gary Troll was well-liked in the community. “He was a jovial, wise-cracking, engaged old guy,” she said, adding, “He had a bit of a smart ass attitude.”
In 1996, the couple made headlines when they won $14 million in the lottery after Gary Troll bought a ticket at the nearby Dayal’s Variety store. Troll, however, returned to work at the restaurant the next day, and didn’t substantially alter his life after the windfall.
Kemp said both Carol and Gary had been suffering from longtime illnesses – Carol from diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis and Gary from lung cancer. “We saw it coming. They both held on for Christmas.”
Kemp, who helped care for Gary Troll in his final months, said Troll still came into the restaurant every day, up until December. Carol died late Friday and Gary died on Monday – both surrounded by family and close friends, she said.
Kemp added the restaurant continues to be owned by the family and is expected to continue running as it was before.That was what Gary wanted, she said.
